SHERBURN - Hometown shopping has been made an all-out holiday event in Sherburn.

For four years, the Sherburn Civic and Commerce Club has spearheaded the "Stay Home, Shop at Sherburn" event. It's a weekend filled with specials and activities, from hayrides to free movies and a visit from Santa - and of course shopping deals.

"People don't think there's a lot in these little towns," admits Cindy Ford of the Sherburn Civic and Commerce Club. "But you'd be surprised at what you can find here. We have a lot of home-based businesses that will have displays set up in the Sherburn Community Hall.

"You probably can find it all here, if you stop and think about it."

The event was formed when the civic and commerce group decided to find a way to promote the town of Sherburn for Christmas.

"We're just trying to promote our own," Ford said.

The weekend kicks off Friday afternoon from 3-8 p.m. With a "blackout" card filled out at Sherburn businesses, there are numerous discounts and free giveaways to be had.

"Those blackout cards can be entered and we will have three $100 winners and one student winner of a $25 gift package," Ford said.

Also going on Friday evening will be a soup dinner at the community theatre sponsored by the Regional Worship Center, a live nativity scene, hayrides, caroling and luminaries.

The event continues on Saturday with a medallion hunt, pictures with Santa and a free movie starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Community Theatre. The movie will be "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," sponsored by Fox Lake Conservation Club.

On Sunday, a soup and sandwich fund-raiser will be held for community center renovations, sponsored by the Sherburn Task Force. The event wraps up with a classic movie featuring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby showing 1:15 p.m. at the Community Theatre.

"Another event that will be going on Sunday is the Many Voices Choir, which has about 80 to 100 members from southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, and they will be performing at the First Congregational Church at 3:30 p.m.," Ford said.

Ford also mentioned many of the businesses will be holding activities throughout the weekend as well.

"I know at the floral shop, we'll be making s'mores," she said. "It's just something fun to promote our town, because if we don't do something, people forget. ... We like to think of ourselves as a small town with big service."