The Vince Carney Community Theater at 108 S. Main St. in Rochelle will host its 10th annual Winter Gala fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13.

The event includes a meal catered by Faye’s Finest Food, a silent auction, and an Elvis Christmas Special presented by Chicago-based Elvis performer Hugo Colin.

Doors open at the Lincoln Arts Center at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $60 at vcctrochelle.org. Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 7. No tickets will be sold at the door.

VCCT Board Secretary and Event Director Kimberly Ekes said the gala serves as VCCT’s main fundraiser for the year.

“We’ve done a play or a Christmas show in years past,” Ekes said. “We wanted to do something special for the 10-year mark. We had Hugo Colin here last year for a show and it was amazing. He’d seen that we do the winter gala and asked about it and told us that Elvis sang Christmas music. That’s how it came about.”

VCCT presents three productions per year at its newly-renovated Lincoln Arts Center venue, the former site of Lincoln Elementary School. Proceeds from those shows, fundraisers and donations help it to finance future productions and building improvements.

The Lincoln Arts Center recently saw new windows and front doors installed and has a new LED sign on the way. The venue has also been used for more attractions like comedy shows and musical performances and movie showings are in the works.

Ekes said gala attendees can expect a nice night out with entertainment and food.

“There will be plenty of auction items from local businesses and artisans,” Ekes said. “We like to dress up and we’ll have a 60s theme. I’m excited to see everyone again. We have a lot of people that come year after year. I’m excited to see Christmas Elvis. It will be a completely different show than what he did last time he was here.”

Colin pays tribute to everyone’s favorite entertainer for the enjoyment of life-long Elvis admirers and to introduce the music legend to a brand new generation of fans. After being exposed to the music of Elvis by his parents and performers, Colin started performing his tribute to Elvis when he was in kindergarten at his elementary school’s talent show.

Since 2015, Colin has performed at many venues and events and has participated in various competitions for Elvis tribute artists. He’s performed in Las Vegas and at Graceland in the past. He shared live streams around the world and performed sidewalk concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic when typical concerts weren’t possible.

Ekes said the gala provides respite for attendees during the busy holiday season. It’s grown every year after starting as dinner and a show at Hickory Grove 10 years ago.

“It acts as an end-of-year celebration,” Ekes said. “We announce our upcoming season of shows at the event and for a lot of our members it’s about celebrating and looking towards the future. Our spring show will be Gilligan’s Island.”

The community theater troupe has been in operation since 1981, funded by members and the community. It has members from outside Rochelle, with those involved volunteering their time and becoming part of the VCCT family.

Ekes has been excited in recent years to hold the winter gala in VCCT’s very own building.

“VCCT having its own building was 40 years in the making,” Ekes said. “I recently found VCCT board meeting minutes from the early 1980s and they talked about having their own building. It took a while, but now we have it. It’s so nice. We have to maintain it, but it’s worth it. It’s ours and we can bring in events and bigger, better shows. People don’t have to leave Rochelle to see comedy shows and more. We can have our local dance organizations and bands perform there and host parties and weddings. It gives people that space.”