WORCESTER — Thanks to the third annual Dear Santa Extravaganza, Christmas is coming early to Worcester this year.

The event’s a Christmas party that’s free to the community. Those who attend are given gifts, food and kids will have the opportunity to get their picture taken with Santa Claus. This year’s Dear Santa Extravaganza was hosted by former District 2 City Council Candidate Johanna Hampton-Dance, Linette Wainwright, Jewelz Montalvo and Michael Rice, all of whom founded the event together before its inception three years ago. One of the goals of the Dear Santa Extravaganza is to take the pressure of holiday cooking and gift shopping off the community in order to bring everyone together.

“When I was a little boy my mother used to take me to churches to attend events just like this,” said Montalvo. “Over the years, me and my friends felt like the tradition has died out, not too many places host events like this. Yes, you see your annual toy drive, but no one takes the time to bond with these families and get to know one another. We all live in the same community. It’s important to support one another and allow our children to share these experiences together.”

This year the event is going to be held at Whiskey on Water, an entertainment venue that serves over 300 varieties of whiskeys from around the world. The venue is located at 97 Water Street in the heart of Worcester’s Canal District.

The extravaganza is divided into three sections. There’s a brunch session from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., a lunch session from 1:15pm to 2:30 p.m. and a dinner session from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

“This event is the perfect party for all, regardless of how many children you have, how old they are, or if you don’t have children but want to come for the fun and the food!” Hampton-Dance wrote in a statement.