MOUNT SAVAGE — Just who is in charge of Mount Savage, anyway?

Children, you can help restore justice and save Christmas in this bustling little village today and Sunday during a community-wide celebration of the winter holiday.

Festivities begin and end at the historic First National Bank of Mount Savage, a restored red brick building on Main Street. The annual celebration was moved from the old Union Mining Co. building due to ongoing renovations by the Mount Savage Historical Society.

“It’s absolutely beautiful for Christmas,” said Becky Korns of the historical society.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be inside the bank along with Frosty the Snowman, and elves will distribute bags of goodies to children, who also can have cookies, popcorn and hot chocolate — coffee for the grown-ups.

Children will have a chance to visit Santa Claus and share their wish list with Old Saint Nick, Korns said.

The event is free and open to the public. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon until 4 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s not a money-maker for us,” Korns said. “We just try to do something for the kids in town.”

But the big surprise, Korns said, is who appears to have taken over the town. The Grinch, a hairy, foul-smelling — at least in the movie — green gargantuan, has been spotted on the hillsides of the village that forged the nation’s first iron rails. It’s unknown who will end the weekend in the historic Mount Savage Jail — the Grinch or town residents.

While the move from the Union Mining Co. limits available space, Korns said the celebration will go on just the same.

“We wanted to do it big,” she said. “We wanted to make it a Main Street Christmas.”

In nearby Frostburg, the sixth annual Storybook Holiday festival will be a one-day affair. The event, coordinated by the Children’s Literature Centre at Frostburg State University and the city of Frostburg, combines a love for literature with a genuine affection for Christmas.

The all-day affair starts at 8 a.m. with Breakfast with the Elves for $5 a person. The third annual Elf Olympics begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 1-kilometer Jingle Run and, for $7.50 per person, a 1-mile run down Main Street.

After the Storybook Holiday parade on Main Street, children’s author and illustrator Jennifer O’Connell will present her holiday book, “Ten Timid Ghosts on a Christmas Night,” at the Frostburg Community Library.

All the while, the sidewalks of the Mountain City will be filled with carolers and wandering elves. City Place on Water Street is another hub of activity with free carriage rides from 1 to 4 p.m. From 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., children can make a craft for a gift and visit the Letter to Santa station, where they can write and mail their letter to the North Pole.

For more information on the Frostburg event, log on to www.frostburg.edu.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.