Time for holiday floral arrangements already? Yes it is, according to Sheryl Hill of Lemont.

The Lemont Garden Club member said it is time for the group’s ever-popular Holiday Beginnings creative floral design event, and the club is eager to let people know. A fundraiser is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, in the gym of Mount Assisi Academy, 13860 Main St. There will be plenty of parking and lots of room, Hill said.

“Please join us for an afternoon of creative floral design to celebrate the coming holiday season,” Hill said. “Coffee and desserts will be served.”

Keith Harbison, who was the group’s 2005 Holiday Beginnings designer, agreed to be the creative designer again and promised some “new things,” Hill said.

“It’s interesting because he uses all types of materials that might be available to people in the community and not just supplies available to florists,” said Sharon Crull, event chair. “Keith will prepare some fall designs, some Christmas and some winter designs.”

Lila Mancini, club president, said she always comes away having learned something.

“The event really teaches the lay person a lot of tips and techniques for home floral arranging,” she said. “It’s about hows — like how to use unique containers, how to use different floral elements.”

According to Crull, Harbison uses interesting things to embellish his designs.

“He might bring some things he’s collected from the road in terms of grasses or maybe leaves from someone’s yard,” she said. “I think people are happy to see that collecting some of those items is easy, and the ideas are within the realm of our creative juices.

“I also think our audience really enjoyed the program last time because we were watching a floral designer at work in a live format,” Crull said. “We will have the same format again, and the program is interactive, so the audience can ask questions while Keith is designing.”

The event also will feature a raffle, craft boutique and door prizes, which will be 10 of Harbison’s arrangements.

“The boutique will have floral-themed crafts made by our members,” Crull said. “Typically they are garden-related like dried flower wreaths, note cards made with some preserved leaves or flowers, garden art and more.”

Tickets to the event are $20, and all funds raised will go to the club’s civic projects.

“Please join us for an afternoon of creative floral design to celebrate the coming holiday season,” Crull said.

Among their projects, Crull said the club gives scholarships to students studying horticulture, and they plant and care for the grounds around the Village Hall. Annually, they provide holiday wreaths for Lemont municipal buildings, offer four arrangements a year for the village’s mosaic planters and lead garden therapy at Holy Family Villa.

“Come out for a real good day,” Crull said. “Keith is a wonderful speaker and a very creative floral designer.”

For tickets or more information, call (630) 257-6595 or Crull at (630) 257-2297.