FAIRFIELD -- Sometime early this afternoon, people in town will be in for a big Christmas surprise.

Volunteers who have worked for weeks on the Christmas with the Clauses Main Street Display will pull down the paper covering the window of the former Northern Mattress building. Just like that, they will see the home of Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Santa will have a little more work to do, though, before he invites children and their parents in for a visit to his home. He first must light the town's Christmas tree in Monument Park at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, as townspeople sing carols, greet neighbors and sip hot cocoa.

Then, following a good night's sleep, he and Mrs. Claus will be ready to open up their downtown home, at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Six-year-old twins Alyssa and Ryan Bourque of Benton will be there.

"I'll sit on his lap," Alyssa said. "I like it when he brings me presents. I like beads. I hope Mrs. Claus cooks pizza."

Alyssa and her brother, who wants a green car for Christmas, will be happy decorating gingerbread cookies, and snacking on other treats courtesy of Mrs. Claus. The children, who attend nearby Fairfield Primary School, also will be there for Friday's unveiling.

"I think they're going to like it, I really do," said Lou Bickford, director at Lawrence Public Library who is among the many volunteers who are making it happen. "And everyone on Main Street is adding something to it. The businesses are really into all of this, which is good."

The Clauses will make their home open to the public from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and on Sundays from 1 to 4.

Bickford said that Santa, Mrs. Claus and his elves all will be on hand.

"Some kids will go to Santa, some to Mrs. Claus, who will read to them," Bickford said. "There will be gingerbread cookies to decorate. Kids love to make things at this age."

Barbara Finch was among the leading volunteers who made Christmas with the Clauses a reality, Bickford said. Josh Reny, the town's economic and community development planner, helped organize the effort.

Reny said students from Lawrence High School and Kennebec Valley Community College served on a community events committee that helped clean the building's windows the Friday after Thanksgiving. Hammond Lumber supplied the kitchen display, Batey's TV donated the stove, Poulin's Antiques donated antique furniture and L.N. Violette supplied the flooring.

"The community -- everybody is coming together around this opportunity," Reny said.