Rain does not dampen Greene holiday spirit
Andrew Heizey and Brad Wilson, members of the Waynesburg University Drum & Pipe Band, stand at the corner of Morgan and and High streets during the Holiday Open House Friday. The Drum & Pipe Band was the only group of musicians to take on the rain and play Christmas tunes outside of the local stores.
Brianna Virgili of Waynesburg sits still while artist Jeff Harris draws a caricature of her. People waited in long lines to receive a hand-drawn caricature from Harris Friday at the Holiday Open House in Waynesburg.
Four-year-old Riley Stowinsky of Finleyville roasts a marshmallow over the flames of one of the many fire barrels that were placed around downtown Waynesburg Friday. 5 Kidz Kandy store handed out free s’mores kits for customers to make by the fires.
WAYNESBURG – Rain could not dampen the holiday spirit of the hearty souls who came out Friday to enjoy Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful’s seventh annual Holiday Open House.
Though the rain was constant throughout the evening, there still was a crowd of people who braved the weather to enjoy the festivities, including horse-drawn wagon rides up and down High Street, live music and, of course, shopping at the local small businesses.
“There is so much planning that goes into it and it is unfortunate that the weather is the one thing that we cannot plan,” said Elizabeth Menhart, Greene County’s director of tourism and communications.
“Everyone puts so much into it that you do want to see it be a success.”
One of the main goals of this event is to bring business to the local businesses.
“Our committee meets, plans and organizes forms for businesses to participate in the advertising and marketing,” said Menhart. “For a $35 fee, they are listed on all the flyers that are distributed. There are always a few that won’t participate, but they do stay open for customers. That has been the nature of the event.”
The weather may have even helped bring business to a lot of the stores this year.
“The rain is a bummer but even when it rains people go inside,” said Jeanine Henry, president of Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful’s board of directors. “Obviously, more people come when it is nice but when the outside suffered the inside of the stores thrived.”
A lot of local stores were busy throughout the night and even offered free gifts for those customers who braved the weather.
The staff of The Locker Room featured Black Friday its door. The employees gave away s’mores kits to customers who wanted to roast marshmallows over the fire barrels that were placed along the sidewalks.
Though 5 Kidz Kandy is new to High Street, it experienced a packed store for the majority of the night.
“Being our first year, we didn’t know what to expect but the rain caused a lot of people to come in and shop,” said Kristy Vliet, co-owner of 5 Kidz Kandy.
“We surprisingly sold a lot of ice cream and also coffee. We even had a lot of people place orders for holiday gifts.”
One unique event of the open house was the CANstruction sponsored by Consol Energy.
Local businesses displayed canned food sculptures that were created by local artists and youth organizations. Customers could make a monetary donation to the sculpture they liked the best for a People’s Choice winner. All proceeds benefitted the Corner Cupboard Food Bank in Waynesburg.
There were other activities this past weekend to get people into a holiday mood. On Saturday, Breakfast with Santa was held at the Greene County Fairgrounds, followed in the afternoon by the Waynesburg Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Parade. The Rotary Club of Waynesburg’s annual Winter Wonderland Gala was held Saturday night in the county courthouse.
“People have been doing these events for a long time and a lot of people around Greene County look to the first weekend of December as the official kick-off to Christmas season,” said Menhart. “It’s the week after Thanksgiving and everyone’s thoughts are really turning to Christmas, whether it’s seeing Santa at the parade, shopping during the open house or other activities that occur across the county.”
According to Menhart, there is a lot packed into one weekend but it’s all worthwhile. “You can come Friday and Saturday and experience family friendly events both days,” she said.
Jennifer Schouppe is a student at Waynesburg University and is a member of the Yellow Jacket, the university’s weekly newspaper.