A Greene Christmas
Some prospective shoppers sought the warmth of the Artbeat Gallery on High Street last year during the annual Holiday Open House.
Phil Galing, owner of Lippencott Alpacas, beckons people at the Holiday Open House last year to stop by and see his adorable creatures.
Horse-driven carriage rides are always a big attraction at Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful’s Holiday Open House. Fred Kiger of Rocky Ridge Acres drives his team of draft horses on High Street during one of the rides last year.
Our Glass Creations on High Street in Waynesburg created a holiday-themed window display for the Holiday Open House last year.
Dan Wagner, left, director of the culinary arts department at the Greene County Career and Technology Center, supervises state Sen. Tim Solobay as he attempts to cut through a chunk of ice with a chain saw. Culinary students made ice sculptures at the Holiday Open House last year.
Two Waynesburg University students take a break from playing Christmas music during last year’s Holiday Open House.
Members of the Waynesburg Central High School’s Show Choir perform in 2011 at the Greene County Courthouse as part of the Rotary Club of Waynesburg’s Winter Wonderland Gala. Last year’s gala was postponed because of construction in one of the courtrooms.
Culinary students from the Greene County Career and Technology Center serve food to patrons who attended the Rotary Club of Waynesburg’s Winter Wonderland Gala two years ago.
Marching bands are always a big part of any parade. Here, Carmichaels High School’s band approaches the judging stand in from the Greene County Courthouse during last year’s Christmas Parade.
Each year, members of the Pennsylvania National Guard headquartered at the Readiness Center at EverGreene Technology Park, lead the Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Parade.
Some youngsters enjoy their float ride during last years’ Christmas Parade sponsored by the Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
By JON STEVENS
This can be a confusing and hectic time for many. No sooner were Halloween decorations taken down that there was talk about stores being open on Thanksgiving so shoppers could get these great pre-holiday deals.
Wait. Wasn’t Thanksgiving a holiday, too? Sometimes it seemed to get lost in the Christmas shopping frenzy.
Fortunately, traditionalist thinking has not been lost on groups in Greene County, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful, the Rotary Club of Waynesburg, plus a host of municipal leaders, who year after year, are remindful of the importance of creating and maintaining the glow of the holiday spirit.
Evidence the large Christmas tree standing tall in front of the county courthouse, decorated, lit and reminding all who see it that the holiday season has begun in Greene County.
For the last several years, Christmas in Greene County has been launched by a holiday kickoff weekend, beginning with a Holiday Open House sponsored by Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful on the first Friday in December, followed the next day by the annual Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Christmas parade and followed that evening by the Rotary Club’s Winter Wonderland Gala in the Greene County Courthouse.
So, if you are loking for that perfect gift, Downtown Waynesburg’s Holiday Open House from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6 will have plenty to offer, especially in the way of original art – ceramics, glass, jewelry, prints, paintings, weavings, woodwork and much more.
During Friday night’s festivities, horses giving carriage rides will clip clop on the street, Christmas carols will fill the air and shoppers can warm their hands over the fire in street corner barrels, then go indoors to meet some artists and enjoy refreshments while they browse.
That large Christmas tree mentioned earlier will be lit at 5:30 p. m., and this year, tuba players from Waynesburg University will gather around the tree and play traditional and some not-so-traditional Christmas carols.
Perhaps the signature event of the Christmas season in Greene County is the parade Dec. 7, something Melody Longstreth, executive director of the chamber, said has been processing on High Street for at least seven decades, if not longer.
“Yes, everything does seemed to be all clumped up together,” Longstreth said, ” but I think it is better than stringing things out right up to Christmas. Everybody has so much to do, other than organize,” she said.
Nonetheless, if there is a standard bearer for the parade, it is Longstreth. “For years, it was just me and a committee. Now we have more bodies working to make this grow.”
In the last 10 years, the number of parade units has been rather consistent. She said in 2003, there were 199, followed in chronological years, by 127, 102, 92, 89 (no figures for 2008), 91 in 2009, then 90, 86 and 94 last year.
Longstreth said the parade usually takes about one hour and 10 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes “When it’s warm, we slow down the procession; when it’s freezing, we speed them up,” she said. When it’s cold, she said, it not so bad for the kids marching, but it probably is for those who are standing and watching on the sidewalk.
Once you have cooled down or warmed up after watching the parade (December weather can be fickle), an elaborate gala awaits in the county courthouse.
Now in its fourth year, the Rotary Club of Waynesburg’s Winter Wonderland Gala is a magnificent way to end the holiday weekend events.
“People now should be getting in the holiday mood,” said Bette Stammerjohn, a Rotary member who has worked on the gala each of the four years. “Greene County does a good job in getting its resident psyched for the holidays,” she said.
In addition to the aforementioned happenings, there is Breakfast with Santa the morning of Dec. 7 and there are numerous open houses planned at several other county venues.
“This gala showcases a really nice building and for many it is the only time they get to see the courthouse. There is fine food, entertainment, Chinese auctions, wine tasting and a host of other things people can enjoy,” she said.
So, if you went and shopped on Thanksgiving or Black Friday and that got you in the Christmas spirit, fine.
If you need more, visit Greene County this first weekend in December. The real holiday spirit awaits you.