Celebrating the season: Parades, holiday markets on tap in Washington, Canonsburg
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Visitors to Canonsburg Old-Fashioned Christmas Celebration enjoyed getting photos taken by the antique Ford truck that sat in the middle of town. Here, McMurray residents Don Kreutzer and Colleen Kreutzer, and their daughter, Cathryn, pose in the bed of the truck last year.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Last year, the Canonsburg Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration featured a synthetic ice skating rink. Children donned skates and kids who weren’t as steady on the blades had an optional skate helper to help them keep balance.
Lynleigh Harris, 2, waits for the Canonsburg Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade to begin last year. Thousands lined Pike Street as floats, bands, dancers, and more passed along the parade route.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Dancers from the Moschetta Performing Arts Center in Washington wowed the crowd with a festive line dance along the parade route last year.
In this photo from last year, Tessa and Zach Burd write their hopes and dreams on a star sponsored by the Washington Rotary while their mom, Kate, and younger sister, Tenley, hold their spot in the horse-drawn carriage line. The Burd family traveled from Monongahela to shop the Holiday Market and enjoy the Christmas parade – their first-ever Washington parade.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Parade-goers tapped their toes to the beat of the Trinity High School marching band at Friday night’s Christmas parade in downtown Washington. Instruments adorned in holiday lights added to the festive feel of the evening.
A youngster holds his light saber, purchased from a street vendor, and watches the parade pass in downtown Washington last year.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Roman Hyland became fast friends with Homer the camel during the Christmas parade in downtown Washington last year. Roman’s sister, Flynn, and parents Lauren and Ryan laughed as Roman befriended all the animals on display by the Barnyard Petting Zoo.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Emily Gilpen and her son, Conner, watch the firetrucks pass at last year’s Christmas parade in downtown Washington.
For many, festivities in downtown Washington and Canonsburg mark the start of the holidays, and this year’s events are merrier than ever.
The city of Washington gets into the holiday spirit with the Cricket Holiday Market, which begins at 4 p.m. today at the Main Street Pavilion, with numerous vendors, food trucks and performances by a half-dozen local youth organizations.
“Last year was the first year we tried out the local talent on the stage. The feedback and kind of the momentum and then energy that it brought was really fantastic,” said Main Street Manager Shana Brown. “We had a humungous crowd, record crowds, in the pavilion last year.”
Crowds will again gather under the pavilion for the beloved tradition and something new: a beer garden.
“Every year, we want to be innovative. In addition to all the favorites, we’re trying to switch it up and trying to do something different,” said Brown, noting local and out-of-town breweries and distilleries will serve up drinks to attendees 21 and older behind the pavilion.
Folks can ogle the lights downtown from the plush seats of a horse-drawn carriage (rides are free this year), and Santa has flown in from the North Pole to pose for pictures with kids and star in the annual holiday parade, which begins promptly at 7 p.m. at the intersection of Main and Chestnut streets, and travels to Railroad Street.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will wave from a float adorned with trees sporting ornaments decorated by kids during Small Business Saturday ceremonies Nov. 26, as well as a Naughty and Nice list compiled that day.
“It’s a fantastic, fantastic lineup. We’re really going to be showcasing our community this year,” said Brown, noting there are about 75 entries in this year’s parade. “We have a number of floats, we have some horses, we have some antique cars. We have three bands this year. Of course, we have the fire trucks. There might even be a donkey.”
Brown said the market, the music and the parade are wonderful, but the best part of Washington’s Christmas festivities is bringing folks from near and far together.
“It’s a community effort. That’s what makes it so special and that’s what makes it so wonderful,” Brown said. “A lot of people have done a lot of work putting this together. It’s going to be great. It’s just wonderful to see the community coming together.”
Brown said the Christmas parade will again be livestreamed on Facebook, and those unable to attend can tune into the fun online at https://www.facebook.com/downtownwashingtonpa.
Just north of Washington, Canonsburg is all aglow, its streets lined in glittering trees and gingerbread houses, lit softly by holiday lights strung with care over the road, all in time for the fifth-annual Old Fashioned Christmas celebration.
Canonsburg’s fifth annual Old Fashioned Christmas celebration begins at 4 p.m. today, and promises to be as charming, cozy and Hallmark-esque as ever.
Range Resources is hosting the North Pole at Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church, where Santa Claus will pose for photos with children on the nice list. The Grinch is begrudgingly posing for photos, too, at the senior center across from Rite-Aid. Both Christmas icons will be available for photo ops at 4 p.m. Friday and throughout the day Saturday, while Mrs. Claus will host storytime at the senior center at 5 and 7 p.m. Friday and again Saturday afternoon.
Of course there will be food, at the food truck court, and shopping – more than 50 area vendors will set up their wares in the Christmas markets.
“We have the most amazing vendors this year,” said Lisa Scarmazzi, director of economic development and president of Canonsburg’s Christmas committee. “This year … we have the EQT Christmas Tree Lot. We teamed up with Bahr Hardware this year. Bluestar USA is making a donation for each tree sold throughout the month of December to the Canon-Mac Santa fund.”
Speaking of trees: This year, Cecil donated a 30-foot-tall white fir tree to Canonsburg. A tree lighting will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 outside the Canonsburg borough building.
Throughout the two-day event, folks are invited to glide along the Velma Jeffrey’s ice-skating rink, enjoy live performances at the ARC Human Services Building, take selfies in front of the red truck prop, catch the Christmas parade – the parade steps off at 6 p.m. Saturday near Iron Street and Greenside Avenue – and simply enjoy all Canonsburg has to offer.
The holiday fun culminates in a Merry Merchant Christmas Crawl, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 10.
“The Merry Merchant Crawl is a day, an evening, of shopping, specials, attractions and events,” said Scarmazzi.
Ice sculptures will be displayed outside the storefronts in downtown Canonsburg, and shops will offer more than, well, shopping. Some stores will offer hot chocolate to visitors, while others will host ornament-making stations for kids. Those who want to browse local merchants are invited to participate in the Tinsel Tree Tour, a raffle for the gorgeous trees on display inside Canonsburg’s storefronts.
Proceeds benefit the Canon-McMillan School District Santa Fund.
For a full schedule of Canonsburg’s Christmas events, visit https://www.canonsburgboro.com/.