Another miracle makes its way to downtown Zelie’s Main Street
ZELIENOPLE — Santa’s coming back to town again this year.
Miracle on Main Street will kick off this year from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, bringing with it a host of holiday treats to transform the downtown district into a yuletide fairy tale.
“It’s really and truly like a Hallmark movie,” said event director Donna Ziegler. “That’s what everyone says.”
The event will feature cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, carriage rides and a light-up Christmas parade at 6:30 p.m. which will include the Seneca Valley Marching Band. The Strand Theater will host a showing of “Elf” at 7:30 p.m. that evening.
“We have little elves who travel with the parade,” Ziegler said. “We have free gifts that we hand out, like little vendibles like teddy bears that we hand out. We have princesses and strolling carolers.”
“Almost every store has something free that they give away in their store,” she said. “Or they have an act like, for instance, Boutique 16063, they have the Sugarplum Fairy from the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater.”
A small menagerie of animals will enchant families and children, many for the first time this season: reindeer, goats, sheep, alpaca and llamas.
And of course, the big man in red will greet visitors at 6:30 p.m. Children can visit Santa at his house from 7 to 8 p.m.
Live actors will create a Nativity scene near 154 S. Main St. from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with actors posing over the course of two, one-hour shifts. There also will be three tents — one for prayer, another devoted to providing clothing, and another devoted to providing food, near 118 S. Main St.
The clothing and food tents represent Seneca Valley School District's No Cost to Shop program, which since last year has provided children and families with items especially needed in the winter.
“We give away literally hundreds of brand new coats right on Main Street,” Ziegler said.
She said her organization also collects for the Backpack Program. This program incorporates single-serve items for children who don’t have access to food during the weekends. The food, placed in backpacks, is given to the children at school.
Miracle on Main St. is Zelienople’s largest charity event, according to Butler County’s Tourism and Convention Bureau website.
“The main thing about Miracle on Main Street is that it brings hope for Christmas,” Ziegler said.
“It’s just so nice that parents can come and that it doesn’t matter their income,” she said.
“They can come, and everything’s free,” she said. “And that’s just very unusual. Usually you have to pay for everything. And this is because of the generosity of the businesses.”
“It’s just so special,” she said. “I don’t know anywhere else you can go where that happens.”
