Saxonburg holiday parade lights up the night
SAXONBURG — Many residents thought Saxonburg’s annual holiday parade met what was advertised on Facebook: “a heartwarming celebration in this picturesque Hallmark-style town.”
The pre-parade festivities started at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, with residents braving the windy, snowy conditions and temperatures in the mid-20s.
Local businesses and vendors showed off, with storefronts open to all. Local artisans and food and drink vendors set up in trucks and tents along the sidewalks, on the patio of Hotel Saxonburg and within a holiday market setup at the South Butler Community Library courtyard.
With a wide range of business vendors and a bell choir playing Christmas tunes on the courtyard, staff members from the community library handed out ornaments for locals to hang on the community Christmas tree.
Michelle Lesniak, director of the library, noted the history behind this parade, saying it’s been going on for at least 50 years, and she can remember it happening when she was a child.
“I think for this small community, and for the surrounding areas, people like to come together, it’s a perfect space,” Lesniak said. “The main street’s got so many perfect little shops. We bring in extra vendors and food. It’s just fun, it used to be just the parade and as it’s grown it’s become more of an event.”
Businesses included vendors selling Christmas clothing, winter hats and knickknacks. Food included hot dogs and pizza, chocolate and candies, and other warm treats. In addition to numerous places selling coffee, children could drink hot chocolate while adults could get beer and cocktails.
Jamie Hildebrand, whose family owns Kelley’s Family Restaurant on West Main Street, sold hot chocolate to those walking by as her sisters sold Bavarian pretzels outside the restaurant. Working at the store since she was 12, she appreciated people getting to run into each other at the parade, especially those who haven’t seen each other in a long time.
“Somebody stopped by and asked what time the parade started, and my little girl recognized the young lady from summer horse camp. And she came back up, and it turns out she goes to Knoch High school. And her dad graduated from there a year after I did. There’s little connections, and it’s fun to see people,” Hildebrand said.
There was still an hour before the parade started when people began lining up along Main Street, setting up chairs to get a good view of the parade.
“We got here at 6 p.m., set up our chairs, then we walked around and got some coffee, then we came back,” Phil Scalise said. “I think my favorite part is feeling very nostalgic. It was years ago we came here, it's the closest thing to a Hallmark town you can get. And just seeing how many people come out here, you know not everybody is from here, so to see a crowd it’s really awesome.”
Scalise’s aunt, Linda Barrone, drove up from Pittsburgh with her husband to see the parade, and thought the weather “enhances the holiday season.”
“I think its amazing. We were on our way here, thinking man, I wish it was a blizzard, like we were in a snow globe,” Scalise said. “The ‘worse’ the conditions as far as snow, the more I like it.”
The parade started at 7 p.m. on Horne Street near the fire station, and went up along South Rebecca Street and turning onto Main Street, where the crowd lined up from South Rebecca Street all the way to the Dollar General on North Butler Street.
A variety of Christmas-themed floats dawned the main drag of Saxonburg. Tractors and pickup trucks pulled decorated with lights and Christmas trees. People dressed in Santa costumes, as elves and Grinches, and threw candy and treats to the crowds of people.
Alongside the cars and firetrucks wrapped in Christmas lights, some of the noteworthy floats included the Grinch riding on the Saxonburg Rotary Club’s trolley, a group dressed in revolutionary-era soldier outfits marching to a drummer’s tune, a large inflatable polar bear and children dressed as reindeer.
“This is true community. Any time we have anything going on up here, the mingles, some parade, any parade, it doesn’t matter. It always draws a nice crowd because Saxonburg is always known to be the community of the area. This is what true is all about,” Brian Antoszyk, member of the Saxonburg borough council, said.
Knoch High School was well-represented at the parade. Knoch High School Marching Band performed with lights wrapped around their instruments, while the majorettes tossed their lit-up batons in the air to the awe of the crowd. Knoch’s baseball, girls lacrosse, ice hockey and cheerleading squads all had their own floats.
Two of the floats eliciting the most cheers from the crowd included a truck from Paw & Order Dog Training, with several dogs in the back seat of an SUV that had a lit up tree on top. Another group in the parade included a horse dressed as Santa Claus. A horse and carriage marked the end of the floats.
The night reached its peak at the very end, when children could go back to the South Butler Community Library to get pictures with Santa, while filling up on cookies and hot cocoa.
