McKeesport’s ‘Salute to Santa’ parade keeps tradition alive

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
Santa Claus is coming to the Tube City.
On Saturday, to ring in the winter holiday season, the City of McKeesport and its recreation board will host the 55th annual Salute to Santa Parade.
On Wednesday, Mayor Michael Cherepko extended an invitation to people all across the Mon Valley “to visit McKeesport and ring in the holiday season in a truly special community event.”
“For 55 years, the City of McKeesport has been kicking off the holiday season with the Salute to Santa Parade,” Cherepko said. “It’s a true community favorite. No matter what kind of weather we have that day, the parade draws so many families from McKeesport and communities across the Mon Valley to Fifth Avenue to watch the procession.”
The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. after McKeesport Area High School senior Joey Young performs his rendition of “Joy to the World.”
The parade route begins at Fifth Avenue and Market Street and will end at Fifth Avenue’s intersection with Coursin Street.
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, is the parade’s grand marshal. Emcee is Mikey Dee, a lifelong McKeesporter who is known around town for playing polka and other types of music, and for being the emcee and entertainment manager of International Village.
There are at least 69 groups, organizations, clubs, elected officials or businesses expected to participate in the parade, including first responders and first responder vehicles from McKeesport, Clairton, Liberty borough, North Versailles, Port Vue, Versailles, Dravosburg, East McKeesport, Glassport, West Mifflin’s Duquesne Annex and Blaine Hill.
Some of the parade participants include police officers on mounted horses and K-9 officers; high school drill teams, marching bands, cheerleading squads and athletic teams; mascots like Eat’n Park’s Smiley, Penn State’s Nittany Lion and the Nutall Public Safety Dog; dance and singing troupes; classic cars and others.
Two themed floats in the parade will include The Carnegie Library of McKeesport’s “A Very Hungry Caterpillar” float and the Mon Valley Independent’s “Yes, McKeesport, There is a Newspaper” float, which is a play on the classic, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” phrase from an editorial called “Is There a Santa Claus?”

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