Holiday spirit fills Monongahela

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Mon City residents and members of the Monongahela Area Chamber of Commerce made sure not to shout, cry or pout this week in anticipation of Santa Claus coming to town.

MACC hosted its annual Santa Claus is Shopping in Town event on Friday. The event is aimed at attracting shoppers to Mon City to get some of their early Christmas shopping done at businesses in town.

The festivities kicked off with the arrival of Santa at Chess Park.

Jolly Old St. Nicholas was ushered to the park in the back of a pick-up truck by the Monongahela/Donora Lions Club and fire trucks and other first responder vehicles from New Eagle and Monongahela.

Hundreds of spectators — most of whom were wearing masks and trying their hardest to practice social distancing —  filled the park and watched as the man in the bright red suit lit the city Christmas tree before heading to his house, located in the courtyard at Community Bank on Main Street.

Spectators also enjoyed music and dance performances from groups like the Dance Co. by Miss Lori.

Main Street was alive with the holiday spirit as Christmas music — played by local DJs stationed on the city’s sidewalks — filled the air. Mon Valley residents strolled the luminary-lit sidewalks, enjoying Christmas light displays in storefront windows and lit snowflakes on lamp posts. Kids and families got to enjoy a petting zoo and a living Nativity at First Baptist Church as well as barrel train rides at Chess Park.

Most of the retail businesses in town offered extended hours and some specials for shoppers, who were eager to get out of the house and get a jump start on holiday buying.

Kaitlyn Sweet and her 4-year-old daughter Maelyn operated the Honey Bee Bakery food booth at Chess Park on behalf of Kaitlyn’s mom, Marilyn Sanner, who was busy baking cakes to fulfill Thanksgiving orders.

Maelyn said she was enjoying cookies baked by Sanner, whom she calls Grandma Cupcake.

Kaitlyn and her family are grateful to MACC for hosting the event and giving local businesses the opportunity to engage with customers in an open-air, socially distanced environment.

“This means a lot,” she said. “(My mom) has been busy with Thanksgiving and holiday orders but not as busy as she usually is, so the opportunity to meet with people in person and have the walk-up traffic to meet new clients is very important.”

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