An Historic Country Christmas
Each year, the Greene County Historical Society decorates the museum for Christmas and hosts an open house the weekend after Thanksgiving and the first weekend of December.
As always, Santa Claus is attending, and children can stop for a moment to deliver letters to Santa, grab a treat, and take a picture with him. Other activities over the two weekends includes live music, a basket raffle, puppet shows, a model train display, children’s treat bags, and self-guided tours of the museum.
The first weekend, November 27 & 28, features the Christmas tree auction. Trees will be set up in the main hall to be auctioned off, and each tree is uniquely decorated. Previous years’ trees include a wooden tree frame with canned goods from Corner Cupboard, a tree from books created by the library, and a tree from grapevine created by Thistlethwaite Vineyards, just to name a few. The trees will also be available to see on Facebook and bidding will take place online.
The second weekend, December 4 & 5, is a traditional country Christmas. The museum will be decorated with traditional decoration that complement the building’s age and style. The museum is collecting donations for the United Way of Greene County, Corner Cupboard Food Bank, and the residents of Rolling Meadows Nursing Home and Waynesburg Healthcare & Rehab Center.
In addition to the Christmas trees, basket raffles for other items are available. And the Gift Shop is open, full of books about local and Pennsylvania history, locally handcrafted items, and small toys – perfect for some early Christmas shopping. Train displays are setup in the hall – one even features a miniature version of the Kelly Miller circus that visits Waynesburg each year. Live music will play throughout the event.
Make sure not to miss a chance to visit the GCHS Museum in all of its Christmas splendor this year. Christmas Open House will be held Nov. 28, Nov. 29, Dec. 5, and Dec. 6 from 3pm to 7pm. FMI, visit greenecountyhistory.org or check out the museum on Facebook @gchsofpa
Santa Breakfast & Letters to Santa
December 4 at the Greene County Fairgrounds will be full of Christmas merriment. During the morning, children can breakfast with Santa and drop off letters to the North Pole, and the Greene County Reverse Christmas Parade will be held that afternoon.
Breakfast with Santa will be held in the 4-H building from 9am to 11am. The pancake and sausage breakfast will be provided by the Greene County Department of Recreation and made by their concession stand food service employee. Tickets are $8 and includes the breakfast, a visit and photo with Santa, and a special treat.
Santa will still be behind plexiglass this year for everyone’s protection during visits. Santa’s stand will be decorated for the season and present a cheerful backdrop to pictures. Children will get a professional photo with Santa, as well as receive a special treat.
During the event, children will be able to drop off letters to Santa in a special mailbox. Each letter must include a form filled out by the child’s parent or guardian. Forms are located at www.co.greene.pa.us, on the Greene County Department of Recreation Facebook page, and below. If you are unable to attend, letters to Santa can be mailed to: Greene County Department of Recreation, Attn: SANTA, 107 Fairgrounds Road, Waynesburg, PA 15370. This ongoing program is available from now until December 15. Limit one request per child. FMI or to purchase tickets, call 724-852-5323 or stop by the Department of Recreation in Waynesburg.
All Things Christmas Festival
In 2020, the Annual Christmas Tree Extravaganza ended and the 1st Annual All Things Christmas Festival was held in its place, sponsored by the Cumberland Food Pantry.
The Christmas Tree Extravaganza raised funds for the Cumberland Township Food Bank and the new event will do the same. Each year the Cumberland Township Food Bank gathers all its resources to provide the best boxes for those in the community. The food provides plenty for the holiday season and upcoming winter. With the new year approaching, funding to purchase goods becomes imperative. In 2019, the Extravaganza raised $3530 to donate to the Cumberland Township Food Bank.
The 2021 All Things Christmas Festival is reaching out to the community and local businesses for much needed support to make their first year successful. They are accepting donations of decorated, themed Christmas trees, wreaths, crafts, baskets, and more for the event. Each item should have its own theme and will be listed with the name of whom donated it. The Christmas items will be displayed for a week in the Carmichaels First United Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall from November 29 to December 4.
Setup will take place on November 26 and 27 starting at 9:30am. Those interested can bring their decorated items for setup in the Fellowship Hall. Decorated trees can be real or artificial and from 18” to 7.5’ tall.
Raffle tickets may be purchased from 9:30am to 7pm all week in the Fellowship Hall. Tickets are used to select items that you are interested in winning. Winners will be announced in the hall and on Facebook livestream on Saturday, December 4 at 6pm. “This is not just a raffle, but a way to raise funds to provide food for Greene County families in need,” says event organizer Nicole Baker.
If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Food Bank during the event, please make all checks payable to “Carmichaels FUMC” and include Food Bank in the memo section of your check. All proceeds received go directly to the Cumberland Township Food Bank. FMI, contact Nicole at 724-970-3276 or visit @allthingschristmasfestival on Facebook.
Wayneburg’s Christmas Parade
A “Reverse” Parade sponsored by First Energy Foundation will be held this year at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Saturday, December 4th from 2-4pm. Spectators will drive through the fairgrounds and enjoy Christmas displays from the safety of their vehicle.
The East Gate on Rt. 21 (near Bortz) will open at 2pm and close at 4pm. Spectators will follow a route through the fairgrounds and exit out of the West Gate (near Burger King). The Rt. 188 entrance will not be open to parade traffic.
Santa will have a goody bag for the first 300 children which will have treats and other items donated by various individuals, businesses, and organizations. Santa’s elves will deliver these directly to the cars in a low contact manner.
Letters to Santa will be collected from the children by Mrs. Claus and placed in a special North Pole mailbox. Return mailing addresses on the letters are optional.
Those attending as spectators are invited to bring cash donations or items for the Corner Cupboard Food Bank as well as new toys for the Toys for Tots program. Items will be collected by members of the Christian Motorcycle Association’s Highway Soldiers in a low or no contact manner along the route.
Our friends at WANB Radio will be providing Christmas music during the event for you to enjoy along the route by tuning into 105.1 FM or 1210 AM. “Crazy” Dougie Wilson will host the two-hour broadcast featuring Christmas music from all music genres and some classic surprises.
Entries will be judged ahead of the start of the parade and the winners will be displaying ribbons and trophies. But the spectators will also get to vote for their favorite as they travel through the route. People’s Choice will be awarded following the parade. There is no central theme, but all entries are asked to portray Christmas spirit.
Winners, photos of all entries and a live walk through of the parade will be shared on the chamber’s Facebook page.
Anyone wishing to participate is asked to download the reverse parade application by visiting the Chamber website at www.greenechamber.org FMI contact the Chamber at 724-998-2386 or melody@greenechamber.org