Mahoning Valley Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Lyndsey A. Hughes
City of Youngstown
330-742-8710 Office 330-402-4800 Cell 330-742-8707 Fax
lhughes@cityofyoungstownoh.com

Sandra Cika
Director of Marketing
First Night© Youngstown
202 297 0362 / scika@designwithinsite.com
www.firstnightyoungstown.org

The City of Youngstown and First Night© Youngstown revive the Downtown Youngstown Holiday Parade Saturday December 5th 3pm.

YOUNGSTOWN – After more then 15 years of a tradition lost, The City of Youngstown and First Night© Youngstown are proud to announce the revival of the Downtown Youngstown Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting Saturday, December 5th at 3pm in Downtown Youngstown.  The Holiday Parade will include vehicles from  local Fire and Police departments, Elected Officials, Local Community Organizations, Theaters, Businesses, and last but not least an appearance from Santa! Following the Parade will be the Annual Downtown Youngstown Tree Lighting Ceremony on Central Square.

The Downtown Youngstown Parade is remembered by many as being a magical place that they were taken to as kids to watch the floats, to window shop and to enjoy the music and lights. With 2010 upon us the City of Youngstown and First Night© want to see that the Parade returns and remains a traditional family event that allows the community to celebrate in unity the success and progression that Youngstown, Downtown Youngstown has made over the years. Central Downtown Youngstown has been opened up, cleaned out, renovated, and is everyday developing with new and expanding businesses, new Downtown living apartments, and entertainment at the Covelli Centre as well as at over 7 bars and restaurant on any given day. The City of Youngstown has grown and is a place we all should be proud of. Join First Night© Youngstown and Downtown Youngstown in celebrating the season.

To participate in the Parade you must call or email either Lyndsey or Sandra for a registration form. While registration is FREE we do require all participants to fill out and return the registration before December 1st, 2009.   *see registration form attached. 


*2009 HOLIDAY PARADE AND TREE LIGHTING*
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5TH 3PM
DOWNTOWN YOUNGSTOWN

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1206/751243209_b7f085dc26.jpg)
(Thank you Mark Peyko for the picture)

Unfortunately what is remembered is the Youngstown, Christmas parade. And the lighting of the Christmas tree.


Which Holiday are we celebrating?

sarge this year will celebrate both traditions.

Quote from: sfc_oliver on November 20, 2009, 11:26:01 AM
Unfortunately what is remembered is the Youngstown, Christmas parade. And the lighting of the Christmas tree.


Which Holiday are we celebrating?

did you call me today?  :laugh:

    Sarge , Do you think that you could get some veterans to march in the parade? Call me at 330 7885114

Lets hope that it gets the advanced publicity that it deserves.

Might I suggest that you contact Dan Rivers at WKBN to do a remote downtown the day of the parade.

This would be a good opportunity for attendees to visit our downtown restaurants after the parade.

Which restaurants will be open on Saturday afternoon?

Suggestion

If Mooney and/or Ursuline win state high school football championships, why not have the Christmas Parade also be a celebration for the winning football team(s)?

did you see the photo in tday's Vindicator. 1955 Christmas parade downtown, 50,000 people.

That picture brought back a flood of good memories of when I would meet Mother downtown on Saturdays and we would have lunch at Hollanders and take in a movie.

She worked for Daugherty Davis and just worked a half day on Saturdays.

When I started working downtown many of the stores were still there and it was a wonderland at Christmas time.

Does anyone remember when the various local church choirs use to sing Christmas carols on the Square in front of the manger scene? And the Salvation Army band played in front of the Wick building?

When walking into Strauss you were knocked over by the smells of expensive perfumes and they had the most beautiful window displays, and we all waited for the day the curtan went up on one of the windows and when they were finished re decorating, people would gather around to watch them open the window back up and had a gorgeous Christmas scene complete with the manger scene.

Everyone thought it was wonderful that a big department store would devote one of their main windows to a religious theme display.

McKelvey's only had an absolutely awful Santa scene and businesses around McKelvey's use to complain about that awful racket of Santa laughing that came out of a portable PA speaker set up over the window.

To be perfectly honest, I'd give anything to see some of the old holiday trimmings brought back, even the McKelvey's Santa, but unfortunately there are those Scrooges that would take the city to court if they did.

Is there still a "Keep Christ In Christmas" movement in the area?  They should definitely be asked to be in the parade.

Quote from: jay on November 21, 2009, 11:22:48 AM
This would be a good opportunity for attendees to visit our downtown restaurants after the parade.

Which restaurants will be open on Saturday afternoon?

Buffalo Wild Wings
Cafe Cimmento
Barleys
Rosetta Stone
Draught House
The Lemon Grove (4pm)

a parade always brings out the best in our valley. i remember when they had the first st Pat's day parade in ytown downtown. towntalk,  i also have fond memories with my mom. i met my mom downtown after work to watch the the first st Pat's parade with her then we had dinner after that it was tradition with her and me until her passing on in her life. mom died a week before st pat day in '96 and we had hard time in booking a bagpiper and other items that went with a traditional Irish wake. memories will live on even when the parades passes you by. :)

Quote from: john r. swierz on November 20, 2009, 04:44:50 PM


    Sarge , Do you think that you could get some veterans to march in the parade? Call me at 330 7885114

John, I have contacted 2 American Legion Posts in Youngstown and left you number with their Officers. Hopefully they have the Membership to participate,

Thanks Sarge!

jrs will other council and admistratives dept heads will parttake in this parade?

There are now over 40 units in the parade. 
Enter your organization by December 1.

I missed the picture in the Vindicator, can someone scan it and post on here?

Quote from: jay on December 05, 2009, 05:41:17 PM

Great Parade!

I hope we have more parades throuthout the year.

I agree!  But, I've been home for almost an hour now, with the thermostat set to 80, and I"m still cold. (but I was outside for most of the day, not just the parade)

This was really a great parade. The children were very excited and into the parade. The adults were happy, too, wishing everybody Merry Christmas and singing along to carols. Madonna Chisholm (not sure of her name) was a great announcer--nice voice.

Santa and Mrs. Claus looked very authentic and wound up the parade.

I predict this parade will double itself next year--participants and spectators. It reminded me of going to parades in downtown Youngstown in the sixties when you still had the butcher shops on East Federal Street with the chickens hanging in the windows.

Where were Mooney and Ursuline?  This would have been a perfect opportunity to so celebrate their victories.

The Mahoning Valley Greens were represented by marching with the Ohio Span banner, and 7th ward Coalition banner....

These two important guests arrived on a YFD firetruck.

i agree with all the postings concerning the parade. me and my frds went to the lemon grove for hot choclate and dinner. some of us even help jacob decorate the xmas tree for his place a wonderful new tradition in my many holiday's celebrations.