First-ever Winterfest in McCandless brings seasonal fun

Anyone with experience naming snowplows should try their luck at the first-ever Winterfest in McCandless on Dec. 18.

The seasonal celebration starting at 4 p.m. and culminating with a 7 p.m. fireworks display will be at the town hall grounds off Grubbs Road, with Santa and plenty of activities and games, including a contest to name a current operating snowplow, according to John Bojarski, spokesman for the township.

All of this is just another way to get the community together for a day of fun.

“We wanted to hold an event that people could easily fit into their busy holiday schedules. They can enjoy a bit of season, holiday fun and then move on to their last-minute shopping or other holiday gatherings,” Town Manager Bob Grimm said.

And it’s a great opportunity for community members to get together in addition to the township’s annual fall event.

“We have discussed this concept for about a year and felt that because Community Day was scaled-back in September, we would have additional funds to host another community event. We believe that a fun, family, winter event would be a boon to our ever-growing calendar of community events,” Grimm said.

Activities will be held mostly outdoors, including in the town hall parking lot and partially in the public works garage adjacent to the municipal building, Bojarski said

In addition to the snowplow contest, there will be ice-block hockey, holiday ring toss and snowball three-in-a-row, Bojarski said. And visitors don’t want to miss the ice sculpture display.

“I’ll be setting up a hockey shoot out of 900 pounds of ice and putting on a live show making it snow while I’m carving Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” said Richard Bubin, Ice Creations owner and master ice carver for more than 40 years.

While watching the ice sculpting, folks will enjoy seasonal musical favorites by DJ Dan Dills. And the North Allegheny Choir, a student choir group from North Allegheny High School, will perform.

A notable visitor will be Santa, who is expected to visit for most of the evening, Bojarski said.

A lit pathway from the town hall grounds will lead to the nearby McCandless/North Allegheny Heritage Center. There, story times for children will be held at 5 and 6 p.m., led by a children’s librarian from the Northland Public Library. And music will play in between story times, Bojarski said.

Events in the Heritage Center and the Public Works garage are indoors, so masking is encouraged, he said.

Volunteer Frank Marucci also will run a mini-train for younger children to ride.

Vendors will sell food and drinks, with the township providing complimentary hot chocolate and coffee. Bojarski said some slots are available for food trucks. Interested vendors should contact the township at administration@townofmccandless.org or 412-364-0616, ext. 120 for food vendor opportunities.

Highland, Peebles and Ingomar volunteer fire companies all will be present, as will McCandless police officers to assist with parking at the town hall, he said.

Bojarski is excited about the tree-decorating opportunities that evening.

“The Town is working with local scout troops and community groups to each ‘sponsor’ a tree to be displayed at the event and all through the holiday season. The Town will provide the trees, and the scouts (and other) groups will decorate them,” Bojarski said.

The evening will end with a firework display by Pyrotecnico, Bojarski said.

The McCandless Police Department is helping collect items for North Hills Community Outreach through Dec. 20 if anyone is looking to drop off a toy. Items collected include toys, toiletries, cleaning products, paper towels, baby wipes and diapers for sizes 4, 5 and 6.

There is a drop box in the police station lobby, according to the police website.

The town hall is located at 9955 Grubbs Road.