Santa to visit Tarentum, Brackenridge, Harrison atop fire trucks in place of canceled events

Santa Claus is coming to town — well, technically, a township and two boroughs.

Santa is set to ride through Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison atop fire trucks on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 3-5 p.m., with a rain date of the following Saturday, Dec. 12.

It’s something new that officials in the three communities have come up with, with the help of their volunteer fire departments, to replace parades and festivals that have been canceled because of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.

Tarentum and Brackenridge canceled their annual joint Christmas parade, which would have been held on Nov. 21. Harrison has canceled its Dec. 5 festival and parade.

“We coordinated this together so that our towns could be working together during this covid situation,” Tarentum Councilwoman and recreation board President Carrie Fox said. “At this time, it’s very difficult. We want to do more for our community. It’s just very difficult to do more.”

It’s been 35 years or more since, before Tarentum and Brackenridge had a parade, Santa rode around Brackenridge on a fire truck, according to Brackenridge Parks and Recreation Secretary Cindy Kish.

“At least this is something that we can do safely for the community,” Kish said. “We are still in the planning stages.”

In Tarentum, Fox said residents can look for “Santa Stop” signs in each ward where recreation board members and volunteers will hand out treats to children. In Harrison, Commissioner Chuck Dizard said treats will be tossed out along the entire route.

“It’s going to be neat,” Dizard said.

Dizard said Harrison will not have a large, cut Christmas tree this year. Instead, lights will be placed in the oak trees at the newly renovated World War II Honor Roll Memorial at Freeport and Springhill roads.

“We don’t need a pine tree to have Christmas lights,” Dizard said.

While being done this year as an alternative to canceled events, Fox and Dizard said having Santa visit the communities atop fire trucks could become a new annual tradition.

“If it goes well, everybody might say, hey — this was great, lets do it again,” Fox said. “Like everything else, everything is uncertain.”

“We’re going to do it this year and see how it goes,” Kish said. “We’ll see how the community reacts. If it’s positive feedback, then maybe we could continue to do it.”

Dizard said the hope is it will be done in addition to the parades and festivals.

“The excitement and bringing this kind of event to the residential neighborhoods is a really invigorating opportunity,” he said.