When units head south on Greensburg’s Main Street Saturday for the city’s annual holiday parade, they’ll pass by a scene not witnessed in about four decades.
Windows at the former Troutman’s department store at Main and Second streets will be decorated for the holiday season — for the first time since the store closed in 1985.
This time, the display was created by Shop Greensburg/Greensburg Business and Professional Association and includes items from downtown merchants that will serve as an early Christmas present for one lucky raffle winner.
“We are so excited to be able to bring these windows back to life,” said Kevin Miscik, owner of the downtown shop Lapels A Fine Mens Clothier and member of the business group. “We are especially excited to have them decorated for the annual Greensburg Holiday Parade this weekend and Small Business Saturday,” which is set for Nov. 26.
Art super-sized for parade
An annual tradition in Greensburg, the holiday parade went on hiatus in 2020 because of crowd restrictions related to the covid-19 pandemic and returned last year.
This year, the parade will begin at noon near the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, at Main and Park streets, and will head south on Main — to Fourth Street, near City Hall.
At least 90 organizations will participate in the procession. Among those returning is the local art museum, which will sponsor a float with a larger-than-life reproduction of a painting by folk artist Mary Robertson Moses — better known as Grandma Moses.
“Participating in the parade has become a fun annual tradition for our staff,” said Suzanne Wright, interim director and CEO of the museum. “We stepped up our participation both last year and this year with the creation of two festive wintry floats that members of the community had a hand in making.”
This year’s float features an image of “Sugaring Off,” a 1943 painting of a winter scene of villagers making maple syrup. It will be displayed in an oversized frame constructed by Michael Carsone, the museum’s studio programs manager, and featuring hand prints placed by people who attended the museum’s Nov. 6 Sunday Fun Day event.
The museum plans to use the frame for future parades — to display grand-scale reproductions of works created by young artists from the community. A youth art contest is planned next year, to solicit entries for the 2023 holiday float.
Saturday’s float image ties in with an exhibit, “Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America,” that runs through Feb. 5. Visit thewestmoreland.org/events for information on other upcoming programs at the museum.
‘Dream Window’ a prize showcase
Renewing a tradition that has been missing from Greensburg for nearly a decade, downtown merchants have donated gift items that are on display in a “Dream Window” at the former Troutman’s building. The entire array of gifts will be claimed by a single raffle winner.
Raffle tickets cost $5 and can be purchased through Shop Greensburg’s website (shopgreensburgpa.com), at participating downtown Greens burg stores or by using a QR code included in the window display. The winning ticket will be drawn and announced during a Downtown Greensburg Holiday Open House event, slated for Dec. 18.
The raffle will raise funds to benefit Feeding the Spirit. The Greensburg nonprofit provides meals and other items to those in need.
The window displays were coordinated with the current owner of the Troutman’s building, the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, and a first-floor occupant, Westmoreland County Area Agency on Aging. Mike Washowich of the housing authority and Carrie Nelson of the Agency on Aging collaborated on the project.
