Holiday shopping, cookies, Santa draw visitors to downtown Irwin

Cookies, carriage rides and Mr. Claus were the main attractions in downtown Irwin Friday night during a Christmas Cookie Tour sponsored by the Irwin Business & Professional Association.

John and Rebecca Shakoske of neighboring North Huntingdon brought their 9-month-old daughter, Coraline, to experience her first holiday season in the community.

“She’s here for the cookies,” Rebecca Shakoske said of her daughter.

Just like her daughter, Rebecca looked forward to checking out Irwin’s holiday traditions for the first time. She and her husband, an Irwin native, just moved to the area from Churchill.

“I’m not as familiar with the shops,” she said. “I’m looking forward to just walking around, seeing what all is here and spending time with family,” she said.

John Shakoske’s father, Chris, who has lived in Irwin for more than 40 years, said the borough’s healthy business district is an advantage for residents. “If you want to shop, you just walk across town,” he said.

Children could visit with Santa at Duncan Financial and decorate holiday cookies at the town’s Masonic Hall. Greenfield Farms of Perryopolis provided horse-drawn carriage rides along downtown streets, sponsored by the Kenny Ross car dealership.

Holiday shopping was also on the agenda of many visitors. They were able to sample a different array of cookies when stopping in at 21 participating locations.

Business was brisk at Junque Genius Studio and Marketplace interior decor shop, where Denise Bowen, owner and event co-chair, offered patrons mincemeat, apricot or chocolate and peppermint cookies.

“People have been loving the cookies,” she said. “There are a lot of smiling children’s faces. It makes me very happy. It’s a great launch for the Christmas season.”