Jeannette ready to ring in the holiday season

The holiday spirit will officially arrive in Jeannette on Saturday.

The second annual Sparkle of Christmas parade starts at 6 p.m. on Clay Avenue, but festivities kick off on Fifth Street and inside the Jeannette American Legion at 4:30 p.m.

“We turned it into an event,” said Laura Smith, organizing committee co-chairperson.

The Jeannette Business Association and Jeannette American Legion teamed up this year to organize the event. Smith, who is involved in the association, worked with co-chairperson Mike Butler from the legion and numerous others.

About 56 entries were made in the parade, which will be led by grand marshal Tony DeNunzio. A deejay will have music and children from area churches will be on hand to sing, Smith said.

Jeannette will be the first town in the county to get a set of wings through the Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s Wings Across Westmoreland art initiative. The wings, on the building being renovated by Sobel’s Obscure Brewery, will be unveiled during the festivities. Fejes Signs of Jeannette is sponsoring the set of wings, which are popular for photographs, according to the trust.

Also debuting on Clay Avenue utility poles will be new holiday light fixtures that were donated to the city.

Inside the legion building will be a large train display, churches selling homemade cookies and candy and craft vendors. After the parade, Santa Claus will be inside for photographs.

“Santa comes in and the party still continues,” Smith said.

Members of the event organizing committee are appreciative of donations from Elliott Company in support of the festivities this year and in 2018, Smith said.

“The energy level is just high,” she said. “It just has a different feeling tone than other events.”