Nov 28, 2017 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – With leftover turkey and stuffing from Thanksgiving still lingering in the fridge, Greene County will usher in the winter holidays with several events this weekend.

The lighting of the Christmas tree on the county courthouse steps at 6 p.m. Friday is the unofficial start of the season locally, coupled with the town’s ninth annual Holiday Open House from 5 to 8 p.m.

Businesses across High Street will have extended hours and their storefront windows painted to usher in the holidays. Children are invited to get their photo taken with Santa, and each child will receive a gift bag with goodies. There will also be a station for kids to write a letter to Santa and get a reply before Christmas.

Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful volunteer event chair JoAnne Marshall said it’s one of her favorite nights of the year.

“You can’t help but get into the spirit, counting down to the tree lighting and listening to carols around fire barrels,” she said. “There’s a lot going on that evening. You will not be bored if you come.”

Horse-drawn carriage rides will run up and down High Street, and there will also be an artist providing caricatures. Lippencott Alpacas will be set up at the Greene County Tourism office with clothing and animals.

“It creates that overall, old-fashioned downtown shopping vibe,” Marshall said of the free event sponsored by EQT.

The downtown Christmas parade, presented by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Chamber Executive Director Melody Longstreth said there are 82 floats, trucks, antique cars, bands, dancers and more set to travel down High Street in Waynesburg.

The parade’s grand marshals will be ushered in a white carriage with Belgian draft horses. Miss Rain Day 2017, Eden Rogers and the chamber’s 2017 Distinguished Service Award winner, Chuck Baily and wife Shirley, the 2017 McCracken Legacy Award winner, Waynesburg University represented by President Douglas Lee and wife Kathryn make up the honorees.

Lineup begins at noon. Several nearby parking lots will be used to stage participants, including the United Methodist Church lot, Hook Law Office lot, Wayne Street from West to Morris streets, College Street from West to Morris streets and Richhill Street from High Street to Second Avenue.

The route begins at the intersection of West High Street and Richhill Street, runs east to Cumberland Street and ends on Naser Street. Traffic near the parade route will be detoured starting at noon and parking on several nearby streets will be restricted.

Later on that night, music will fill the air with a twist on a familiar event. For the past two years, “Christmas in the ‘Burg” has been a popular way to wrap up the weekend’s festivities. The fundraiser returns this year Saturday night with a theatrical spin as “Broadway in the ‘Burg.”

The food and wine sampling of the past two years will serve as a pre-show party for a variety show of inspirational Broadway songs from local performers.

Corner Cupboard board member Bret Moore said that the event is an effort to revive the old Lion’s Club follies of his youth.

“I remember all the local businessmen and luminaries would put on a variety show at the high school. It really brought the county together,” he said. “You see people you see every day in their jobs that you didn’t know could sing, that you didn’t know were that talented.”

The theme of the evening is songs of hope and inspiration. The show covers all areas of Broadway hits, with familiar classics like Bye Bye Birdie, Little Shop of Horrors, and Rent, to modern musicals Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Goodwin Center for the Performing Arts at Waynesburg University. The pre-show party starts at 5 p.m. at the Fashion Shop and First National Bank. The event features tastings from local restaurants and Thistlethwaite Winery, an auction and door prizes.

Tickets are $10 to $20, depending on seating preference. Those interested in the pre-show party can give a $10 donation at the door.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or ahead of Saturday night’s event at the Center for Performing Arts, McCracken Pharmacy, First National Bank or the Fashion Shop. Proceeds from the event benefit the Corner Cupboard Food Pantry.