Save the date and plan your visit to downtown Waynesburg from 4 to 8pm on Friday, Dec. 3, for the 13th annual Holiday Open House, sponsored by EQT and presented by Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful. Serving as the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season, the event will feature shopping opportunities, entertainment, seasonal foods, and fun for the whole family.
Returning are many favorite activities like the free wagon rides, caricatures, the ugly sweater contest, Flix on Brix, and pictures with Santa. New this year will be musical entertainment by Crosspoint Church and Candy Cane Lane, featuring area nonprofits. There will be plenty of shopping available, both indoors and outdoors. Fire barrels will be lit along Washington and Church streets for holiday shoppers to pause for a visit and warm their hands.
“This special evening has become a holiday tradition for many people in the area, reminiscent of an old-fashioned Christmas, with all the sparkle and magic of small-town America,” says event chair JoAnne Marshall of Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency.
One of the most popular activities of the evening are the horse-drawn wagon rides by Rocky Ridge Acres, which offers free rides all evening. “With the generous sponsorship of EQT, nearly all the activities are free this year. Take a ride through the decorated streets of town in a horse drawn wagon, enjoy the shopping opportunities, get a free caricature drawing by artist Jeff Harris… there is so much to see and do– and it’s for the whole family,” says Jeanine Henry, president of Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful.
New last year, the Holiday Market returns and will start at 4pm until 8pm. Local crafters, artisans, and vendors will have items for sale along High Street. Vendors include Lippencott Alpacas, Thistlethwaite Vineyards, Scottiedog Ceramics, Goodnight Moon Quilts, Willow Tree Farms, and more. Local restaurants and food trucks will be available for those that want to grab a bite to eat. An event map will be released on Facebook on December 1 to help guide shoppers through the festivities.
Beginning at noon, sections of Washington Street and Church Street will be closed to motorized traffic. And High Street will be closed to traffic this year! Vendors will be open at 4pm and activities start at 5pm with Santa & Mrs. Claus on site to welcome children, visitors, and shoppers alike. At 6pm, there will be a tree lighting ceremony for the big Christmas tree that graces the front of Greene County Courthouse. The tree lighting ceremony will be held in person and live on the Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful Facebook page. Special thanks to the Waynesburg Moose Lodge for acquiring and decorating the tree with assistance from Waynesburg-Franklin Twp. Vol. Fire Co. and the County of Greene.
Free pictures with Santa will begin after the tree lighting ceremony and are provided by McMillen Photography at the Greene County Courthouse with the 1925 American LaFrance Fire Truck from the Waynesburg-Franklin Twp. Vol. Fire Co. (weather dependent). Treat bags will be available for the first 150 children, compliments of First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Greene County.
As in previous years, a caricaturist will be there to draw your free holiday keepsake. To minimize crowding, tickets for the caricaturist Jeff Harris will be distributed to minimize lines and wait time. The tickets will be for the time to enter the line. Distribution times for the caricaturist will be at 5:00pm and 6:30pm.
Flix on Brix also returns this year. Holiday movies will be shown on the side of the Fashion Shoppe along High Street. Bring a blanket or your own chair to relax and enjoy the movie.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will be open that evening for their winter coat distribution. CASA has partnered with Loved Again Charities to provide winter gear to area children. New and gently used coats, boots, gloves, hats, and scarves can be donated at the CASA anytime this month. FMI, text 724-797-0946.
Mark your calendar and watch for the specially decorated store fronts to remind you as well. Downtown merchants will be lighting and decorating their windows to compete for cash prizes, sponsored by Community Bank. The competition will be judged the evening of November 29 with the Community Choice virtually voting on Facebook following the completion of judging through 7:30pm on Friday, December 3.
“Restaurants and businesses may alter their operations to safely accommodate the volume of shoppers during the event. Please have patience and help us keep our community safe and our businesses open while you Buy Local, Buy Greene.”
Jeanine adds, “Please respect parking restrictions due to pedestrian safety and utilize the Waynesburg Borough public parking lots. These parking lots will be identified on the event map.”
Normally, the day after Holiday Open House would be full of additional downtown holiday celebrations – namely the Christmas Parade through downtown Waynesburg. For the second year, the Chamber of Commerce’s parade has relocated to the Greene County Fairgrounds and those that attend will drive their vehicles through a parade route to view the stationary displays. This event starts at 2pm.
Volunteers for the event are a vital component of the event and allow the event to be offered to the community for no charge. If you would like to volunteer, please call 724-627-8687.
EQT is the lead sponsor of Holiday Open House with additional support from Community Bank and First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Greene County. Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful is a Main Street program that operates in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. Main Street programs emphasize critical time-sensitive stabilization and revitalization of historic downtowns business districts. For more information on and Holiday Open House, call 724-627-8687. Follow Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful on Facebook for the latest updates and additional virtual content.
