Santa spreads holiday spirit in Philipsburg

Santa is normally the main attraction during the Philipsburg Christmas Kick-Off Parade and subsequent holiday-themed activities downtown.

He waved to a few hundred guests lined along North Front Street, from the top of a Reliance Fire Company truck to end a parade that included the Philipsburg-Osceola Area marching band, Hope and Reliance Fire Company apparatuses, and members from Shaw and Ghaner Dance Studio.

He then made a stop for a meet-and-greet with eager youth hoping to get their Christmas list to the bearded man before the holiday.

While kids like 7-year-old Evan Porter and his little sister, Eva Porter, got their turns with Santa, the annual event hosted new activities that encouraged community participation, which organizers said they hoped got the same reaction as Santa’s arrival.

Dana Shoemaker, executive director of Philipsburg Revitalize Corp, which organizes the Christmas kick-off event every year, said a committee plans to include new activities for the event each year to help bring more people to the borough.

“It makes an economic impact, but we’re competing with State College and Altoona, and now Amazon.com is the No. 1 (retailer),” Shoemaker said. “We’re telling people if they can buy their stuff in Philipsburg, then to please support the local businesses that put money back into the community.”

This year, three churches teamed up to hold a community Christmas tree decoration event on East Pine Street.

Pastor Doug Rhone, of The Well church on North Front Street, said a local Christmas tree farmer donated a tree for the event after church members got the OK from the borough to hold the activity.

“We’re just trying something new and got permission to put up a tree,” Rhone said.

Gearhartville Free Methodist Church and Gospel Tabernacle also pitched in with hot cider, snacks and crafts for kids.

One craft included sticking seeds to pinecones with peanut butter.

Other Christmas kick-off activities included a cookie sale to help benefit the P-O music department, and raffle of a $19,000 side-by-side buggy.

Shoemaker said all money raised goes to Philipsburg Revitalize Corp.

“What we do is set up all the (downtown) activities that we hope helps bring people to the area, and even allow people from the same town to see friends they haven’t seen in a while,” she said.

In January, the organization will meet with local business owners to help create a “Christmas committee,” Shoemaker said.

“It’s a time for people to get together, and we want to make the best of what we got,” she said.

The Christmas Kick-Off Parade is annually held the first Saturday in December.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 10:23 PM with the headline "Santa spreads holiday spirit in Philipsburg."