Holiday launch: Light Up Night, parade start the season

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November 16, 2005

By TOM LAVIS The Tribune-Democrat Wed Nov 16, 2005, 08:20 AM EST

JOHNSTOWN — Santa Claus coming to town – and he’s bringing lots of fun with him.

A Light Up Night, Christmas parade, a holiday concert and window-decorating contest are part of the activities planned for downtown Johnstown on Friday.

“I think downtown Johnstown is the perfect place to recapture holiday memories,” said Sharyn Spinelli, a downtown business owner and chairwoman of the Discover Downtown Partnership.

She said the activities planned for the Light Up Night fit perfectly into the event’s theme of “Hometown Christmas.”

The evening will begin with live entertainment in Central Park from 4 to 6. The performances will provide a buildup to the parade’s start at 6.

Music begins at 4 with singer Rachel Allen taking the stage. The yuletide sounds continue with Tilly Mass Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Choir at 4:45; St. John Gualbert Cathedral Choir at 5; and Johnstown Symphony Chorus and Inclined to Sing Children’s Chorus at 6.

“The parade will step off at 6 p.m. at Point Stadium and it will be led by a Marine color guard,” Spinelli said.

She expects a large crowd to come downtown to see Santa flip a switch that will illuminate more than 100,000 lights in the park.

“It has been amazing to stand on the gazebo stage during the last two years and look out over Central Park to see it filled to capacity,” Spinelli said.

“This event brings a smile to everyone’s face.”

The sky will be the limit as eight helium-filled balloons supplied by StarBound Entertainment of New Castle will be guided along Main Street.

The crowd will delight at seeing such balloons as a gigantic stocking, a holly ornament, a frog, Kris Kringle head, candy cane, snowflakes and a gold star ornament.

Spinelli said the largest balloon in the parade is “Froggie Goes A-Courtin’,” which takes 17 handlers.

It features a smiling green frog decked out in a top hat and tails. He stretches out to more than 40 feet in length and is 18 feet in width.

Eighty-five handlers are needed to man the eight balloons.

“I don’t think getting handlers is a problem because each balloon sponsor is responsible for people to handle the ropes,” Spinelli said.

Toni McKay, owner of StarBound Entertainment, said the balloons that will float above downtown streets are destined for parades all across the country. The company will supply balloons to 30 other parades through New Year’s Day.

“The snowflakes will appear later this month in Oakland, Calif.,” McKay said. “Other balloons will be packed up and shipped out for parades from El Paso (Texas) to Florida.”

McKay said Johnstown has alwaysused a mix of the company’s various-sized balloons.

StarBound balloons have been a fixture of Johnstown parades since 1997, when the first balloon parade was held at The Galleria.

She said the handlers for the company’s balloons are given a training course the morning of the event. They are taught how to control the balloon’s flight and how to avoid urban obstacles such as overhead power lines and tree branches.

“We teach them how to maneuver the balloon under wires and other obstacles,” McKay said in a telephone interview.

“After nine years, some of the people in Johnstown are true veterans.”

StarBound balloons have appeared in parades for New Year’s Day in London, England; the Orange Bowl in Miami; and the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington.

McKay said the only elements that would keep the balloons grounded would be the same ones that would halt the parade.

“Dangerously high winds or lightning would prevent us from flying,” McKay said. “We march through sleet, snow, rain or about anything else.”

Spinelli said television stations Fox 8/ABC23 donated the helium for the balloons, and two of the stations’ news anchors, Jim Penna and Sherry Stalley, will appear in the parade.

Other parade highlights will include seven school bands and several floats.

The parade will make its way up Main Street to Clinton Street, where the majority of the units will disband. One band will escort Santa’s float from Clinton Street onto Locust Street and into Central Park.

Visitors also will get to see the park’s Christmas Village, which consists of 11 whimsical buildings decorated with seasonal trimmings by sponsoring businesses.

“I don’t think an event like this can be duplicated anywhere else except in a downtown setting,” Spinelli said.

“We also will have a window-decorating contest throughout the business district.”

Children are welcome to visit with Santa as he sits on his gazebo throne after the parade.

“He will stay until every Christmas wish is heard, “ Spinelli said.

“Each child will get a bag of treats from Santa, which were donated to us by ACRP (Alternative Community Resource Program).”

Tom Lavis can be reached at 532-5054 or tlavis@tribdem.com.

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