By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

Santa Claus is coming to town and he is bringing lots of fun with him.

A Light Up Night, a Christmas parade and a holiday concert are highlights of the annual Hometown Christmas Celebration planned for downtown Johnstown on Friday.

The celebration will begin with the yuletide sounds of Inclined to Sing Children’s Chorus in Central Park from 5 to 6. The performances will usher in the parade’s start at 6 from Point Stadium.

Sharyn Spinelli, a member of Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership, the group spearheading the event, said a new twist has been added to step off the parade.

“Leading the parade will be participants of the Wings for Hope Santa Run,” she said.

“Dozens of runners will follow the parade route and continue to the train station on Walnut Street in a two-mile course. The winner of the race will return to the gazebo before Santa arrives to be introduced to the crowd.”

The parade will make its way up Main Street to Clinton Street and turn right onto Jackson Street, where the majority of the units will disband.

One band will escort Santa’s float from Clinton Street to Locust Street and into Central Park.

Businesses are poised to transform their stores and shops into holiday wonderlands, which will delight the thousands of visitors expected to turn out for the celebration.

“This is an ideal time for people to see our city decorated in its holiday finest,” Spinelli said.

“It’s particularly fun for the children, who can greet Santa and enjoy the festivities that go with it.”

Spinelli said few small cities can boast of having holiday balloon parades.

As many as nine helium-filled balloons supplied by StarBound Entertainment of New Castle will be guided along Main Street.

The crowd will delight at an array of balloons. Past parades have featured balloons such as a gigantic stocking, a holly ornament, a frog, Kris Kringle head, candy cane, snowflakes and a gold-star ornament.

Organizers say that only dangerously high winds or lightning would keep the balloons grounded.

“This is a rain or shine event,” Spinelli said.

“A large crowd is expected to come downtown to see Santa flip a switch that will illuminate more than 100,000 lights in the park.”

Jayne Korenoski of Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and partnership board member said there is nothing that brightens up the city more than bringing the festive spirit to those who visit Johnstown.

“This has become an event that people look forward to each year,” Korenoski said.

“The CVB will offer free hot chocolate to folks as long as supplies last.”

Other parade happenings will include high school marching bands and several floats.

Visitors also will get to see the park’s Christmas village, which consists of 10 whimsical buildings decorated with seasonal trimmings by sponsoring businesses.

Children are welcome to visit with Santa as he sits on his throne in the park’s gazebo 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 will be supplied by ACRP (Alternative Community Resource Program).”

Wings for Hope is an organization started by Tina Honkus of Hooversville in memory of her late mother, Evelyn Miller, who battled melanoma and pancreatic cancer.

“More than 30 runners are preregistered for the Santa Run, but I am expecting more,” said Honkus. “All participants will be wearing Santa hats on their heads and jingle bells on their shoes.”

The two-mile run or walk will begin minutes before the annual Christmas parade, with participants initially following the parade route before taking off to other areas of the downtown.

The cost for registering up to the time of the race is $18. For children 12 and younger who register with an adult, the cost is $5.

Registration will be held from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. at the train station on Walnut Street.

“After they run down Main Street, the course finishes up a few blocks later at the train station,” Honkus said. “We are giving Santa trophies to the top overall runners and walkers and ribbons to other placers.”

Funds raised during the event will benefit families whose children are battling cancer. The children are Heather Miller, 11, of Osterburg, and Brent Swaltek, 8, of Richland Township.



Celebration

What: Hometown Christmas Celebration.

Where: Downtown Johnstown.

When: 5 p.m. Friday.

Admission: Free.