Vandergrift is prepping for a visit from the big guy himself.
Santa will cruise around the borough in a firetruck from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving.
Called “Santa Around Town,” the event is sponsored by the Vandergrift Improvement Program (VIP) with the borough’s two volunteer fire departments as partners.
VIP volunteer Julia Martin said the annual community holiday parade is canceled again this season because of ongoing concerns surrounding covid conditions, but another parade sponsored by the Vandergrift Lions is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 3.
“We’ll see what next year brings. We didn’t realize how much of a tradition it is for some people, but maybe it might be the start of some new traditions,” Martin said.
Santa will ride atop one of the firetrucks with Mrs. Claus and elves in tow. More than 400 children’s treat bags will be handed out along the route.
Santa’s route is still in the planning stages but will include the following streets: Grant, Walnut, Longfellow, Lowell, Hancock, Franklin, Washington, Columbia and Jackson.
A lead truck will drive ahead of Santa’s firetruck in order to alert residents that Santa is on the way.
Residents are encouraged to take photos with Santa high atop the firetruck, but Santa will remain on the vehicle.
Martin said Santa’s visit was well-received last year.
“When it was time to start planning again this year, covid numbers were still up and we had some scheduling conflicts so we thought we would stick with the Santa visit,” Martin said.
The Vandergrift Improvement Program, founded in 2004, is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Vandergrift with a focus on promotion, economic restructuring, organization, design and sustainability.
For more information, search “Santa Around Town” on Facebook and look for the Nov. 26 event.
