20th annual Saxonburg Holiday Parade on Friday
SAXONBURG — When Joyce Hutterer married her husband, Jack, 20 years ago in the borough, she was so smitten with the twinkling lights and joyful atmosphere as the couple took a nighttime horse and buggy ride that she decided to approach the borough council about moving the annual holiday parade from daytime to the evening.
“They said 'If you'd like to try it and take over, you can do it,'” Hutterer recalled. “So I opened up my mouth and made a suggestion, and 20 years later, I'm still doing it.”
The bubbly Hutterer said the 20th annual Saxonburg Business Association Holiday Parade will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday on Main Street.
Even after two decades of organizing the parade, she still feels like a kid at Christmas on the night of the event in the quaint, old-fashioned borough.
“It's a nice, Norman Rockwell feeling,” Hutterer said. “It puts everyone in the Christmas spirit.”
When she first began organizing the evening parade, she drew three of four floats. Now, 10 to 12 will glide down Main Street to delight residents.
Floats in the Butler Spirit of Christmas Parade just a little earlier on Friday are welcome to come to Saxonburg and participate in the holiday parade, Hutterer said. Those floats can stage at 6:15 p.m. at the Dollar General, and cannot contain a Santa Claus.
She said manger animals will once again march down the street before taking their place at the living Nativity at Saxonburg Memorial Presbyterian Church, where children can pet them after the parade.
But most kids will be busy regaling Santa with their Christmas wishes at the library, where the Jolly Old Elf and his better half will hold court after the parade.
The Claus couple will be the last feature of the parade and will ride down Main Street on a horse-drawn carriage.
Before they do, the Knoch High School Band, the champion Knoch girls volleyball team, scout troops and others will tromp down Main Street as the crowds cheer.
Pop-up boutiques will be featured in the Maurhoff building for those in the mood to shop.
The Grinch, who for the event's first 10 years was played by Jack Hutterer, will again serve as the pooper scooper for all the animals in the parade.
Now the Hutterers' son-in-law has taken on the aromatic task, and the delighted crowd still erupts in cheers when the Grinch deploys his shovel and trash can.
“He's actually become more popular than Santa,” Hutterer said.
The business association will also pass out glow sticks this year.
“It should look pretty cool up and down the street,” Hutterer said.
Fred Caesar, the business association president, is another holiday parade enthusiast.
“It's a great community program,” Caesar said. “It's great to see children of all ages enjoy the parade and come out to line Main Street.”
He said it remains vital that small towns like Saxonburg continue to hold affordable community events for its residents.
“It's an example of what's best about this country,” Caesar said. “This is what America is all about.”
Caesar said he has heard good things about the parade from the big guy himself, and urges everyone to come enjoy the parade on Friday evening.
“Santa always looks forward to coming to Saxonburg and seeing his friends here,” he said.
