WAYNESBORO – Mainstreet Waynesboro, Inc. will host its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on this evening, Friday, Nov. 19 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Center Square with other activities downtown beginning at 5 p.m.
Main Street will be closed from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will feature local music as well as food vendors and other family focused activities. Dan “Tiny” Michaels of 104.7 WAYZ will be the emcee for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Sean Bockstie will open the tree lighting ceremony with the National Anthem, then a few holiday songs from Zoe Mason, followed by remarks from Mayor Richard Starliper and state Rep. Paul Schemel. Jesus Alive Ministries will be rocking the square after the Christmas Tree is lit at 7 p.m.
Rocky Ridge Farm will be offering free carriage rides up and down Main Street from the square to Broad Street and back between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Rides are free thanks to the generous support of Showalter & Miller CPAs in downtown Waynesboro.
Other highlights include the traditional 10 ½ foot candy cane created and donated by Zoe’s Chocolates, free candy and oranges on the school bus, which is brought to the square by Bryan McCleaf of McCleaf Bus Lines.
The 300 bags of candy and oranges for the school bus were sponsored by The Leland of Laurel Run and Martin’s Food Market in Waynesboro. The Waynesboro Lions Club will continue its long-standing tradition of giving out free hot chocolate. LCBC (Lives Changed by Christ) will be handing out free hot chocolate, coffee and cookies. The coffee will be donated by Brio Coffeehouse. And Nicodemus Ceramic Arts Center will be handing out free cookies and cider at their business at 13 S. Church St.
Downtown businesses, restaurants, and art galleries will have expanded hours.
This year, Mainstreet Waynesboro will be honoring local residents, Jay and Pat Heefner. They will be flipping the switch to turn on the lights for the 2021 Christmas tree that they donated this year. The concolor fir was planted by Green Arbor in the spring of 1991, when it was 5 feet tall.
They decorated it with white lights every Christmas until 2000, when its height made it a bit much to decorate. It’s never been pruned or trimmed back, as they preferred to let it grow naturally.
Other contributors include: Dave George and John George of D.L George and Sons and their crew, along with Russell Long and his crew from Long’s Tree Specialists, Waynesboro Fire Police, Waynesboro Police Department, Washington Township Police Department, the Borough of Waynesboro, and Mainstreet Waynesboro staff and dedicated volunteers.
The tree will be decorated with lights and ornaments by Gary Decker and staff of Decker Electrical Services, Jake Myers, owner of Jake’s Electric and Mainstreet Waynesboro’s dedicated volunteers, Monty Henry, Greg Henry and David Kauffman.
The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday parade were sponsored by ‘Star’ sponsors Alma Oyer and the Owls Club of Waynesboro, Inc.; ‘Gold’ Sponsor M&T Bank; ‘Red’ Sponsor Angela Grove Weagly; ‘Silver’ Sponsors Paul & Barbara Dunlap and the Leland of Laurel Run; ‘Evergreen’ sponsors Daniel Arthur, Dick Stein Schemel Law, Historic 1912 Hoover House, Marie Digiammarino and Eunice Statler; and ‘Santa’s Helpers’ Covenant Family Dentistry, Mayor Richard Starliper and Reginald H. Diller.
The Candy Kitchen, Martins Grocery Store in Waynesboro, and Zoe’s Chocolates provided in kind donations. The Rocky Ridge Farm carriage rides were sponsored by Showalter and Miller, CPA. The candy and oranges for the school bus were sponsored by The Leland of Laurel Run. Clark Computer Services will set up the sound system and maintain it during the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
