Ho, ho, home for the holidays in Hornell: Community grateful as events return

Madonna Figura Simon
·3 min read

HORNELL – For the first time since 2019, Hornell’s Main Street was packed with people. Smiles were on the faces of the mostly maskless crowd. What could draw so many people out on wintry evening?

Santa Claus!

The man in red led the Hornell for the Holidays parade and Christmas tree lighting Saturday evening. The parade returned this year after being canceled due to COVID restrictions in 2020.

Families lined both sides of Main Street, taking in colorful floats, fire trucks, the Hornell Marching Red Raiders band, and all six members of the “Inestimable Hornell Area Pro-Am All Kazoo Marching Band.”

Surrounded by giggling children wearing light-up holiday necklaces, Colleen Amidon of Hornell said that the parade brought her family together for a tradition that they missed last year.

Cousins smile at the start of the Hornell holiday parade on Saturday.
Cousins smile at the start of the Hornell holiday parade on Saturday.

“We have people from out of town, cousins from out of town that came down, so we all got together. We look forward to this every single year. We missed it. We always make our plans around Saturday after Thanksgiving for this. Last year was hard not being able to come here, but tonight it feels good to be back,” Amidon said.

Tori and Josh Karns of Hornell took their 16-month-old daughter Briar to see the parade.

“With COVID and everything, you know, it’s nice to be able to be out and about again. Everybody seems like they’re early to get into the Christmas spirit, so it’s kind of nice,” Tori Karns said.

Avery, Sienna and Zack Lincoln of Arkport came to see cousins who were riding on a float.

“I think people are feeling more comfortable around family again especially outdoors, so it’s good to see everybody getting together like this. I think it’s nice that they do something big so that you can enjoy Christmas for a bit,” Zack Lincoln said.

Santa and the Lorax fill out the ranks of the ambitiously named kazoo band at the Hornell for the Holidays parade.
Santa and the Lorax fill out the ranks of the ambitiously named kazoo band at the Hornell for the Holidays parade.

The parade and tree lighting followed an afternoon of activities organized by Hornell Partners for Growth. Vendors, food trucks and horse-drawn wagon rides brought the holiday spirit back to the Maple City. Hornell mayor John Buckley said that the events signaled a return to tradition after a “long year and a half” of pandemic precautions.

“I think it means so much to people just to be here and be together again. Just that feeling of warmth and closeness, to celebrate the holidays and Christmas. I think it means a lot to people in a lot of different ways,” Buckley said.

This float creates a winter wonderland for young riders at the Hornell for the Holidays parade.
This float creates a winter wonderland for young riders at the Hornell for the Holidays parade.

After the parade, the man who drew the crowd – Santa Claus – greeted young visitors at his cottage near the Christmas tree for the first time since 2019. Last year, Santa could only drive through Hornell neighborhoods.

This year, he and Mrs. Claus will be at the cottage on Saturdays, December 4, 11, and 18, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and on Thursdays, December 9 and 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Information about upcoming Hornell for the Holidays events can be found on the Hornell Partners for Growth Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hornellhpg

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Home for the holidays in Hornell: Community grateful as events return