Merry Meadville lights up the holiday season

Nov. 30—Horse-drawn carriage rides, frozen sculptures greeting downtown visitors, and a cloud of light-activating pixie dust tossed by Santa Claus himself: The many activities that make up Merry Meadville promise to turn on your holiday spirit along with the holiday displays that decorate Diamond Park.

The newly expanded event features contemporary touches — such as a "Selfie with an Elfie" photo contest that asks visitors to pose with the elves featured in participating store displays — as well as the die-hard, must-have traditions.

"I look forward to escorting Santa to the gazebo and seeing his magic pixie dust illuminate the tree," said Christa Lundy, who helps to organize the event in her role as executive director of the Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce. "Seeing the children's faces and even the young-at-heart faces through Diamond Park is wonderful. I love to walk around downtown afterwards, seeing all of the various ice sculptures, visiting with friends, shopping and so much more."

Formerly known as Light Up Night, Merry Meadville stretches over two days and takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It kicks off with $2 carriage rides from the Market House, plus free cookies inside the Market House for those who need a snack while waiting for the carriages to depart, followed shortly by free cookies and hot cocoa at Diamond Park. The tree-lighting ceremony that is still very much the heart of the event begins at 6 p.m.

Following the climactic instant of illumination in the park, visitors can make their way down Chestnut Street toward The Arc Community Greenspace and the Market House a few blocks away. They will be greeted by numerous shops will be open for extended hours as part of the monthly First Friday event and their way will be marked by 26 ice sculptures that have become a well-loved feature of the event in recent years.

"My favorite part of the event is soaking up the holiday spirit while shopping downtown," said Renna Wrubleski, community development director for the city of Meadville. "It's Meadville's most festive night of the year, and it's the one time when I still feel the Christmas magic as an adult. I just love being part of it."

As visitors make their way down Chestnut Street, plenty will no doubt explore the stores along the way and others will stop by the Academy Theatre to meet the cast of "Frozen Jr." which runs from Dec. 8 to 17. Many of the holiday revelers, however, will likely gallop down Chestnut, as though pulled by invisible reindeer, to the Crawford County Trust building at the intersection with Market Street. That's where Santa will be holding tete-a-tetes with area youths following his tree-lighting duties.

Crowds also typically gather in front of and inside the Market House, located just north of the Trust building. The Market House is decorated and ready for visitors, according to Market Manager Jesse Pane, and in addition to plenty of holiday gift possibilities inside, Christmas trees are in stock outside as well.

"I'm excited," Pane said. "If anyone wants to say hello, they can come on down."

Pane and other Merry Meadville participants will be back in the holiday spirit on Saturday. From noon to 2 p.m., the Market House will host a free pop-up photo booth featuring a historic carriage for visitors to pose on.

Though not quite a one-horse open sleigh, the carriage promises to transport visitors back in time for their holiday photo. Some may recognize it from the Harvest of History building at the Crawford County Fairgrounds, where it is usually on display. The carriage dates to the 1880s, according to Josh Sherretts, executive director of the Crawford County Historical Society, making it nearly as old as the 153-year-old Market House.

Given its history, the carriage may well have visited the Market House not long after it was constructed for the 19th-century equivalent of Merry Meadville.

"The carriage was owned by George Delameter, who once had a house on upper Chestnut Street, as well as a large number of oil wells near Titusville," Sherretts said in an email. "It was found in a building on an oil lease that was once his."

Saturday's activities also offer another opportunity to meet with Santa when he visits Active Aging during the 65th annual Art and Jean Cocolin Pancake Day. Tickets for the event are $8. Even Meadville-area pets will have a chance to kibbutz with Kris Kringle: A pet-friendly Santa photo opportunity takes place at the Trust building from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. At the same time, a silent auction of wreaths to benefit Center for Family Services Inc. will be going in inside the building's lobby.

For more than 15 years, the annual event featuring the illumination of holiday decorations in Diamond Park was referred to as Light Up Night or Light Up Meadville. The name change this year reflects more than just the expanded scope of activities — it also means savings for the city.

Last year, the city paid $100 licensing fee to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership for the privilege of using the phrase "Light Up Night." The organization, which has sponsored Pittsburgh's annual event of the same name since 1960, trademarked the ubiquitous rhyming phrase in 2003.

You can go

Merry Meadville, an expanded version of the event formerly known as Light Up Night, takes place Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The opening night of Merry Meadville coincides with the monthly First Friday event that offers extended hours for many downtown businesses. Festivities in Diamond Park begin with free hot cocoa and cookies at 5:30 p.m. Santa is due to arrive about 6 p.m.with the tree lighting to follow; visits with kids will take place at the Crawford County Trust Building, 231 Chestnut St. Carriage rides will depart from the Market House beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $2. Saturday activities begin with the 65th annual Art and Jean Cocolin Pancake Day, including photos with Santa, at Active Aging, 1034 Park Ave. Tickets are $8. Other Saturday highlights include pet-friendly photos with Santa for $5 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Trust Building and a free historic carriage photo booth at the Market House from noon to 2 p.m.

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.