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Holiday festivities to feature parade, tree lighting and singer Josh Triplett
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
More than 60 organizations and groups – including 11 high- school bands – will march or perform in the city’s holiday parade, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday on Federal Street, downtown.
The parade will be followed by a tree lighting ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Central Square, and then a performance by vocalist Josh Triplett.
A Youngstown native who is also an actor, Triplett will sing on the outdoor stage.
The festival, which ushers in the holiday season, actually begins at 4 p.m. in Central Square, which will be closed to traffic.
A total of 67 groups from the Mahoning Valley are participating in the parade, which will begin on East Federal Street, near Commerce Street, and end on West Federal Street at Vindicator Square, said Sharon Letson of Youngstown City Scape, an organizer of the event.
Marching bands from East, Ursuline, Columbiana, Crestview, East Liverpool, Jamestown, Lakeview, South Range, United, Wellsville and West Branch high schools will be in the parade. The 11 bands is nearly double the amount that marched in last year’s parade, which only had six.
The parade and festivities last year attracted close to 3,000 people.
The evening includes several other attractions for families and other guests.
The Doubletree Hotel’s Windows on the Square second-floor lobby will be open for parade watchers from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The cabaret duo of Mary Jo Maluso and Rick Blackson will perform while guests enjoy the hotel’s signature Doubletree cookies and hot cocoa. Admission is $10, and tickets must be purchased in advance by calling 330-259-7502.
The Youngstown Holiday Flea, a marketplace of craftsmen and artisans, will take place at the DeYor Performing Arts Center, 260 W. Federal St., from 4 to 8 p.m. Admission is free.
Children can visit Santa and get their picture taken with him in the concourse of the 20 Federal Place building, after the tree lighting ceremony.
Oh Wow! Children’s Center for Science and Technology will offer free admission from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
It will be youth jersey giveaway night at the Youngstown Phantoms hockey game, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at Covelli Centre.
Spruce holiday pop-up shop at 217 W. Federal St. will be open.