close

South Hills communities ring in the holidays

By Harry Funk 3 min read
1 / 17

Some excited youngsters visit with Santa Claus during Peters Township’s tree-lighting event on Dec. 6.

2 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Santa Claus climbs an aerial truck ladder to light the tree during the South Fayette holiday celebration.

3 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Pier Lee, retired Peters Township Public Library director, throws the switch to light the holiday decorations outside of the library.

4 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Tony Impavido performs during Beverly Bright Night.

5 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff A youngster and his parents enjoy the music during Beverly Bright Night.

6 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Sparky the Fire Dog visits Beverly Bright Night.

7 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Roy Boccardi gets ready to perform during Beverly Bright Night.

8 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Richard Bubin demonstrates ice carving during Beverly Bright Night.

9 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Richard Bubin demonstrates ice carving during Beverly Bright Night.

10 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff A youngster and her parents pose in Santa's sled during the South Fayette holiday celebration.

11 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Two brothers display opposite facial expressions during the South Fayette holiday celebration.

12 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Santa Claus greets a girl and her mother during the South Fayette holiday celebration.

13 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff A youngster poses with Santa during the South Fayette holiday celebration.

14 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Students from McMurray Elementary School sing outside of Peters Township Public Library.

15 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff A boy possibly tells Santa Claus that he possibly wants a new shoe, during the holiday celebration at Peters Township Public Library.

16 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff A girl and her reindeer tell Santa what they want for Christmas, during the holiday celebration at Peters Township Public Library.

17 / 17

Harry Funk / Staff Youngsters visit with Santa during the holiday celebration at Peters Township Public Library.

The holiday spirit is alive and well in the South Hills, with a series of events for residents of various communities to celebrate the start of the season.

Bethel Park’s annual holiday tree lighting, which drew a capacity crowd to the municipal community center on Dec. 2, featured performances by the high school jazz ensemble, choral group from Independence Middle School and the voices of children joining in on their seasonal favorites.

This year’s event also featured an appearance by, of course, Santa Claus, who led excited youngsters in renditions of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells” before sitting down, taking them on his lap and listening to gift requests.

In Mt. Lebanon, Beverly Bright Night took place Dec. 3, with the section of the street containing the business district blocked off for a night of special activities, including a visit by Sparky the Fire Dog, who arrived on a Mt. Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department truck to greet youngsters.

Braving the elements as the temperature dipped near freezing, visitors were able to duck into some of the businesses for warmth and refreshments before heading back out for more celebration.

A featured attraction was master ice carver Richard Bubin, who used a chainsaw to produce all kinds of festive creations, often spraying delighted observers with what no doubt reminded them of snow.

Providing entertainment with holiday favorites was the DoubleTime duo of Ray Boccardi on electric guitar and Tony Impavido on bass.

Dec. 4 marked the return of South Fayette’s holiday parade and celebration, after a year’s hiatus.

The event was hosted by the South Fayette Volunteer Fire Department, where Santa Claus climbed the ladder of an aerial truck to the top of a tall tree, which subsequently was lit. Visitors then went inside to visit with Santa, have their faces painted and enjoy refreshments.

Peters Township’s tree lighting was Dec. 6, outside the public library. Pier Lee, who early in the day was honored for her retirement after four decades as librarian, threw the switch to make the lights glow.

Singers from McMurray Elementary School, directed by Peters Township School District music specialist Ray Cygrymus, performed songs before, during and after the lighting. The library then opened for a night of sitting on Santa’s lap, doing holiday arts and crafts, and enjoying cookies and hot chocolate.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today