The Hometown Holiday Parade was the first large-scale event organized by Ashley LaPier.
While she said there are things that could be improved, she feels the event was a success and is already taking notes in case she is asked to coordinate the event again next year.
“I feel like it went really well,” LaPier said. “I’d like to do it again.”
Last Saturday’s Hometown Holiday Parade featured the parade itself, various concerts, various stations offering different levels of entertainment, ice sculptures from Westmoreland County-based DiMartino Ice Company, and fireworks. , various food and beverage outlets, and a variety of other activities.
“Personally, I feel the ice sculpture was a huge hit,” Lapeer said. “It makes the city beautiful.”
The event also marked the beginning of the film career of the four Warner Bros. brothers (Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack) at the Cascade Theater in New Castle (11 S. Mill Street) on February 2, 1907. It also celebrates the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros., which started it all. It is now home to the Historic Cascade Theater Museum.
Lapeer said he received overall positive messages about the event from participants and attendees.
She said the main goal of the event is to create memories for people that will last a lifetime and create an annual tradition for the city.
“It’s very satisfying to be able to create memories for so many people,” Lapeer said.
She said Mayor-elect Mark Elisco contacted her the next day and asked her to help the city coordinate another parade and other events around the city.
The parade was recently under the supervision of New Vision of Lawrence County until Lapeer took over this year with a new committee and a new vision. She said an online survey was conducted after the event and the most popular items were the parade, ice sculptures, fireworks and food stalls. People didn’t like the location of the fire trucks, the coordination of the parade, and the intermission between the parade and fireworks.
Lapeer said this was all a learning experience to take home and that next time there won’t be as much of a gap between fireworks. Overall, she is proud of the parade’s results, especially that her six high school marching bands performed during the parade.
“We have really great talent in these students,” Lapeer said.
A float competition was held at the parade.
A panel of judges selected three finalists, and people online voted for the overall winner.
The judges are City Administrator Chris Frey, State Rep. Mara Brown (R-Lawrence), Lawrence County Civil Court President Judge Dominick Mott, Civil Procedure Judge David H. Acker, and Visit Lawrence County Clerk Janet Falotico. there were. The judges selected floats from the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, Disability Options Network, and Victory Family Church in New Castle.
The LCCAP float “The Polar Express” was chosen as the overall audience award out of three floats.
DON’s float was similar, but called the C. Lloyd DON Express, named after the company’s founder, Christopher Evan Lloyd, who passed away in July.
The Victory Church float was modeled after people going to the theater to see “Elf.”