Early Follansbee Christmas

FOLLANSBEE - For those doing their Christmas dreaming a little early this year, as the old Christmas song puts it, or looking for a place to see others, partake of a variety of food and perhaps do a little advance holiday shopping, Follansbee Park is the place to be.

Many area residents visited the park Saturday for the first day of Follansbee Christmas in the Park, an annual event that offers an assortment of hand-made Christmas- and fall-themed decorations, a wide range of hot and cold food and a visit by the ambassador of Christmas himself, Santa Claus.

Santa is slated to appear at 1 p.m., and horse-drawn buggy rides through the park and the city's Orchard section will be offered through the day as the festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As in past years, the park has been decorated with lights, bows and other yuletide decorations by volunteers and children from Jefferson and Hooverson Heights primary schools and Follansbee Middle School.

And the festival's volunteer planning committee will continue the tradition of donating all of its proceeds to local charities, said Kathy Santoro, who serves with Bill Secrist as co-chairmen.

Since it was begun six years ago, the festival has raised more than $13,000 for such causes as the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program, a local food pantry; the Anderson Children's Home and Valley Hospice.

Many nonprofit groups also operate booths during the event.

Volunteers at the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program were selling fudge as well as collecting canned goods and non-perishable food for the local families it aids throughout the year; while a booth operated by A Child's Place Court-Appointed Special Advocate program included a duck pond and golf game for young children as well as an assortment of boxed Christmas cards for sale.

The two were among a handful found inside the Follansbee Community House, which also includes indoor handicap-accessible restrooms.

In one corner was Shannon Beier of Follansbee, a self-employed photographer offering digital photos of festival-goers to raise funds for travel expenses for her, her husband Jonathan, an Army Iraq War veteran; and their five children.

She explained her husband is being transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas. While the Army pays some costs for the move, the family hopes to visit his and her parents in Maryland and Idaho before going, she said.

Beier displayed a variety of backgrounds in her laptop computer enabling her to create Christmas and other greeting cards with the photos.

Outside were members of Alpha Delta Kappa, a sorority of current and retired women educators, who were giving away books for children and adults as well as selling chances on various gift baskets, including ones with Steelers and West Virginia University memorabilia.

JoEllen Goodall, a member of the group and principal of Colliers Primary School, said, "People see the books and say to us, 'They're free? Really?"

Those who venture up to a shelter on the hillside overlooking the park will find members of Boy Scout Troop 399 of Wellsburg, who are camping there over the weekend.

The boys enjoyed a spaghetti dinner, prepared over a campfire, Friday night while keeping an eye on the various booths that had been set up then, said Jamye Dixon, an assistant scoutmaster with the troop.

The Follansbee Christmas in the Park Committee also is holding drawings for assorted items donated by the festival's many vendors and for a basket of gift certificates for area businesses as well as selling $5 chances for two tickets to the Dec. 20 Steelers-Packers game, with seating in the Club E section, and a parking pass to the Gold lot.

Santoro stressed all of the proceeds will go to local charities.

"That's the best thing about this festival. Everything goes back to the community," she said.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)