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s e r v i n g m i d va l l e y & u p pe r l ac k awa n n a va l l e y thevalleyadvantage.com |dec. 2, 2016
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Tracking SanTa
‘Santa Train’ celebrates 20th trip by Christopher Cornell ADVAntAGe eDitor
Offiicially, it’s known as “Christmas in a Small Town.” But most people just call it The Santa Train. A special train (sorry, no riders), with Santa himself standing on the front of the train (and at some stops he’s joined by some other inhabitants of the North Pole) will chug into five valley towns on Saturday, Dec. 3. At each station, Kris Kringle wades into the crowds that have gathered, shakes hands, poses for photos and generally kicks off the holiday season. Each community adds its own special touches. Every stop has live entertainment, food and lots of holiday cheer. Committee volunteers from each town along Santa’s route work diligently to make their celebration the most special. • At the Carbondale station (10:30 a.m.), Mill Street and Trinity Place, after Santa arrives, a horse-drawn carriage escorts guests from the train station to Carbondale’s City Hall for a holiday party. • At the Archbald station (11:35 a.m.), Pike and Cherry streets, while the Valley
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Each year the crowds get bigger, but the light in the eyes of youngsters is sure to be just as bright as ever.
View High School Band plays seasonal favorites, Santa and Mrs. Claus settle in to hear the requests of a long line of youngsters. The celebration also includes food and refreshments, such as hot dogs, hot chocolate and cookies. • At Jessup station (12:20 p.m.), Church and Delaware streets, the train will arrive in the midst of the Jessup 21st Century Association’s 20th annual “Christmas Happening.” Children will be busily making arts and crafts, assisted by Valley View High School students, there will be live music, and of course Santa and Mrs. Clause will hold court in the special North Pole gazebo.
10:56 | CORNELLCHR
• At the Olyphant station (1 p.m.), Lackawanna and North Valley avenues, Santa will greet the crowd and then lead them to a special holiday party. • At the Dickson City station (1:45 p.m.), Boulevard Ave. and Morgan Street, Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit with youngsters, while parents munch on the refreshments and enjoy live music. This year’s will be the 20th run down that historic right-of-way from Carbondale to Steamtown. Many of the towns have built or refurbished their train stations — which most of the time stand empty and unused — for this and a handful of other events each year.
The project is a gift from the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority. But a number of other organizations help make it happen, including Steamtown National Historic Site, the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad, Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority, officials in each of the towns, the Lackawanna Historical Society, the Anthracite Heritage Museum, the Lackawanna County Council on Arts and Culture, Propst Transportation, Community Bank and Peoples Security Bank and Trust. For more information on the Santa Train, visit lhva.org or call 570-963-6730, ext. 8200.