Right Down Santa Claus Lane
Right Down Santa Claus Lane
OLEAN - The ever-popular Santa Claus Lane Parade in Olean, NY is the official kick-off to the holiday season in the area in which Santa and Mrs. Claus light thousands of light bulbs in the skylines and snowflakes and stars in downtown Olean. This year’s Parade is set for Friday, November 25 at 6:30pm at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and North Union Street.
Paul Brown Motor’s and Toys 4 Tots will be teaming up again this year. Their goal is to collect a many toys as possible. HELP US FILL UP OUR PICK-UP TRUCK… with toys of course! Last year’s Toys 4 Tots campaign helped loads of children in our immediate area. Look for the Paul Brown / TOYS 4 TOTS pick-up truck on East State Street between Lincoln Park and the City building to drop off your unwrapped gift for a local child.
Chamber officials have invited area residents to judge this year’s parade: Paula Snyder, Jamestown Community College; Paula Bernstein, Tri-County Arts Council; and Max Bullers, Olean resident. The judges will be located in a Close’s Lumber truck on North Union Street near the Laurens Street intersection.
Winners will be announced the night of the parade. Eight awards will be presented in the following categories:
The Blitzen Award, sponsored by Times Herald will go to the most photogenic float or unit
The Seasons Greetings Award, sponsored by Olean PC Repair and Security Cameras by Joe Duplechian to the best newcomer to the parade, and one that typifies a welcoming theme - this unit must be a first-time entrant
The Rudolph Award, sponsored by National Grid Co. for the float with the most or best use of lights
The Snowflake Award, sponsored by the Street Classics Car Club for the unit with the most participants in the parade
Angelic Spirit Award, sponsored by Mandy’s Flowers, will go to the most spiritual/religious float or unit
The Elves Award, sponsored by Owl Homes Group will go to the float or unit that best typifies the holiday through the eyes of a child
The Jingle Bells Award, sponsored by Milestone Financial Strategies will go to the best theatrical (music/dance) float or unit
The Sleigh Award, presented by The Bantelman Agency will go to the most decorated larger truck (fire truck, flatbed, utility vehicles, etc.)
Delaware Avenue will be closed to traffic at 5:30pm with North Union Street closing to traffic at 6:15pm. The City’s downtown parking lots will be open and free to park. The City Building’s restrooms will be open the night of the parade from 5:30-8:00pm. Extra uniformed personnel of the Olean Fire and Police Departments will be on-hand. Lost children should report to the Chamber office. The parking spaces along BOTH SIDES of North Union Street from Route 417 to Delaware Avenue will be closed to any parking vehicles at 4:00pm. Cars, trucks, etc. will be allowed to park back along these spaces after 8:30pm. Also, the detour route will be First Street from Wayne to Henley as well as East/West Henley from South First Street to South Barry Streets. No parking will be allowed along the detour route as well. Olean Police Chief Ron Richardson stated, “Please parents have your family members stay up on the curbs on Union Street as well as off the medians and roundabouts - they are not to be used for viewing the parade.”
PUMPKINS in a SANTA PARADE? Eric Jones, the most-booked caricature artist in upstate New York and recent winner in Food Network’s "Outrageous Pumpkins”, will be the parade’s grand marshal - you need to be at the parade to see what he carved out of his pumpkin!
ALL PARADE UNITS (firetrucks, trucks, trailers - any vehicle driving in the parade) have to enter the staging area by entering the Olean Center Mall entrance from North Union Street. Parents dropping off children to be in a parade unit, please enter the same route at the mall and head towards Key Bank..
Parade officials encourage all vehicles to the parade line-up is as follows:
Olean Police Department
OHS Marching Band
GRAND MARSHALL - Eric Jones
Olean Educational Support Personnel Association
T and M Transportation
Olean Youth Huskies Football and Cheerleaders
Allegany Fire Technical Rescue Team
Allegany Public Library
Southern Tier Lightning Softball
Neighborhood School of Dance
Rich's Towing and Recovery
Girl Scouts 10128
Paul Brown Motors
Portville Fire Department
Portville Lady Panther Volleyball Team
Eden Heights of Olean
Portville Cub Scout Pack 631
Olean Area Federal Credit Union
S&S Can Redemption
Anderson Shortell Inc.
St. Elizabeth Motherhouse
Knapp Creek Fire Department
COLORS and Veronyca Showgirls
Step Up Dance Academy
Staci Werlau State Farm
Hinsdale Volunteer Fire Department
Enchanted Mountain Roller Derby
Bob Cat of Olean
Dance Arts w/Trans Am
Trans Am Olean w/Dance Arts
Enchanted Mountain Homeschool Explorers
Cow Jeep
Bolivar Fire Department
Worth W. Smith Co.
DJ Jimmy
Boy Scouts #617
Limestone Volunteer Fire Department
Changing Gears
Storm Athletics
Believers Chapel
Archbishop Walsh Academy / Southern Tier Catholic School
Olean Fire Department and North Pole
Olean Police Department
The parade is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm on Friday, November 25 near the Burger King on North Union Street in Olean. The parade will stagger and use both sides of the street. WPIG-FM will be the official emcees of the parade and will announce the parade line-up at their official emcee booth near the intersection of Union and State Streets.
Although there is no official deadline for parade applications, GOACC urges all participants to get the information into the Chamber by November 23. All parade participants must have a waiver signed and Chamber officials ask that all waivers be handed in by November 25 to the volunteers at the parade staging area.
As Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce considers the roadway, North Union Street, to ‘Santa Claus Lane’ during the holiday season, it’s pretty neat to note the song's origin, "Here Comes Santa Claus." It is a Christmas song originally written by Gene Autry. Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now the Hollywood Christmas Parade) in Los Angeles, during which crowds of spectators chanted, "Here comes Santa Claus".
GOACC is encouraging organizations to participate in these other Thanksgiving week events: Thursday, November 24 - Twin Tiers Striders Turkey Trot; and Saturday, November 26 - both Portville and Allegany will host their Holiday Celebrations. Plus Portville will now also have a parade throughout the village to Pioneer Park. Small Business Saturday will also be held Saturday throughout the area. For more information regarding Santa Claus Lane or other Greater Olean Area events and activities, please call 716-372-4433 or email info@oleanny.com.