Here Comes Santa Claus
Here Comes Santa Claus
Greater Olean Area Chamber Shares Road Closures & Parade Safety Tips
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 lightbulbs in the skylines, snowflakes and stars in downtown Olean. The parade is set to take place this Friday, November 24th at 6:30pm at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and North Union Street.
Paul Brown Motors and Toys 4 Tots will be teaming up again this year to collect as many toys as possible. Last year’s Toys 4 Tots campaign helped many children in the Olean area. Look for the Paul Brown Motors and 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 Times Square intersection. Winners will be announced the night of the parade.
Eight awards will be presented in the following categories:
The Blitzen Award, sponsored by the Times Herald, will go to the most photogenic float or unit.
The Seasons Greetings Award, sponsored by Milestone Financial Strategies, will go 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., will go to the float with the most or best use of lights.
The Snowflake Award, sponsored by the Street Classics Car Club, will go to the unit with the most participants in the parade.
The 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 Cayas Canopies, will go to the best theatrical (music/dance) float or unit.
The Sleigh Award, presented by Nick Shembeda Plumbing, will go to the most decorated larger truck (fire truck, flatbed, utility vehicle, 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 opened and free to park. The City Building’s restrooms will be opened the night of the parade from 5:30-8:00pm. Extra uniformed personnel from 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.”
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.
The Parade is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm on Friday, November 24th 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 stage area in front of the Olean Municipal Building. All parade participants must have a waiver signed and Chamber officials ask that all waivers be handed in by Nov. 24th 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". 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.