Santa Claus will be arriving at the La Festa Natale at the end of the Toy Truck Christmas Parade on Dec. 4 as shown in the photo from a previous year in Downtown Pittston.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
The Downtown Pittston Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 6:20 p.m.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
The Pittston City Toy Truck Christmas Parade will begin from the parking lot of The Gramercy Restaurant on Kennedy Boulevard at 6 p.m. Dec. 4.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
Ten-year-old Theo Niedzwiecki will light the 2021 Pittston City Christmas tree at 6:20 p.m. Shown is the City of Pittston’s 2020 Christmas Ambassador, Violet Pantucci, as she was surrounded by her family.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston City Mayor Michael Lombardo sits beside the city’s 2021 Christmas Ambassador, 10-year-old Theo Niedzwiecki. Theo, a fifth-grade student at Pittston Area, will light the city’s Christmas tree at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Pittston Tomato Festival lot on Main Street.
Photo courtesy of MPK Photography
PITTSTON — In less than one week, the City of Pittston will lay out the red carpet for jolly old St. Nick by holding the biggest Christmas celebration in the city’s history on Saturday, Dec. 4.
La Festa Natale is Pittston’s attempt to bring back an old-fashioned Christmas festival complete with a outdoor holiday market, toy truck parade featuring the arrival of Santa Claus, the official tree lighting by the city’s Christmas Ambassador followed by children getting a chance to visit Santa.
“We would like to bring Christmas from the past to Main Street again,” Mary Kroptavich, Pittston City’s Main Street manager, said. “I’m extremely excited. The downtown businesses coming together uniting is great and 90% of the businesses will be open and offering a 10% off gift cards, and many will be serving refreshments.”
Over the past three years, Mayor Lombardo and his staff have chosen an official Christmas Ambassador, held by Mikey Ash in 2019, Violet Pantucci in 2020 and 10-year-old Theo Niedzwiecki doing the honors this year.
“Everyone is really excited and everyone can’t wait to see Theo,” Matt Niedzwiecki, father of Theo, said about Theo lighting the tree. “When Theo found out he was selected a few weeks ago, he said he wanted to do it right then.”
His dad, stepmother Gina, grandparents and friends will surround Theo, a fifth grade student at Pittston Area, as he lights the tree.
Earlier in the day, the city will hold Shop with a Cop event at the Pittston Memorial Library from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by an appearance by Princess Elsa.
The Shop with a Cop program couples police officers with children at the elementary school level who are faced with life challenges such as a parent losing a job, homelessness, military deployment, economic shortcomings, and other hardships in helping them have a great Christmas holiday.
The program also allows the chance for children to view police officers in a different light while helping promote positive relationships with police and the community.
The Pittston Fire Dept. will sponsor a S’Mores bar from noon to 4 p.m.
The outdoor Christmas Holiday Market will take place from noon to 8 p.m., featuring items from over 40 vendors including free giftwrapping in a heated tent. Downtown merchants will be open, handing out in-store discounts all day.
The Christmas Trolley will be back this year, giving free rides starting at noon, and if you’re hungry, food trucks will be on the grounds.
A Chance to Dance will perform at 5:30 p.m. followed by a performance by Broadway on the Boulevard Dance Troupe at 5:45 p.m.
The Toy Truck Parade, sponsored by Froggy 101, will step off at 6 p.m. after assembling at The Gramercy parking lot off of Kennedy Boulevard.
If you would like to decorate your vehicle in a Christmas holiday theme to enter the parade, you have to fill out a form to participate. Go to https://tinyurl.com/p5593nh8 and submit the form electrically.
Every participating vehicle must bring a new toy that will be donated back to the Greater Pittston Santa Squad. All vehicles must arrive by 4:30 p.m. to begin decorating.
In case of inclement weather, the Toy Truck Parade only will have a rain date of Dec. 11. All other functions will take place, rain or shine.
For further instructions on the Toy Truck Parade, go to https://tinyurl.com/2p8m8awt.
A Froggy 101’s SkyPad will be on-site providing DJ music on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will be a Woodwind Christmas Concert at the completion of the Tree Lighting until 8 p.m.
