New Kensington getting into Christmas spirit with tree lighting, dinner, parade

The Christmas season starts this weekend in New Kensington.

Festivities begin Friday evening with the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, followed by Mayor Tom Guzzo’s annual free dinner.

The city’s Christmas parade will be held downtown Saturday morning, followed by free horse and carriage rides on Fifth Avenue.

“This weekend represents the spirit of the holidays in the city of New Kensington,” Guzzo said.

The tree lighting will be held around 5:30 p.m. Friday at Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue.

Those attending will be welcome to walk over to the nearby No. 1 fire hall, at 785 Fourth Ave., for Guzzo’s 12th annual holiday dinner. It’s free and open to anyone from 6 to 8 p.m.

Except for 2020 because of the covid pandemic, Guzzo has hosted the dinner every year since becoming mayor in 2010.

Between 300 and 350 meals are usually served. It’s a buffet, but volunteers will take food to those not able to stand in line.

The menu will include ham, pasta, meatballs, stuffing, carrots, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and rolls, with cake for dessert.

“It’s a great night for folks to come over and have a really great dinner. It’s my favorite night of the year, it really is,” Guzzo said. “It’s an opportunity for folks who might not otherwise be having a holiday meal to be able to have one, sit with friends, make new friends and have a really good time.”

The parade, organized by the city and its firefighters, will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. Lineup begins on Barnes Street at 9:30 a.m.

It will start at Eighth Street and go (the wrong way) down Fifth Avenue toward Arnold, turn onto 11th Street and head back through downtown (again the wrong way) on Fourth Avenue. The review stand will be on Fourth Avenue at Ninth Street.

Participants are still being sought, Assistant Fire Chief Matt Sobecki said. A form is available on the city’s website, newkensingtonpa.org, or the city can be reached at 724-337-4523 or by email at cityclerkadm@nkcity.org.

“We’ll take participants up to the day of the parade. We’ll stick them in somewhere,” Sobecki said. “We don’t turn anybody down.”

Fourth and Fifth avenues will close to parking at 9 a.m. for the parade, and side streets will close as the parade progresses through downtown, Sobecki said.

Following the parade, free horse-and-carriage rides will be available on Fifth Avenue from 1 to 4 p.m. They’re sponsored by the New Ken Downtown Partnership for a second year. Two carriages will be available from Caustelot Farms/Mike’s Carriage Service, Michelle Thom said. Trips will be about four blocks long.

“Last year the rides were very popular, and it was a great joy to see the smiles on people’s faces when they had completed their ride — many for the very first time,” Thom said.