HO, HO, HO

Wayne welcomes Santa, Mrs. Claus with parade, music and fireworks

Santa was welcomed with a parade, fireworks, hot chocolate and
cookies during the official tree lighting in the City of Wayne last week.

Santa and Mrs. Claus were the stars of the show last week when the City of Wayne officially welcomed the holiday visitors to the community during the annual tree lighting festivities.

Hundreds of children and parents were on hand to welcome Santa and whisper their wishes for Christmas morning into his interested ears. Each child who met with the jolly elf received a gift, courtesy of the city. Making the festivities more special were members of the All Star Patriots Dance Team under the direction of Chelsea Crawford who participated in the parade along with members of the Wayne Memorial High School Zebra Marching Band under the direction of Dave Mety.

Also on hand were Buddy the Elf, The Grinch and several other Christmas characters. Participating in the festivities were members of both the police and fire departments of the city along with Police Chief Ryan Strong and Fire Chief Mike Stradtner.  Members of the city Department of Public Works and the Wayne Downtown Development Authority were also involved in the event. 

Hill Crest Bible Church under the direction of Pastor Seth McDonald provided the gifts, fireworks, cookies, hot chocolate and assistance in planning and securing donations and volunteers for the event. 

Officials also thanked members of the Wayne Historical Society and the Wayne Historical Commission, Tyler Moll, Lisa Kubany, Lori Gouin and Ed Queen. Mayor John Rhaesa and members of the city council were also on hand and participated in the holiday celebration which also received support from Kurts Caps which provided the fire pits; Parkside Credit Union, The Wayne Dispatch, 

The Wayne-Westland Federal Credit Union, Fun Food Express and the Christmas carolers and quartets who provided entertainment.