A Saginaw Christmas • Holidays in the Heart of the City & 47th Christmas Parade

The  Christmas Holiday Season is one time of the year when  expectations run high and happiness is  produced through the miraculous possibilities generated when individuals make connections with one another throughout their community. 

With this in mind, the organizers from Positive Results in Downtown Saginaw have pulled out all the stops to assure those connections ring strong, clear, and harmoniously with a pair of stellar celebrations to kick off the holiday season.

Beginning with the 28^th Annual ‘Holidays in the Heart of the City’ Celebration on Friday, November 22^nd  at 5:45 PM with the Lighting Ceremony at the Saginaw Water Treatment Plant and concluding with a seasonal Fireworks Display from Ojibway Island at 8:30 pm, the following morning festivities will continue with the 47^th Annual Christmas Parade, which will start at 11:00 AM in Downtown Saginaw at Morley Plaza, continuing South on Washington from Johnson streets and west on Ezra Rust Drive to Ojibway Island, featuring floats, marching bands, clowns, antique cars, costumed characters, historical units, and of course, a welcomed appearance by Santa Claus himself!

According to Parade Chairman, Chuck Priem, the theme for this year’s parade is A Saginaw Christmas  and the Parade Marshalls will be none other than Joyce & Dr. Eugene Seals.  “People will want to cross the river from Johnson Street because EZY Park is providing free parking from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM, so it’s a quick half-block walk to Morley Plaza to see Santa and watch the parade,” notes Chuck.  “Saginaw Public Schools is providing a viewing stand to watch the parade, and Santa will be greeting everyone at Morley Plaza in Downtown Saginaw from 10:30 to 10:55 AM just prior to the parade. Plus there will be free hot chocolate and little gifts for the kids.”

The annual Reindeer Run is also happening at 10:40 AM and is open to the public, usually getting about 700 participants, with registration starting at 9:00 AM, followed by Girls on the Run that will start at 10:45 AM and begin at the YMCA and end at the Andersen Enrichment Center. “Last year we started it earlier, but there was too long of a gap between the run and the parade, plus the route will be shortened with the turnaround point at the railroad tracks on Washington Ave. near St. Mary’s.”

According to Chuck, the committee is still receiving entries on floats and the deadline for entries will be around mid-November.  People can enter the parade by contacting Positive Results in Downtown Saginaw or visiting their website.

Other activities scheduled for Saturday include Old Town Saginaw Open Houses from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, a Makers Market  a Free Hot Cocoa Bar from 11 am - 2 pm in the  SVRC Marketplace lobby, activities and crafts at Hoyt Library from noon to 4 pm, along with the Downtown Saginaw Farmer’s Market ‘Holiday Market at the Andersen Enrichment Center from 10:00 am - 1:00 PM; the WSGW/RAK Cookie House Competition at the Andersen Enrichment Center from 10:00 am - 1:00 PM, plus Old Town Saginaw businesses will be open until 5 PM, with a Saginaw Eddy Band Concert at the Temple Theater at 7:30 PM.

As for the previous evening’s Holidays in the Heart of the City’s Kick-off celebration, thanks to the tireless efforts of Chairwoman Kathy Reis, who has filled that role since 2001, along with Jeanne Conger, Director of Positive Results for Downtown Saginaw, this committed collective of volunteers  has garnered the support of well over 20 community organizations and caused these back-to-back events to draw an average of 20,000 people to Saginaw’s Old Town District, Downtown Saginaw, and Ezra Rust Park Drive for this glittering celebration of our community and its resources.

“I would describe this year’s Holidays in the Heart of the City activities as New & Improved,” reflects Kathy, “In addition to adding some fresh events we are tweaking all of our traditional events up a notch to make them bigger and better. While most of our events and activities are pretty much the same as in prior years, each becoming a tradition people are comfortable with and enjoy, one of the new activities we’ll be featuring is Touch-a-Truck, which allows kids to go around and touch, walk around, and climb into firetrucks, large snowplows, and school buses, which tends to really engage kids because it is not an everyday experience for them.”

“This will be happening on Court Street between Hamilton & Michigan and the Fire Department will be bringing their new aerial ladder truck along with their new Smoke House, plus we’ll have activities and food vendors to fill up that space better,” she continues.

As for live entertainment,  Holy Cross Lutheran Church on Court Street will be featuring live music, children’s crafts, free cookies and a bake sale, while Michigan Avenue Baptist Church will feature concerts performed by Saginaw Strings and the Saginaw Area Concert Band, while Holy Family Catholic Church will present Sacred Music in the Grove. Donations of new hats, gloves and scarves for infants to teenagers will be collected at both concerts.

“For the Lighting Ceremony at the Water Treatment Plant, which kicks off our festivities at 5:45 PM, the Saginaw Youth Choir will be showcasing their young talent, which makes this a bigger event than normal.  So essentially, we’ve been working hard at tweaking things in order to improve the overall celebration and make it brighter than ever.”

“We are also attempting to be able to show Christmas movies either on the grounds of the Saginaw County Courthouse building or in the streets of Old Town provided we can work out the logistics,” adds Jeanne Conger. “However, the Saginaw Fire Department has confirmed they will be hosting s’mores on Court Street.  Plus, we’ll have the Bookmobile back and Hoyt Library will be doing a ‘Story Time’ event down at the Andersen Enrichment Center, where kids can go to listen to and read Christmas Stories, with the READ Association giving away free books to the kids.”

“Students at Nouvel Catholic High School are working hard at bringing us an expanded Live Nativity performance at The Montague Inn on the front lawn from 5:30 - 8:30 pm; and this year we’ll have an increased number of food vendors spanning the distance from Borchard Park to the Children’s Zoo, with a good variety of selections.”

Free admission to the Saginaw Children’s Zoo and $2.00 carousel rides will also be offered, and Santa  will be on hand at the Gazebo in Borchard Park in Old Town Saginaw, with the Saginaw Castle Museum featuring their Cookie Hut.   Free Horse Drawn Wagon Rides sponsored by the Frank L. Andersen Foundation begin at the Andersen Enrichment Center at 5:30 PM and travel along Ezra Rust Drive across the bridge to Borchard Park until 8:00 PM; and the annual Cookie House Competition will take place at the Andersen Enrichment Center, along with the Downtown Saginaw Farmers Market’s Holiday Market. The Japanese Tea House will be showcasing Origami and Tea Ceremony demonstrations and the Mexican-American Council will be holding an Open House with live music, vendors, and treats.

“The Cookie House Competition entries are coming in now and last year we had a wonderful turnout, with 20 to 25 competitors,” explains Jeanne. “Entry forms can be obtained by phoning 989.753.9168 or by downloading the form available on www.prideinsaginaw.org.

This year’s itinerary for Holidays in the Heart of the City concludes at 8:30 pm  with their spectacular Fireworks display at Ojibway Island, which is an entirely aerial display so everyone in attendance can see them, and will last for approximately 10-minutes.

“This is truly a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic event that draws thousands of people from throughout our region and state together to celebrate the spirit of the season,” concludes Kathy. “There are so many activities going on through this celebration that bring the people within our community together, and they can walk the route, ride the horse drawn wagons, or take free busses across the bridge to get them wherever they wish to be.”

“This has event has become a family tradition for so many. It lights that ember of the holiday glow and is a magnificent way to truly ignite the holiday spirit.”