ONEONTA — Families gathered in downtown Oneonta Saturday, Dec. 6, for the city’s annual holiday parade, followed by more festivities, including the tree lighting and a chance to visit Santa Claus.
Organized by Destination Oneonta and the Daily Star, the parade started at 3:30 p.m. and featured 35 participants, making it the longest it’s been in years, organizers said.
The event showcased the Oneonta community and brought together local officials, community groups and residents for a unified start marking the start of the holiday season.
Members of the Oneonta Police Department and area fire departments led by elected officials at the city, county and federal levels, including U.S. Rep. Josh Riley and Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek.
Mayor-elect Dan Buttermann, speaking ahead of the procession, said he was looking forward to the afternoon. “We’ve got the candy, we’ve got the dogs, we’ve got the kids that are running up it’s going to be a fun afternoon,” he said.
Organizations such as the Rotary Club and Otsego Pride Alliance also joined the parade, along with several service providers and animal welfare groups. Cooperstown–Oneonta Indivisible participated by collecting food donations along the route to help fill shopping carts for the local food pantry, with many attendees bringing items to contribute.
Local performers, businesses and students from Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta rounded out the lineup. Dancers from Jillian’s Dance Arts and the Fokine Ballet Company performed along the parade route.
While many groups were returning participants, several made their parade debut this year, including WONY-FM 90.9, SUNY Oneonta’s student-run radio station.
Co-programming Director Lucas Desalvo said he was excited for WONY to take part, while Training Director Estéphanie Gomez said she was glad to represent the station and share in the community celebration.
The parade concluded with an appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus, drawing cheers and waves from families lining Main Street. Among them were Oneonta residents Jeffrey and Deja Wilber, there with their children, Mariana and Jeffrey Jr. and their grandmother, Nancy.
“The family has attended the parade for 12 years, since Mariana was born, and said the dancers remain a favorite part, ‘and of course, Santa at the end.’”
Throughout the afternoon, Theresa Cyszeski, chair of Destination Oneonta’s event committee, handed out flyers promoting post-parade activities, including ballet dancers performing in the windows of downtown shops, and the Festival of Trees and crafts with Mrs. Claus at Foothills.
After the parade, families gathered in Muller Plaza for the annual tree lighting, and children lined up outside Santa’s cottage for a chance to meet him.
Before the lighting, Drnek reflected on the moment.
“This is my last time as mayor to be up here, but we do this every year, and I’ll be right out there among you next year,” he said, encouraging residents to continue visiting downtown as more holiday events take place in the coming weeks.
This article was originally published on The Daily Star.
