Lower Burrell's 1st Christmas parade in years is part of resurgence of holiday events

Lower Burrell is holding its first Christmas parade in recent memory Saturday, the day after a tree-lighting ceremony at Stewart Elementary School.

The city has been hosting multiple parades annually with good turnouts, including a St. Patrick’s Day parade initiated by residents during the covid-19 pandemic.

“We hope to build on Christmas every year by improving on events or adding new ones,” Councilman Chris Fabry said.

“It’s not really much of a surprise that Lower Burrell picked adding a parade as our next Christmas event,” he said. “That certainly seems to be our go-to.”

Stewart Elementary School and its PTA are sponsoring a tree lighting outside the school. Afterward, hot chocolate and cookies will be available inside, where Burrell’s National Honor Society will sing Christmas carols.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this and to work together with the planning,” said Chelsey McMahon, a member of Stewart School’s PTA.

Also, new this year, the traditional Cookies with Santa, formerly held separately at the city’s two volunteer fire companies, will be rolled into one event at Lower Burrell No. 3 around noon after Saturday’s Christmas parade.

Not only is the parade and bundle of holiday events new, but so is the joint planning by the city’s volunteer fire departments, the school district and the city.

“I’ve been on council since 2014, and this is the first time there has been such a joint effort of this magnitude,” Fabry said.

Unbeknown to each other, both fire departments sent in requests to the city for permission for separate parades, said Rich Lang, fire captain at Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 (Kinloch).

“We sat down and met and planned a parade and more,” he said. “With events on two days, it’s like one-stop shopping.”

The parade will feature local fire departments, the American Legion color guard, Pittsburgh Steelers mascot Steely McBeam and youth sports.

“We are all community pieces of a puzzle that, when we come together to celebrate the Christmas season, we create a greater picture of extended family,” said Lower Burrell Councilman Brandy Grieff, who is helping with the planning.

Anyone interested in participating in the parade can call Rich Lang at 724-472-7700.

The tree lighting will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at Stewart Elementary School. The Christmas parade will be fom 10 at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, on Leechburg Road from the Stewart school to Bon Air Elementary, followed by Cookies with Santa at noon at Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3.