Holiday parade marks 25 years

EAST NORRITON»A Mummers string band and an authentic stilt walker are just a couple of the ways that organizers are pulling out all the stops for the 25th anniversary of the East Norriton holiday parade.

When the township’s most anticipated extravaganza rolls out for the 25th time from Roland Drive at 11 a.m. Dec. 2 (rain date Dec. 3) and winds down at Hillcrest Plaza, 126 W. Germantown Pike, the signature event presented by Hillcrest Plaza Merchants Association will feature the North Pole’s most famous ambassador, Santa, escorted by familiar favorites and a

few surprise guests for the milestone event.

“It’s a special year this year,” noted Kim Tornetta of Tornetta Realty Group, one of the top sponsors of the parade. “We tried to do some different things for everybody. And we’ll still have our favorite, the East Norriton Middle School band. The kids do such a wonderful job every year. But for the anniversary we wanted to go all out so we thought why not bring in a Mummers Band.”

With the Uptown String Band entertaining with its meticulous choreography and colorful sequined costumes, the parade crowd may feel like New Year’s Day has arrived a little earlier than expected this year. According to uptownstringband.com, the Hulmervillebased outfit is a member of the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, and has participated in the annual Philadelphia Mummers Parade since 1938. The award-winning band performs at parades, concerts, weddings and many other events locally, nationally, and internationally throughout the year to fund its New Year’s Day production.

“I think this is going to be a nice treat for everybody not just the kids, but the adults as well,” Tornetta said. “We have the traditional year-in, yearout performers like the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts. Penn Christian will have its Nativity float, which is always a beautiful sight.”

The annual winter carnival-like outdoor soiree will feature crafts, food, games and raffle prizes that include a grand prize of a weekend stay at Camelback Resort in Aquatopia.

The parade’s star, Santa, will be given a little goodnatured competition in the Kris Kringle department from Lego Santa, courtesy of the Legoland Discovery Center at Plymouth Meeting Mall.

Also joining the lineup will Elmwood Park Zoo’s Bubby the Bison; Miss Montgomery County Aimee Turner and festive parade balloons, to be handled by volunteers from this year’s beneficiary, Laurel House.

“Laurel House has been a pleasure to work with them because they’ve offered volunteers to help with the parade,” Tornetta said. “It’s such a worthy cause to be able to give money to at any time of the year, but especially during the holidays.”

Previous charitable beneficiaries have included Toys For Tots; Children’s Aid Society; Norristown Regional Cancer Center; Suburban Hospital; Montgomery Home Care & Hospice; Make a Wish Foundation; Family Services; Veterans East Norriton Memorial; Elmwood Park Zoo; Special Olympics of Montgomery County; Mission Kids of Montgomery County; Cystic Fibrosis; Startin’ School in Style (SSIS); Chief John McGowen Memorial Scholarship; Montgomery County SAAC; Feel the Warmth; Suiting Warriors; The Eye Institute Salus University; Carson Valley Children’s Aid and For Pete’s Sake, Take a Break from Cancer.

Among the top sponsors of the 2017 holiday parade are Tornetta Realty Corp.; Einstein Healthcare Network; Presidential Caterers; Branca Construction; Baldassari Landscaping; Bryn Mawr Trust; Martinelli Financial Services and Stagliano Heating and Air Conditioning.

Sponsors and donors also include Adventure Aquarium; Applebee’s; Armen Cadillac; Atlas Travel American Express; Bagel Café; Capone’s Restaurant, Inc.; Charlie’s Pizza & Beer; Chick-fil-A; One Main Financial; Citadel Bank; Crunch Fitness; Cub Scout Pack 369; Dante’s Ristorante; Dave & Buster’s; Delaware Valley Paving; Dia Doce Cupcake; Domino’s Pizza; Dunkin Donuts; East Norriton Middle School Band; Elmwood Park Zoo; Ellyn Heffelfinger; Facenda Whitaker Lanes; Foot Solutions; Friendly Ice Cream Corp.; Girl Scout Eastern PA - Troop 7982; Girl Scout Troop, Visitation BVM; Great Clips; ROOTS; H & R Block Eastern Tax Services; Hillcrest Cleaners; Hillcrest Tobacco & Dollar Warehouse; Hogs ’N’ Honeys Foundation; Jackie MacCoy; Balloon Twist; Baldassari Landscaping; Kids First Swim School; Kiwanis Club; Kumon Math & Reading; La Vita Bella Salon; Lego Land; Le Roux School of Dance; Leslie’s Poolmart; Miracle Ear; Miss Montgomery County 2017 Aimee Turner; Montgomery County Bear Cat Armor Vehicle; Mobile Command Center; Bomb Squad robot; Montgomery County Board of Commissioners; Montgomery County Sheriff Dept.; D.A.R.E CAR; Montgomery County Treasurer’s Office; Norristown Area High School Band; Norriton Fire Engine Company, Station 61; Olympia Pizzeria & Restaurant; P. F. Chang’s China Bistro; Panera Bread; Penn Christian Academy; Pep Boys Auto Store; Philadelphia Eagles; Philadelphia Flyers; Philadelphia Phillies; Philadelphia Rock Gym; Pho Thai Nam; Plaza Flowers; Plymouth Ambulance; Presidential Caterers; Primo Hoagies; Really Cooking with Robin; Redstone American Grill; Retro Fitness; Rodeo Drive Deals; Robert E Blue Consulting Engineers; Samson Paper; Sears Hardware; ShopRite; Showtime DJ’s; Sign-A-Rama; Sign Me Up; American Helicopter Museum & Education Center “STUBBY”; Suburban Transit Network, Inc; Sunny Face Painting; TBS Nail Salon; The Times Herald; Tornetta Properties; US Restaurants; Weis Market and Verizon Wireless.

DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA FILE PHOTO Performers from the La Roux School of Dance rock out to Christmas Music during the East Norriton Holiday Parade Saturday, December 6, 2014.

DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA FILE PHOTO The Penn Christian Academy contingent walks in front of the Hillcrest Shopping Plaza at the end of the parade route Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014.