TIS THE SEASON
Videotaped tree lighting will air tonight as holiday kickoff; Santa House replaces visits with letters to North Pole
LANSDALE » It’s beginning to look a lot like ... well, December in Lansdale.
The tree’s in place, the lights are up, and borough officials are nearly ready for 2020 versions of several annual holiday traditions.
“On Tuesday, December 1st, we did the videotaping, and Santa came into town for us in advance, to make sure everybody in Lansdale stays safe,” said Parks and Recreation Director Karl Lukens.
In typical years the borough hosts a mass gathering at Railroad Plaza, when Santa arrives on a Fairmount Fire Company firetruck shortly after sundown on the first Friday in
December, and lights the town’s Christmas tree as crowds cheer.
The 2020 version will be different due to mass gathering restrictions caused by COVID-19, Lukens told the borough’s Parks and Recreation committee Wednesday night. A prerecorded tree lighting will be broadcast at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 (tonight), on the borough’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels, and posted afterwards on the borough website. A preview video, showing the tree taken down and put in place, was posted Monday on the borough’s Facebook page.
T he tow n’s “Sa nta House” is now also in place, but with new rules for 2020: instead of walk
“Santa came into town for us in advance, to make sure everybody in Lansdale stays safe.” — Parks and Recreation Director Karl Lukens.
ing in to visit Santa and share their wish lists, kids can drop their letters in a mailbox on the door to the Santa House, and letters dropped off by Dec. 14 will be delivered to the North Pole.
Friday night will also mark the next-to-last night of the “Lansdale Strong” week organized by local nonprofit Discover Lansdale, when those who shop at three participating businesses can enter to win prizes including a gift bag with over $500 in gift certificates to local businesses, and a “Lansdale Strong” holiday t-shirt.
The virtual tree lighting will also mark the start of another town tradition, modified for 2020 — the borough’s Christmas Tree Display, which will see trees decorated by local businesses, nonprofits and other groups all along Main and Broad Streets.
“Several of the trees are kind of spread out throughout the downtown area, and there’s also going to be a voting form, so you’ll have an opportunity to vote for your favorite tree,” said councilman and Discover board member Bill
Henning; those forms will be available on Discover’s website.
Parks staff had help from the borough’s electric, public works and IT departments in putting up holiday lights all around town, Lukens added, and councilwoman Carrie Hawkins Charlton gave a “special shout-out” to former Mayor Andy Szekely for donating the tree now on display in Railroad Plaza. Staff are
also finalizing details of a menorah lighting ceremony on Dec. 10, which Lukens said typically draws a smaller crowd and should be able to safely take place with social distancing.
Those who visit Railroad Plaza to see the tree, Santa House or menorah may notice one small change: the borough’s Kugel Ball sculpture is currently wrapped in a tarp instead of covered in the normal Plexiglas con
tainer, Lukens said.
“On Nov. 24, our guys were there cleaning up, and they found a giant — not a crack, but it was broken, the top part, and shattered, and there were sharp edges along the side” of the casing, he said. Borough police are currently reviewing surveillance footage to see if anyone can be seen damaging the casing, and staff are awaiting a cost estimate for repairs.