Follansbee festival offered early Christmas shopping

SIGHTS OF THE SEASON — Tim and Tina Jacobs of Wintersville were among many who stopped into the Follansbee Community House to see several life-size nutcrackers lent for the Follansbee Christmas in the Park festival by the Nelson family, who have produced many of them for Steubenville’s Nutcracker Village. The two-day festival offered an assortment of decorations and gift items suited for Christmas and other occasions. — Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — Area residents got an early peek at the Christmas season and an opportunity to do a little early holiday shopping while supporting local causes during the Follansbee Christmas in the Park festival this weekend.

The two-day festival included vendors selling food and a variety of Christmas and other decorations, from wreaths to scarecrows, and unique gift items, from hand-sewn stuffed animals to home-made jellies and honey.

As visitors made their way through the park, they heard Christmas music from various eras played by a local disc jockey and found trees and fences decorated with lights and ornaments, many of them made by and hung by pupils from Brooke Primary North and Brooke Intermediate North.

Adding to the holiday atmosphere were a visit by Santa Claus, who met with many children in the park’s gazebo, and a display of several of the many life-size nutcrackers found at Steubenville’s Nutcracker Village courtesy of the Nelson family behind that event.

Through the years, the festival has raised thousands of dollars for the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program, a food pantry serving residents in need, and local children with special medical needs.

SPECIAL GUEST — Santa Claus greeted many attending Follansbee Christmas in the Park as he rode a golf cart around the many vendors selling various items for gift-giving and decorating at Christmas and other occasions. — Warren Scott

This year the volunteer committee behind it added a collection jar for donations for hurricane victims in North Carolina.

By operating booths at the festival, various nonprofit groups have raised funds for their efforts.

Among them were members of Follansbee First Church of the Nazarene, who sold crafts and baked goods and hot chocolate.

“Our money usually goes to our children’s programs,” said Chris Zak, a member of the church who added there also were Christmas ornaments for children visiting the festival to paint.

“We always have something for kids to do,” she said.

CHRISTMAS WISHING — Three-year-old Jaxson Bogo of Weirton was among many children who visited with Santa Claus during Follansbee Christmas in the Park this weekend. The two-day festival also offered an assortment of decorations and gift items suited for Christmas and other occasions. — Warren Scott

Members of the Follansbee Lions Club were selling chances on a Steelers themed gift basket.

Carl Martino, the group’s president, said the group supports free yearly vision screenings for children at local schools and is among supporters of the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program.

Misty Bonner of Pawsitive Feral Solutions was on hand to distribute free coloring sheets to children and share information about the volunteer group, which catches stray cats, arranges for them to be spayed or neutered and re-releases them.

The goal is to reduce the feral cat population, which has reached 2,200 to 2,400, said Bonner, and the group has been able to spay or neuter 130 felines in three months.

Bonner said sometimes the kittens are tame enough to be adopted into a home, for which they receive a fee that with other monetary donations helps the group to pay for the cost of altering the cats.

The group maintains a Facebook page at Pawsitive Feral Solutions Brooke County.

Also participating in Christmas in the Park was the Alpha Delta Kappa educators sorority, who again brought hundreds of free books for all ages.

Stephanie Ferrell, a member of the group, said the group was holding a drawing for more than $200 in gift cards to raise funds for a scholarship it awards each year to a Brooke High School graduate planning to become an educator.

Among the booth’s many visitors was Carole Booth of East Liverpool, who said, “This is the best booth. These girls do a terrific job.”

Asked what she likes best about the festival overall, she said, “The friendliness of everyone. And there’s such a variety of items.”