Santa Train a gift to local communities, businesses

When the annual Santa Train chugs through Lackawanna County on Saturday for its 27th year, organizers and local officials hope it will be a gift for local businesses and the community.

Each year, thousands of children and families gather at train stations in Carbondale, Archbald, Jessup, Olyphant, Dickson City and Scranton waiting for the arrival of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area’s annual Santa Train, where Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and various festive entertainers stop at each station to distribute gift bags, pose for photos and meet with families.

The local Santa Train is a partnership involving the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, Steamtown National Historic Site, local municipalities, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, donors and musicians, according to the LHVA.

The free event also doubles as a collection for Toys for Tots, with families encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy when they attend.

The inaugural Santa Train initially stopped only in Carbondale, Jessup and Olyphant, with attendees walking through the train to see different performers, said LHVA Executive Assistant April Rogato, who has also been the Santa Train coordinator since 2017.

That transitioned to the train traveling to six stations with performers disembarking at each stop to spend time with the crowds before heading to the next location, Rogato said.

She credited the train’s sponsors for providing the $4,500 to $5,000 to fund it.

This year, the Santa Train’s stops will be:

• Carbondale Train Station, Trinity Place, north of Seventh Avenue, 10:30 a.m.

• Archbald Train Station, between Laurel Street and the tracks southwest of Wayne Street, 11:35 a.m.

• Jessup Train Station, east side of Church Street, north side of the tracks at Station Pack, 12:20 p.m.

• Olyphant’s Queen City Station, North Valley Avenue at Lackawanna Avenue, 1 p.m.

• Dickson City Train Station, northeast side of Boulevard Avenue, southeast side of the tracks, 1:45 p.m.

• Steamtown National Historic Site, 350 Cliff St., Scranton, 3 p.m.

The reaction is “absolutely amazing” when the train arrives at each station, Rogato said.

“I get chills every time I just think about it,” she said. “Just to see all of those faces waiting expectantly for Santa to arrive, it’s just so heartwarming. It’s wonderful.”

Attractions on Saturday include live music, balloon art, juggling, stilt walking in Scranton, dancing and gift bags, Rogato said.

“I think it gets bigger every year,” she said. “It’s completely free for everybody to attend, so in this day and age, everything is expensive, and I think that really brings the families out.”

Each stop gives out about 250 to 300 gift bags, and stations give out free food, including hot dogs, popcorn, pizza, cookies and hot chocolate, she said.

Rogato noted that when people leave the Santa Train, they also walk through the towns.

“It’s a wonderful economic impact driver for the towns as well,” she said.

As one of the original participating communities, Olyphant Council President Jimmy Baldan said the event helps create memories for local children and traditions for the community.

Olyphant will lean into the festivities with its Kris Kringle Market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Willow Avenue, including dozens of craft and food vendors, giveaways and raffles, a petting zoo, face painting, caricatures, free horse and carriage rides, a touch-a-truck event, a parade, live music and dance performances.

“It boosts our downtown, and it shows support for the local vendors,” Baldan said. “It showcases the energy and growth happening in our community.”

In Jessup, Genie Lupini, the longtime president of the Jessup 21st Century Association who stepped down this year after serving 26 years, remembers the inaugural Santa Train when over 200 children came to see Santa.

The borough received an invitation to participate that year, and they didn’t think twice to accept, Lupini said.

“It sounded like such a great, great idea,” she said. “It turns out that this is one of the best things that we do in town.”

Station Park’s festivities feature gift bags, crafts, carols and refreshments, with the 21st Century Association using the event to encourage visitors to shop and eat at borough businesses.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of it all these years,” Lupini said. “It made an impact on the town.”

Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon proudly pointed out her city has always been the Santa Train’s first stop, and she loves that the train connects local communities.

Like other participating towns, Carbondale has a full day of events to coincide with the train to showcase the city, including at the Carbondale Public Library with photos with and letters to Santa, ornament making, hot chocolate, cookies and a Christmas movie marathon, a “Blue Line of Giving” with Carbondale Police and Five Below at Memorial Park, a Greater Carbondale YMCA Christmas Carnival, a Cringle Market at the Blue Ridge Cable parking lot, and a light parade down Main Street.

Beyond just the draw of Santa, Carbondale has its own crowd of train enthusiasts, bringing together the young and old, Bannon said.

“It’s not only about the economic impact,” she said. “It’s also about building memories and creating an experience for not only people in Carbondale, but people who want to come to Carbondale to visit.”