How a Small City Celebrates Christmas
December 05, 2012: Saturday, December 01, 2012 was the day to be in Shinnston. Festivity was in the air and events were going on all over town – all day! the first Saturday in December is Shinnston's day to start the Christmas Celebration!The Shinnston Historical Association held their annual breakfast at Jimmy’s Diner at 9:00 AM. Some of the group had stopped at St Ann’s for the annual Christmas Bake Sale and Bazaar and more of the group stopped in at St Ann’s on the way home. From there one went to the Baptist Lighthouse for the annual Christmas Bazaar. The shops in Shinnston were busy all day, staying open late for the folks going to the Parade. The Bice-Ferguson Museum was having cookies with Santa after the Parade.Shinnston LOVES a Parade! The City had the Christmas lights decorating Pike Street with bells, stars, and snowflakes. They were beautiful in the night as people lined the streets. At precisely 6:00 PM, everyone could hear the drums of Lincoln High School Band begin the marching cadence. And the Parade was on!! The City Police cruiser followed by a Sheriff’s cruiser and the Mayor led the Parade. Then came the Band! The banner carriers, flag line, and the majorettes were adorned with pretty blue lights. The band wore Santa hats.
Then came the floats
After the Parade most people went to the Lighthouse for the 16th annual Christmas Concert by the Shinnston Community Band. The Benedum Brass was the first warm-up band. And then the Fairmont State University Saxophone Quarter took the stage. Two of the members, Brandon Haggerty on tenor and Rachel McIntyre on baritone, are Lincoln High grads. Then, birthday boy, Randall Hall (first conductor of the Community Band and instructor for the Quartet) joined the Quartet for a version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas bringing everyone to their feet for a standing ovation!
Then the Shinnston Community Band under the direction of Mike Cale took the stage. It was a wonderful mix of fun songs, Christmas songs, the difficult but beautiful American Elegy, and ending with the traditional White Christmas. (Your host at Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has the honor of playing baritone saxophone in the Community Band - a charter member.)Come to Shinnston on December 7, 2013 and we will do it again for you!