By Jessica Stamp
Cheerful music flowed through the chilly air in downtown Youngstown for its Holiday Light-Up Night and the Flea on Phelps celebrations Dec 2 from 4 to 8 p.m. with the parade starting at 6 p.m.
The Holiday Light-Up Night kicked off winter celebrations with the Youngstown community enjoying many activities, which included seeing over 60 vendors for the Flea on Phelps and watching the parade march downtown with festive floats and 12 high school marching band participants.
Struthers High School was one of the various marching bands participating in the parade. Josh Hawkins, the school’s band director, said this was its second year marching.
“It’s something the kids get to have a good time with,” Hawkins said. “We get to dress up and just play fun Christmas music and be downtown.”
Hawkins said he enjoys being involved in events like the parade because it’s something everybody in the community can have fun with and look forward to having a good time.
“It’s just nice that the Youngstown community has something to come downtown and get excited about,” Hawkins said. “It’s really cool to have something like this in our community where all the different suburbs and stuff can get together.”
Elena Labra, a local business owner of Staircase Ceramics, has been a vendor at the Flea for about three years. Labra said being at the Flea on Phelps is like being in a movie because of the decorations and feeling the holiday spirit in the air.
“I describe this as like a Hallmark movie. It’s just amazing being here,” Labra said. “It’s just super cool to see Youngstown literally lit up. It’s just beautiful.”
Labra said she was looking forward to sharing her new work and style with the people in the community.
Alison Green, owner of Atomic Tangerine, was another local small business owner who set up shop at the Flea. Green’s business takes old crochet blankets that usually end up in landfills and turns them into new items.
Green said this is her first time being at the Flea on Phelps and likes coming to Youngstown to sell her crochet crafts.
“I do market sales every weekend across Ohio and the Youngstown ones are always my favorite,” Green said. “I’m very excited to be out here and see everybody in the holiday spirit.”
The event wrapped up with the tree lighting which will continue to light up the area throughout the holiday season.
