A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE — Members of Wintersville Methodist Church expressed a message about the holiday with their float in the Wintersville Christmas parade Sunday, part of Wintersville’s Winter Weekend. -- Warren Scott

WINTERSVILLE — From somber to silly, the events of Wintersville’s Winter Weekend reflected the many moods of the Christmas season.

Volunteers behind Wednesdays in Wintersville, the village’s monthly summer street fair, organized an afternoon of celebration Saturday with the support of local churches, while village officials organized the many units in its Christmas parade Sunday afternoon.

Visitors to Wintersville Methodist Church found a pair of food trucks out front, a bounce house within its gym and a display of table nativities and several musical groups performing Christmas music in its Center for Hope.

Many area residents accepted an invitation to lend their nativities for the occasion, resulting in a sampling of recreations of the first Christmas from various eras and origins.

They ranged from one owned by Audrey Thacker whose figures were hand-made from olive wood in Bethlehem to one with more than a dozen figures painted by Linda Holub to one featuring the Peanuts characters as figures amidst the scrawny Christmas tree seen in their Christmas special.

Barbara Rock of Toronto pointed proudly to the paper figures and simple, straw-covered wooden shelter that had been created by her son, Troy, with help from his father when he was just 4 in 1981.

“I bring it out every year,” she said.

She was accompanied by Dani Swearingen, also of Toronto, who said of the event, “It’s great. We came out for the nativities.”

But the pair and others stayed to hear Christmas music performed by children in the Wintersville Methodist Church Bell Choir, the Brassetthounds, a brass ensemble; the choirs of Cross Creek and Hills elementary schools and the John King Mussio Junior High School Band.

Attendees were invited to sing along to the carols played by the band before a switch was triggered to light two Christmas trees in the large social hall.

Also lighted were more than 350 luminaria along Main Street with the help of members of the Indian Creek High School National Honor Society under the direction of Julia Renee.

Area residents were invited to sponsor the bagged candles in memory or honor of a loved one, with more than $1,500 in proceeds going to the Teramana Cancer Center’s Trinity Emergency Assistance Relief Fund.

Through the fund, patients at the cancer center receive financial help with various needs.

Joel John, chairman of the Wednesdays in Wintersville Committee, expressed thanks to the many sponsors and to many involved with the effort.

They included Sarah Gentile and Mayor Mike Petrella, who arranged transportation of the luminaria from his shop, Michelle John and Bonnie Jenkins, who used their ovens to dry out sand used to weigh down the bags; Janet Carr, who obtained additional candles when they were needed; Mary Roe and Barbara DeLeonardis, who assisted him at his store; and the Broken Fences 4-H Club, under the direction of Carrie Benzel, who have agreed to collect them afterward.

Lighting the street high above the luminaria were the village’s star- and snowflake-shaped Christmas decorations.

Last year, Holly Maffett and Village Administrator Jesse Kosegi refurbished the decorations, and this year, Matt Mazzaferro of Off the Wall Signs installed new lights for them.

Santa Claus also was on hand to meet children at the Center for Hope and with Mrs. Claus, brought the Christmas parade to a close.

The Grinch also put in a surprise appearance, leading Wintersville Police Chief Lou Vandeborne on a chase

along Main Street after absconding with a Christmas tree. He appeared later inside a bulldozer carried by a flatbed truck belonging to Eastern Construction and Excavating.

Santa and the Grinch were among many appearing in the procession, which also included the marching bands of Indian Creek and Catholic Central high schools, the small but speedy vehicles driven by the Osiris Shrine’s Motor Patrol, and several trailers decorated with fanciful holiday figures as well as messages about the spiritual meaning of the holiday.

Other Wintersville businesses and groups also held special events during the weekend.

Both the Methodist church and the Catholic Women’s Club of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church held craft shows, and Starkdale Presbyterian Church presented a nativity with live animals.

Among the village’s many guests was Sue Latwin of Pittsburgh, who was visiting family. “We just came down for the evening for the Christmas spirit,” she said as she looked around the Center for Hope on Saturday evening.

“You get that sense of the holiday spirit just looking around.”