Philipsburg is ringing in the season with its new "Mid-Century Christmas" celebration. Organizers say the theme stems from the borough’s “Giant Santa,” which was created in the 1960’s.
This time of year, when you drive into Philipsburg from the east, you’ll find the enormous Santa cutout made of painted wood next to Cold Stream Dam.
Eric Rusnak is the president of the Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation. He only reaches Santa’s shins when standing next to him.
“Santa is 37-and-a-half feet tall," Rusnak said.
Rusnak said local artist Bill Adams created Giant Santa in 1962. He also said many residents have fond memories of that time.
“We thought we would celebrate the mid-century, which was really Philipsburg’s heyday," Rusnak said. "Take people back in time, but also give them some vision for a new heyday that Philipsburg is embarking on.”
At Philipsburg's Mid-Century Christmas, there will be caroling, 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Rowland Theatre, a tree lighting ceremony, and a visit from Santa himself. That’s according to Julie Houston, who heads Philipsburg’s Christmas committee.
“I'm Chief Elf," Houston said with a laugh.
Houston said many downtown businesses have decorated their storefronts for the event. She said there’s a lot of enthusiasm in the community.
“The word exciting doesn't even seem to capture it," Houston said. "And, you know, Christmas is a time that we celebrate birth. And we feel that with this Christmas celebration in downtown Philipsburg, it is like a rebirth of the old-time Christmas celebrations that the town once had.”
Rusnak said Philipsburg hasn’t had a town-wide Christmas celebration like this in a long time. He also said he doesn’t know of any other place that celebrates mid-century Christmas, and he hopes Philipsburg becomes a destination for others who want to experience that era in the modern day.
Philipsburg's Mid-Century Christmas celebration is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with various activities taking place throughout the day.
