Downtown Shelby came alive with lights, music, and holiday cheer Sunday evening as the city presented its “A Night of Christmas Magic.” The festivities included MedCentral Shelby Hospital Guild’s 15th annual “Festival of Lights,” Christmas carols, guest speakers, and the arrival of Santa on the Polar Express.
Theresa Roth, Chief Operating Officer of MedCentral Shelby Hospital gave the opening remarks, which were followed by a rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” sung by Kayla Rounsevell. Rounsevell later sang “O Christmas Tree” and led the crowd in a Christmas carol sing-a-long.
The Reverend Steven L. Schag of Calvary Baptist Church delivered a Christmas message, and Auburn Elementary School’s third grade class performed Christmas carols for the crowd. Mayor Marilyn John counted down to the lighting of Shelby’s Central Park trees and gazebo.
The crowd was thick as the Polar Express rolled into the station.
Ed McGinty, a heavy equipment mechanic with Ashland Railway, rode along on the trip to Shelby. Ashland Railway is a short line railway with direct interchange access to three major railroads: Norfolk Southern, CSX and the Wheeling and Lake Erie.
When asked about the railway’s involvement with the holiday event, McGinty stated, “It’s something the company has been wanting to do for a long time to get involved with the community and let the community know what we’re about.”
“We play a big factor in a lot of companies in this area. They count on us,” he added.
The arrival of the Polar Express was followed by a reading of the book by the same name by the “Conductor,” Don Cleland of Ashland Railway.
Santa’s Elves, members of the Shelby High School Key Club Allison Franklin, Brianna Caudill, and Cheyenne Burton, kept the crowd entertained as children waited patiently for Santa’s arrival. The “Elves” encouraged the children to show Christmas spirit by singing, dancing, and clapping along to carols.
The Santa Procession, sponsored by the Shelby Area Business Group, was met in Central Park by shivering youngsters. However, the cold weather could not daunt the stalwart children as they lined up to give Santa their Christmas wishes and have a photo taken with Old Saint Nick.
Local shops got into the holiday spirit with festive window displays. Many of the shops, though normally closed on Sundays, opened for the event. Most offered activities for children or raffle tickets for prizes, though all saw an extensive amount of traffic as some visitors simply looked for a spot to warm themselves.
MedCentral Shelby Hospital Guild’s annual “Festival of Lights” is held to honor the memory of loved ones during the holidays. Though the event is in its fifteenth year, this is the first year that, for a nominal donation, an ornament could be placed on the tree as a remembrance of loved ones.
Shelby, Ohio is home to nearly 9,400 residents. More information can be found at http://www.shelbyohio.org/.
Shelby Aurburn Elementary students sing carols during the “Polar” night’s event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpmGTZQZJZo
