GREATER BROWNSVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
For immediate release:
Oct. 30, 2012
Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, Historical Society
Unveil 2012 Light-Up Night Activities
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. – To celebrate Nemacolin Castle's 50th year of public tours, the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce and Brownsville Historical Society will usher in the 2012 holiday season with an expanded line-up of Light-Up Night activities on the grounds of the National Trust landmark.
The family-oriented, fun-filled evening begins with the chamber's traditional Christmas parade, which gets under way at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 23 in Hiller. At least 30 festively decorated emergency vehicles, one of which will be transporting Santa and Mrs. Claus, will wind eight miles through the luminaria-lighted streets of Brownsville and surrounding communities and end at the castle, located at 136 Front St., for the first time in nearly 15 years. Children can visit with Jolly Old St. Nick, receive a bagful of treats, make reindeer food and enjoy holiday tales spun by a popular storyteller.
"We're very happy and pleased that the chamber is allowing us to host Santa and Mrs. Claus this year in conjunction with Nemacolin Castle's 50th anniversary," says Colleen Rawson, co-chair of the special events committee for the historical society. "There will be heated tents set up so Santa, Mrs. Claus, our guests and entertainers will be comfortable as they join us in celebrating this special occasion."
Free activities will include Christmas caroling, led by Brownsville Area High School students under the direction of choir director Bethany Hughes, a bonfire, holiday music by acoustic guitarist Fred Adams of Mt. Pleasant, Colonial and Civil War encampments and storyteller Natalie Zuchelkowski of Brownsville. Also, arts and crafts vendors will be set up and refreshments will be available.
As in years past, Light-Up Night kicks off six weekends of candlelight tours at the castle, with its historic rooms dressed for the holidays by volunteers from local organizations and families. (See fact sheet for additional details.) There is an admission fee for the candlelight tours, with discounts available for groups of 20 or more. The chamber's 2012 limited edition collectible, honoring Nemacolin Castle's 50th year, will be on sale in the gift shop of the house and museum.
For nearly four decades, the chamber-sponsored Light-Up Night has been held the night after Thanksgiving, a genuine catalyst for community involvement. Days before the parade, volunteer firemen hang the borough's Christmas lights and make sure all light bulbs are working for the highly anticipated event. Shortly before the parade begins, chamber volunteers distribute nearly 2,000 plastic jugs, filled with sand and candles, to organizations and residents to create a luminaria that, when coupled with private participation, stretches for miles and adds a magical glow to the wintry nightscape.
Light-Up Night's volunteers include firemen from North, South and West Brownsville and Hiller, Brownsville Borough, Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp., Boy Scout Troop 650, Interact Club, Rotary Club and Hiller Ladies Auxiliary.
Nemacolin Castle opens at 4 p.m. on Light-Up Night for tours. Through Dec. 30, the historic home and gift shop will be open Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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CONTACT:
Frank Ricco, chamber president, 724-785-3600
Bob Mammarella, historical society president, 724-785-6882
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