The indoor and outdoor pop-up shopping event is presented by Special Metals, Community Bank, Refresco Beverages, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union. Other sponsors include Nestle Purina, VanDette Law PLLC, Dunkirk Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, Cattaraugus County Bank, Central Station Restaurant, Putnam Record Agency, The Botox Barn, North County Landscaping, Brooks-TLC Hospital System/LEMS, NCCS, JCC, J.F. Grant Consulting Services, Fun-B-Que, Access to the Arts, Chautauqua Opportunities, Lil Ginger’s Deli and This Is It Nutrition.

Local businesses will be open with over 50 vendors as follows: Elks Lodge 922 (428 Central Ave.) – Jerry Gavin, Sharon Kuwik, Eklum Designs, Not Your Mother’s Kitchen, Nana’s Hats & More, Jenna’s 4th Street Café, LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Teresa Williams, Sweet Salutes, NOCO Energy, Karen’s Creations, Soaring With Creations, Linda Bailey, Mike’s Wood & Stained Glass and Beer Goggle Games Co.; Former P&G Grocery (411 Central Ave.) – A2Z Custom Signs & Apparel, Lil Ginger’s Deli, S & P Designs, Homemade Heart Jewelry & Craft, LMcraftyideas, Tastefully Simple, Back To Your Roots Farm, Discovery Toys, Rural Ministry Book Store, Tamijo’s Countryside Crafts, Al’s Craft Shack and Boho Fixx Designs; The Bank (former HSBC/First Niagara Bank at 401-403 Central Avenue) – Crafty JEAN, Kim’s Glorious Designs, Warm Willow Yarnworks, Whizz-n-Smash, Mandalas & More, Nalepa’s Novelties, Cookie Cartel and Twilight Creations; Peach & Plum Creations (404 Central Ave.) – P*Dubs menu, Calico Krafts, St. John’s the Baptist Episcopal Church, Abbygale Newcomb and Cassadaga Job Corps; Food Truck Alley (Fourth Street between Central & Lynx) – The Best of Buffalo by Byron, 3 C’s Catering Food Truck and Maxitaco; Stearns Building (338 Central Ave.) – DHS Lady Marauders Basketball Program Live Wreath Raffle, Mary’s Deli, Dunkirk Lighthouse, Jamestown Community College, Historical Society of Dunkirk and MonikArt along with Central Station Restaurant (332 Central Ave.) serving food/drink specials and complimentary hot cocoa.

Other participating vendors and local businesses open that day include Fun-B-Que Novelties with parade light up toys, Deborah Ferrer Design Studio, LLC, This Is It Nutrition, Community Bank, Imagine This Custom Products, Inc., Angry Bird BBQ, Lil Ginger’s Deli, A2Z Custom Signs & Apparel, Jenna’s 4th Street Café and Mary’s Deli.

A shopping map is available on-line at www.cityofdunkirkny.gov under the residents/festivals tabs.

Pictured are ice sculptures produced during a live chainsaw ice carving demonstration.

The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center will host a Breakfast with Santa event from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. that morning featuring pancakes, sausages, refreshments and Santa visits with a complimentary gift for each child. The cost is $10 per adult, $7 for kids and free for kids 5 years of age and under. Pre-register by calling the hotel at 716-366-8350 by the evening of Thursday.

Live music at city hall include FootSteps (11 a.m.), Slim & Red (1 p.m.) and DJ Joe Gould (3 p.m.).

Other activities include complimentary horse drawn carriage rides provided by Double C Ranch from 12 noon to 5 p.m., visits with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and elves from 1 p.m. arrival to 5 p.m. at city hall, ice sculpture carving demonstrations by Jamestown Ice & Storage in Stearns Court starting at 11 a.m. and children’s holiday cookie frost and craft-making from 12 noon to 4 p.m. inside the Stearns Building.

A new unwrapped toy drive conducted by Chautauqua County Rural Ministry is also being held to support the local families in need. Drop-off sites will be their Dunkirk facility and Dunkirk City Hall and during the month of December.

Angry Bird BBQ (302 Lynx St.) will offer half off smash burgers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., complimentary pulled pork and burnt end samples from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and smoked prime rib dinners for sale followed by Ion Sky from 8 to 11 p.m.

The event will also feature pre-parade entertainment with a dance party with Rudolph and DJ Joe Gould from 5:00 to 5:20 p.m. at city hall.

Holiday dancers from the McKenna Academy of Dance will perform a holiday routine in front of City Hall at 5:20 p.m. followed by Danza! Performing Arts Academy’s “Santa Stop Here” routine at 5:30 p.m.

The Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be at 5:40 p.m. on the steps of Dunkirk City Hall with Mayor Wdowiasz, staff, community members and friends.

Following the tree lighting will be the Dunkirk Holiday Parade beginning at 5:45 p.m. along Central Avenue with the theme of “Gingerbread Avenue and Candy Cane Lane.”

Bob Patterson will be the parade marshal. As a former Dunkirk athlete, coach, official, city staff member and community volunteer, Mr. Patterson is a true representative and supporter of his hometown.

Parade line up will begin at 5 p.m. on Third Street, between Robin Street and Central Avenue. All parade entries must check in on the corner of Robin and Third Street by the tunnel before going to their designated spot.

The parade will begin promptly at 5:45 p.m. traveling south on Central Avenue toward City Hall and ending at the corner of Central Avenue and Fifth Street. At the end of the parade, vehicles will make a right on Fifth Street toward Dunkirk Intermediate School and then a left on Eagle Street and disperse in the school parking lot on Sixth Street.

Andy Bohn will be the parade announcer with trophies awarded to the top three best-decorated entries the following week. Dunkirk Access will live stream the parade via their YouTube channel.

Participants are reminded to dress warm during the inside and outside strolling holiday event.

Event street closings for the day will include the following: Fourth Street between Central Avenue and Washington Avenue (in front of police station) will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. until the end of the parade at about 8 p.m. for the event’s food truck alley.

Central Avenue between Third and Fifth streets will also be closed to traffic from about 4:45 p.m. until the end of the parade at about 8 p.m. Once the parade starts, anyone parked on Central Avenue or West Third Street must wait for the parade to clear before moving their vehicle.

Residents are asked to avoid West Third Street, from Central Avenue to Robin Street (the parade’s lineup area) between 4:45 and 5:45 p.m. when the parade starts.

Event guests are reminded not to park their vehicles at prohibited parking areas marked either by sign or traffic cones with street barricades being placed from 4:45 to 8 p.m. Please be observant of our officers directing traffic or closing roads. 

Parade participants, lined up on the Third Street berm with placement numbers as listed in order of appearance, include: 1. Dunkirk Police Chief Christopher Witkowski with Mayor Kate Wdowiasz, 2. Parade Grand Marshal Bob Patterson, 3. Dunkirk Marching Marauders, 4. Dunkirk JROTC, 5. Refresco Beverages U.S. Inc., 6. Dunkirk Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, 7. Southern Chautauqua FCU, 8. McKenna Academy of Dance, 9. North County Landscaping, 10. Central Christian Academy – Dunkirk, 11. Kix Country/WDOE, 12. The Resource Center, 13. Danza! Performing Arts Academy, 14. Nicholas Eddy & Patrick Lahnen, 15. National Grid, 16. Forestville Fire Department, 17. East Dunkirk Fire Department E113, 18. West Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., 19. Dunkirk Fire Department Rescue 1, 20. Dunkirk Fire Department Engine 3, 21. Dunkirk Fire Department Engine 4, 22. Dunkirk Fire Department Truck 1, 23. Horse drawn carriage with Santa Claus & Mrs. Claus, Rudolph & elves and 24. Dunkirk Police car escort.

For more information, contact Scott Mekus, event specialist, at Dunkirk Festivals at (716) 366-9848 or smekus@cityofdunkirk.com.