SCRANTON -- Hundreds of people watched as the former Globe Store downtown was lit with holiday lights and the doors were opened for the ScrantonMade Holiday Marketplace.
The Globe has been closed for more than twenty years, but was specially reopened for the annual marketplace featuring local vendors.
"It makes me excited. I was so excited I had to get here today, really exciting,” said Carol DiPietro of Olyphant who was a Globe regular, especially around the holidays when the place was known for its iconic window displays and visits with Santa.
The walls inside were decorated with photographs of children in years gone by sitting on Santa’s lap.
That tradition was revived as part of the holiday marketplace.
"I just remember coming here shopping all the time with my mom and my parents and just really enjoying it, going to Santa's Wonderland and it was always fantastic, a great childhood memory,” said Jodi Tomassoni of Archbald, who watched as her daughter sat on Santa’s lap for a picture.
The annual ScrantonMade Holiday Marketplace is a three-day event.
“It’s amazing, the atmosphere, all these people. It’s going to be a great weekend here at the globe,” said Tony Patte of Scranton.
“There’s a lot here, there’s a lot of great vendors whoever put this together, planned it, put it on did a great job,” agreed Nicole McDonald of Jermyn.
While many were drawn for the shopping, others say coming back to the former Globe store was all about the nostalgia.
“It’s like going back in history. I walked through the revolving doors, I thought I was Rod Sterling, I thought I was going back to 1994. Great! This was a great idea,” said Robert Shutta of Dunmore.
The old building will be made into county office space.