HONESDALE, Pa. — Honesdale DPW workers unloaded holiday decorations on Wednesday along Main Street while volunteers hung lighted Christmas trees on each light pole.
The Greater Honesdale Partnership puts up the lights each year and spends weeks preparing the borough to get in the holiday spirit.
"We start in September. We do a Tuesday every week. The same kind of crew shows up. It takes probably six hours a week from September until this week to get those trees," said Lisa Burns, executive director of the Greater Honesdale Partnership.
This year will be a little bit more festive than just the holiday lights on Main Street. There will also be an unveiling of what makes Honesdale a winter wonderland every year.
The Greater Honesdale Partnership applied for a Pennsylvania historical marker to be placed in front of the former home of Richard "Dick" Smith along Church Street. Smith wrote the lyrics to the holiday classic "Winter Wonderland" while looking out at snow falling in Central Park in 1934.
"What's really important is that we've been calling it winter wonderland for so many years. Now we've proven that it is the home of winter wonderland," said Burns.
The big kickoff of the holiday season in Honesdale is on Black Friday, with the holiday parade followed by the lighting of the Christmas tree in Central Park.
"There'll be lots of fanfare and fun things to do. Santa will be again in town for pictures, along with a couple of bands playing on Main Street," Burns added.
The ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 27 at 2 p.m.