Join in the fun! Anyone can enter the parade — individuals, families, civic groups, businesses, or organizations of any kind. The only rule is that no motorized vehicles are allowed in your entry.
Here are the details -
on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
on Front Street.
The corner of Front and Presqueisle Streets, where we’ll hold the official tree lighting ceremony immediately following the parade.
Our guest judges will select a winner, who will receive a special trophy courtesy of the Rowland Theatre.
So grab your friends, get creative, and help us make this an unforgettable evening in downtown Philipsburg! Let’s light up Front Street with holiday cheer and community spirit.
...not just in Happy Valley, but in the entire state, as he's Pennsylvania's tallest, even the tallest in the USA! We say the Christmas season doesn’t begin until the 37.5-foot wooden structure is standing watch over our town and greeting locals and visitors alike as they bustle through during the best time of the year.
Giant Santa has been a staple of the season for as long as many Philipsburg residents can remember. He was the brainchild of Philipsburg artist Bill Adams and a project of the John Ashley Dennis Jr. American Legion Post 437. Giant Santa made his debut on November 18, 1962, and initially had a motorized hand that waved to passersby. His bag of toys was added in '63, and the toy soldiers in '64.
Adams chose a height of 37 feet in honor of his 1937 class at Philipsburg High School. A block in the toy bag has the letter A on it, which stands for “Adams” and is the artist's "signature" on his artwork.
Santa was erected at numerous places around town over the years, including at the American Legion, the Harbor Inn, and Mitchell Oil. Unfortunately, years of deterioration had taken a heavy toll on Old Saint Nick. Philipsburg was in real danger of losing its beloved icon, but heroically, the Philipsburg Elks Lodge #1173 lovingly restored it in 2005 and placed it at Cold Stream Dam, where it has greeted visitors ever since.
Last year, Giant Santa took a tumble during an intense windstorm that whipped gale-force winds across Cold Stream Dam. During the spring and summer, dedicated volunteers worked to rebuild and paint him with resources generously provided through the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and other area partners. By the time the first snow falls, Santa will rise again! He's beefed-up and sturdier than ever, ready to bring a smile to good boys and girls for decades to come.
© 2025 The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau | Design & Development by 3twenty9 Design
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