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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Christmas carols rang out and ricocheted throughout Downtown Wilkes-Barre and among a packed crowd of onlookers Saturday as the city&#8217;s annual Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony kicked off the holiday season.</p><p>The sunshine and blue skies were apparently enough to convince hundreds of spectators to brave the frigid breeze and 40-degree temperatures to line Public Square for a glimpse of Santa Claus and the parade&#8217;s extensive lot of floats and performers.</p><p>Cheerleading squads and marching bands from GAR, Meyers and Coughlin high schools helped invoke the holiday spirit with music and dance performances while members of the Wilkes-Barre and Wilkes-Barre Township fire departments tossed candy into the crowd.</p><p>Six-year-old Mia Malecky got a bird&#8217;s eye view from the shoulders of her dad, Kris, when the parade&#8217;s jolliest participant approached.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s Santa,&#8221; shrieked a grinning Malecky, of Exeter.</p><p>In all, 69 floats, vehicles, marching bands or walker groups participated in the afternoon event, which kicked off from South and South Main streets at 3 p.m. and concluded with the tree-lighting ceremony on Public Square just over an hour later.</p><p>Beth and Linda Freeman, sisters from Nuangola, said it isn&#8217;t the holiday season to them until the annual parade.</p><p>&#8220;We drive down together every year,&#8221; said Linda Freeman, 49.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a tradition,&#8221; said 44-year old Beth Freeman.</p><p>Both agreed the parade was worth the 8-mile journey, a trip the pair have been making since they were in their teens.</p><p>&#8220;We used to live in the city and to see the event grow every year is great,&#8221; Beth Freeman said.</p><p>Acting as grand marshal of the event for the final time as mayor, Tom Leighton, with some help from Santa Claus, lit the string of multicolored lights coiled around the 30-foot blue spruce.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been a great run,&#8221; said Leighton, 55, who in January will leave office after 12 years as mayor and another 12 as a city councilman. Leighton acknowledged there were some emotions going into the yearly winter event but was comfortable in his decision not to seek a fourth term.</p><p>Leighton said he was pleased how far the event has come and pointed to the growth of new businesses downtown and the droves of parade-goers packed around Public Square.</p><p>&#8220;After this is over, they&#8217;ll stay in the downtown,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;ll shop, they&#8217;ll eat. They&#8217;ll stay here.&#8221;</p><p>Echoing Leighton&#8217;s comments, Special Events Coordinator Liza Prokop said Saturday&#8217;s turnout was the largest she&#8217;s seen since she began coordinating the event three years ago.</p><p>Planning for the event begins in late summer, including securing sponsors and organizing parade divisions, Prokop said. The event closes out the city&#8217;s 2015 events calendar while also ushering in the holiday season for its residents, she said.</p><p>The tree found its way onto Public Square after being donated to the city by Donald Stephens.</p><p>Stephens, who stood with his wife and daughter alongside Leighton as the tree was lit, said it was surreal to see the crowd of onlookers clapping, cheering and taking pictures during the lighting of his tree.</p><p>Stephens, 57, planted the tree over 30 years ago. Then, the blue spruce stood just 3 feet tall.</p><p>&#8220;This was just a tree that was always in my grandmother&#8217;s yard,&#8221; said Stephens&#8217; 21-year-old daughter, Tara. &#8220;I probably rode my bike around it when I was a kid. Now everyone gets to see it here.&#8221;</p><p>Stephens said he had no idea what would happen to the tree, but having it displayed on Public Square was the best possible place for it to end up.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be immortalized in family holiday pictures,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s overwhelming.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade52.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Three Imaginary Boys play Christmas rock songs to energize the crowd during the Christmas parade in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade52.jpg</photo0><caption0>Three Imaginary Boys play Christmas rock songs to energize the crowd during the Christmas parade in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade32.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Grand Marshal and Wilkes Barre Mayor Tom Leighton greets onlookers during his final Christmas parade in office. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade32.jpg</photo1><caption1>Grand Marshal and Wilkes Barre Mayor Tom Leighton greets onlookers during his final Christmas parade in office. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade22.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Giulia Knutzan, 5, left, and Ella Demellier, 6, cheer during the Christmas parade in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade22.jpg</photo2><caption2>Giulia Knutzan, 5, left, and Ella Demellier, 6, cheer during the Christmas parade in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade42.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mayor-elect Tony George walks in the Christmas parade in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade42.jpg</photo3><caption3>Mayor-elect Tony George walks in the Christmas parade in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade12.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Santa Claus waves at the crowd Saturday from high upon his sleigh during the annual Christmas parade on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL112215wbparade12.jpg</photo4><caption4>Santa Claus waves at the crowd Saturday from high upon his sleigh during the annual Christmas parade on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </caption4><photoCredit4>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Leighton serves as parade grand marshal for final time</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

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Songs, Santa Claus help Wilkes-Barre Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony usher in the holiday season