It was December 10, 2020, and no one had seen Santa Claus.
The Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade had been canceled three weeks prior, and the public remained mandated to stay at home in the name of pandemic precaution. In March 2020, people across the globe were introduced to Covid-19, a coronavirus with origins in China that was initially detected inside a nursing home in the state of Washington.
Bars were shuttered, restaurants were limited to take-out, fairs and festivals were canceled, and millions were sick and thousands were dying. Oglebay did have its annual Festival of Lights, but it was limited to the driving tour only. There was no live music inside the Hickman Lounge, and Santa and his lap remained in the North Pole.
“It was a pretty dark time because of the virus,” said Wheeling Ward 6 Councilman Dave Palmer. “We didn’t know what was going to be happening going forward, but we did know the Christmas parade in downtown Wheeling had to be canceled because of guidance from health professionals. The risk was still very high even after 10 months of the pandemic.”
That’s when Palmer’s wife, Tammy, shared an idea with her husband and their two close friends, Charlie and Cathy Savage.
“Tammy thought it would be special if we put together a mini-parade through the neighborhoods of Ward 6, and after the four of us figured out a few things, I was all in,” the counselor explained. “So, we scheduled it for Dec. 10 and got the word out the best we could because we wanted the children to believe Santa was still coming.
“What I remember the most are the smiles on the kids’ faces,” Palmer recalled. “I also remember the smiles from the adults, too, but all of those children; it was an amazing experience. Smile after smile, it was very rewarding. I just wanted to make sure there was a little bit of joy spread out there.”
Market and Main
The Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade is scheduled for this Friday evening in downtown Wheeling with a 6:30 p.m. starting time near 16th and Market streets. According to Erikka Storch, outgoing president of the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce, there are 81 entries registered to participate.
Palmer did not schedule the Ward 6 procession again, but that does not mean he will ever forget the experience.
“It choked me up on several occasions because of the reactions from the kids. I just can’t imagine what they could have been thinking at that time because of the virus,” Palmer said. “I’m willing to bet some of them thought Santa wasn’t going to make it to their house last year, so if riding around the neighborhoods allowed them to believe Christmas was going to happen, then we did our jobs.
“It was one of the top five days of my life,” he admitted. “You have the days when your children are born, the day when you marry the love of your life, and then the day when you allowed for children to believe Christmas was still alive … yeah, right up there in my top five days.”
And Palmer will leave it at that. He was Santa Claus for one remarkable evening in Elm Grove.
“I had thought about doing it again, but I think the time has come for Santa to be more out and about,” Palmer said with a chuckle. “I’ll be honest, I’m going to miss it, but Santa is just going to have to go back to his regular, hectic schedule.
“But last year’s little parade is something I know I will never forget, and I owe my wife, Tammy, for coming up with the idea in the first place, and then our good friends, Cathy and Charlie, for helping to make it happen,” he added. “If a young person comes up to me one day in five or 10 years and remembers that evening, it will make it even more special, if that’s even possible.”
