The annual James Dworetsky Holiday Parade lit up the dark night on Friday, followed by a Saturday visit from Santa at Jeff Bank this past weekend in the holiday hamlet of Jeffersonville. 

On Friday night the commemorative annual parade featured many towns’ firetrucks and first responders as a memorial to James (Jimmy) Dworetsky, the Youngsville fireman who lost his life after an accident in 1995.

Not just a “Holiday Parade,” this event is said to have become one of the biggest parades in Sullivan County since its launch in 1995; renowned for invoking community spirit, and values of service and sacrifice especially among first responders’ corps. As usual, the parade drew hundreds of residents of Jeff and nearby towns who gathered to march and celebrate on a crispy wintery night. 

Local businesses and groups joined in with their usual theme floats, and free candy was distributed to onlookers, in Jeffersonville parade tradition. 

On Saturday, Santa visited Jeff Bank with his partner Mrs. Claus (Kelsey Conklin), his head Elf (Debbie Muzuruk) and various volunteers to raise funds for the Jeffersonville food bank. Photographer Jill Smith set up her mobile studio among twinkling trees and decor to snap portraits of children with Santa, while volunteers Aliana Mejia-Senol and her mother Sara Senol distributed free cookies and hot chocolate for all.

Outside, Butch Peters (sponsored by the Jeff Chamber) and his team of Belgiums, Dutch and Jake of Beechwoods Road, took the kids and their parents for snowless but chilly wagon rides down Main Street to celebrate the season. Santa was said to bear alarming likeness to Jeffersonville’s own Dan Hart, but this was not confirmed at press time.