All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

In lieu of annual Christmas Parade, Santa Claus will tour Buckhannon Dec. 5

BUCKHANNON – The coronavirus can’t stop the Claus.

Santa Claus, of course.

The Buckhannon Fire Department won’t be able to organize its traditional Friday night Christmas parade due to COVID-19 protocols that prevent large gatherings. However, that’s not stopping the jolly old man in the red suit with a deep belly laugh from visiting children throughout the City of Buckhannon.

At Buckhannon City Council’s meeting Thursday, mayor Robbie Skinner announced the Buckhannon Fire Department had come up with an innovative solution that would allow Santa Claus to wave at children while touring city streets on his fire engine.

“I am really, really thrilled to announce that our fire department – particularly John Brugnoli and [fire chief] J.B. Kimble – have come up with a really great idea,” Skinner said. “As we know, having a Christmas parade this year is just not going to happen, so what we’re going to do is Santa Claus is going to ride on a fire engine, and he’s going to travel up and down Buckhannon city streets.”

Santa’s tour of all sections of the municipality will begin at noon on Saturday, Dec. 5. The BFD’s annual Christmas Parade usually takes place Friday night after dark, so unlike that event, this will be a daytime occurrence.

“It’s going to begin at noon, and it could possibly be an all-day event,” Skinner said. “There will be a set plan of each neighborhood of where Santa’s going to be, so the kids can come out of their homes and wave at Santa on his big fire engine as he goes up and down city streets.”

On Sunday, Brugnoli, a BFD career firefighter who’s spearheading the event, said he was “working on a map of Santa’s schedule as we speak.”

“It looks like we’re going to be starting over (on West Main Street) by Dr. Khan’s office, and then going from there,” Brugnoli said. “We’re not going to be able to hit every single street, but we’ll be covering 75 percent of the streets, so if Santa doesn’t come down your street, all you’ll have to do is just walk to the end of your street at the most, and you’ll be able to see him from there.”

Brugnoli said Santa will be the same white-bearded, joyful fellow who usually rides in the BFD’s early December Christmas parade.

“We have our Santa, and Santa’s going to be riding on a fire truck, so we’re asking everybody to stay on the sidewalk or in their yard and not congregate in groups to prevent community spread,” he said. “We’ll have a police escort.”

Brugnoli said the idea popped into his mind once firefighters realized their traditional Christmas parade wasn’t feasible this holiday season.

“We had talked for several weeks about having to cancel the parade, and we hated to have to do that because that’s our thing – we love the Christmas Parade, and a lot of kids look forward to that … so, we thought, ‘if we can’t bring them the Christmas Parade, why can’t we drive around town and bring Santa to them?’”

Santa Claus’s schedule for his Dec. 5 tour of town will be released within the next week or so, so keep an eye on the City of Buckhannon’s and the Buckhannon Fire Department’s Facebook pages.

At Thursday’s meeting, Skinner commended the fire department for their out-of-the-box thinking.

“Every single week, we spend so much time trying to figure out how we’re going to navigate where we’re at in this world with this virus and we had 1,100 cases in West Virginia today, and the end just doesn’t seem like it’s coming any time soon, even though we hear bits and pieces of positivity with the vaccines that may be coming. So, anything we can do to be safe while also providing the kids with some enjoyment is something positive.”

Anyone with questions may call the fire department at 304-472-2868, Skinner said.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Moon Flower opens first satellite store at Delmonte Market in Elkins

Moon Flower Hemp, a woman-owned craft cannabis shop, is opening its first satellite location inside Elkins’s Delmonte Market, offering exclusive products, infused drinks, educational support and special perks for early customers.

Buckhannon Community Theatre’s ‘The Lion King Kids’ set to roar at Colonial Arts Center this weekend

Buckhannon Community Theatre will present Disney’s The Lion King Kids on June 20 and 21 at the Colonial Arts Center, showcasing young local talent in a family-friendly production directed by Ella McNeish.

Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board Agenda: June 26, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board has released the agenda for its upcoming June 26, 2025, meeting.

B-U’s Landon Marple earns All-State baseball honors

Buckhannon-Upshur senior Landon Marple, who led his team in multiple offensive categories, was named to the West Virginia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State Baseball Team as an Honorable Mention.

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Kelly Povroznik earns certification in integrative and functional nutrition

Kelly Povroznik, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital, has earned certification as an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner, bringing advanced holistic nutrition expertise to her patients and community.

Upshur County Sheriff Mike Coffman says numerous community complaints led to vape shop raids

Community complaints about Upshur County vape shops selling to minors prompted a months-long investigation that led to multi-agency raids, seizure of $500,000 in illegal products, and an ongoing probe with arrests likely.

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for June 19, 2025

Argo Books is launching a community co-op, the Upshur County Library has won a grant for new computer classes, Meals on Wheels needs volunteers, and Fish Hawk Acres has resumed ‘grab & go’ service but paused breakfast.

Weese family legacy burns bright as Brandon coaches Flame 304 to new growth

Brandon Weese is continuing his family’s Buckhannon-Upshur basketball legacy by coaching the Flame 304 girls travel team, which now features players from multiple counties and emphasizes both athletic and personal growth.

Upshur County pool splashes back from repairs, continues busy summer with activities, parties and night swims

After a multi-day closure for repairs, the Upshur County Pool is reopening with a packed summer schedule featuring lessons, parties, night swims, and new event packages, positioning it for one of its busiest seasons yet.