Decorate Medina Committee has downtown park decked out for holidays

Provided photo: Jaye Sullivan, who co-chairs the Decorate Medina Committee with Eric Watson, fetches extension cords on Sunday for the lights, while committee members in back work at putting up the giant festive words donated by Takeform on the railing overlooking East Center Street.

MEDINA – Just in time for the Parade of Lights on Saturday evening, the Decorate Medina Committee, Medina Lions and village DPW have completed putting up the decorations which have made Medina famous.

It was more than 40 years ago when the late Rev. Burt Entrekin visited another village out of state and saw it ornately decorated for the Christmas holiday.

“He came home and said he wanted to see Medina look like that,” said Jaye Sullivan, who has been on the committee for most of those years and now chairs it with Eric Watson.

Entrekin formed a committee and spearheaded fundraising, and Decorate Medina has continued to spread Christmas cheer every year throughout the downtown.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Candy canes and lollipops line the walkways in Rotary Park, while reindeer and Santa’s sleigh are adorned with real evergreens, all thanks to the efforts of the Decorate Medina Committee, headed by Jaye Sullivan and Eric Watson. At left, the giant Christmas tree is ready and waiting for the lighting ceremony Saturday at 5 p.m., to kick off the Parade of Lights.

Over the years, decorations have been improved and added, with the village DPW responsible for installing the garland and lights over Main and Center streets and the lights on two giant trees in State Street Park; the Medina Lions took on setting up the Nativity scene across State Street Park; and the committee headed by Sullivan and Watson decorating Rotary Park.

Rotary Park has become the permanent location for the house which becomes Santa’s headquarters during holiday time. Every year the Decorate Medina Committee sets up a sleigh with reindeer, candy canes and lollipops along the walkways and a photo booth. Takeform provides and donates a sign with the current year each holiday season. They also made and donated giant letters on the railing facing East Center Street, which read “Peace, Joy, Love.”

“This year we put fresh greens on the sleigh and reindeer,” Sullivan said. “They look so nice.”

Other committee members are Mary Woodruff, publicity; David Sevenski, Sue and Kevin DeHollander, Lynn Woodruff, Jen Hill, Peter Kaiser, Jason Watts, Matt Kennedy, Barb Gorham, Mary Lewis and Maureen Sanderson.