Photo by Eric Ayres Santa arrives to greet the crowd assembled at Winter on the Plaza in Wheeling on Wednesday night, when the Friendly City officially kicked off the holiday season.

WHEELING — The city of Wheeling is officially ready for the holiday season, and the community came out in full force to help kick it off in grand fashion at the annual Winter on the Plaza.

Simulated snow flurries filled the air as visitors of all ages traversed through The Plaza on Market for this year’s event Wednesday night. Christmas music, hot chocolate, a nip in the air and plenty of holiday activities helped bring a festive and wintry atmosphere to the plaza.

A Christmas tree donated by Duplaga’s Top Notch Landscaping was the centerpiece of the festivities, and as has become tradition at Winter on the Plaza, the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of Santa Claus aboard the platform of an aerial ladder truck courtesy of the Wheeling Fire Department.

Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder welcomed the crowd and explained that new technology today has allowed Santa to skip the flipping of the switch to light the Christmas tree. Instead, he used magic dust sprinkled from high above on the fire truck’s extended platform.

The mayor led the children in a chant of “We want Santa! We want Santa!” as Old St. Nick made his grand entrance. Magruder noted that Winter on the Plaza serves as Wheeling’s light up night, and the kickoff sets the table for Friday night’s Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade.

“It’s the 40th year of the parade, and it’s back in downtown, so we’re really excited about that,” Magruder said, noting that with the Downtown Streetscape Project pretty much completed along Main and Market streets, the parade is returning to the heart of town for the first time in a few years. “We ask everyone to come out and join us – it’s going to be a great night in Wheeling.”

Santa explained that his reindeer were resting up for the upcoming Christmas trip, hence his reliance on the fire department for transportation.

“On the count of three, give me your best ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!,'” Santa exclaimed before assuming his seat in front of the Christmas tree to pose for pictures with children. Families lined up down the plaza to wait their turn for the meet-and-greet with the man of the hour.

For those who preferred to submit requests in a more formal yet indirect manner, the Junior League of Wheeling hosted a table where children could write letters to Santa, complete with a fill-in-the-blank gift request wish list. The Wheeling Arts Commission hosted a craft table, the Wheeling Nailers greeted visitors, and the SMART Center had a telescope set up so visitors could observe the rings of Saturn.

There was also an inflatable bouncy slide, a glow zone, food and hot beverage trucks, and activity tables by WVU Medicine, Kat’s Kreations and more.

Winter on the Plaza welcomed scores of returning families from near and far, as well as some newcomers from the Ohio Valley and even from the other side of the country.

“I think it’s amazing – magnificent,” said Ema Smith, who along with her son, Echo, were enjoying the festivities for the first time this year. “It’s a lot of fun for the kids, and my son is having a blast.”

In fact, the Smiths were actually in town from Iowa and looking to relocate to the Wheeling area.

“We’ve only been here for three months, but we’re hoping to stay permanently,” Smith said. “We’re finding new experiences, and everyone’s been great here.”