ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- The Annual Downtown Elmira Holiday Parade is next week and a new building unveiled on Wednesday afternoon will help the event run smoother. The Sullivan Building, named after parade coordinator Deb Sullivan, will house parade floats, costumes, and more.
The Downtown Elmira Holiday Parade has been bringing joy to the community for over 60 years, and, Deb Sullivan has been instrumental in making that happen for nearly 40 of them. Sullivan, an Elmira native, says she has only missed one Elmira Holiday Parade in her lifetime.
Pushing for a building to house parade floats and supplies is part of Sullivan's continued efforts to improve the parade for the public. However, it was a complete surprise to her when the name of the newly constructed pole barn was unveiled as the Sullivan Building. The completed facility is located at 717 Dickinson Street in Elmira.
"I'm overwhelmed right now," said Deb Sullivan, the honoree and coordinator of the Downtown Elmira Holiday Parade. "I've wanted this building for so long, years. Everybody that's helped me work on things, it has been in places that most people probably wouldn't have entered sometimes. So this is just a dream come true."
Local officials, members of the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce and Elmira Downtown Development, and members of the community were invited to the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Several attendees say this dedication in Sullivan's name is well deserved as she is the heart of the annual event.
Not only is the barn a thoughtful gesture and honor for Sullivan, but, it will also greatly aid in keeping the parade materials safe and protected from weather or potential damages. Additionally, it will make parade setup a lot easier for officials.
The project came together due to the efforts between community contributions, the City of Elmira, and the American Rescue Plan.
"Now we can come right here and get right back over to Clemens Center and start the parade, so it's gonna alleviate tons of hours of extra work that is really unnecessary," said Kylene Kiah, the executive director of Elmira Downtown Development. "And then, we own over 300 costumes, so those will be housed here and it's just gonna be easier to have everything in one place."
With the unveiling, Sullivan's wishes to improve the parade and provide a better experience for the community have come true.
"No matter what you're feeling or what you're doing, for that hour, we're taking you somewhere else," said Sullivan. "So if you're having a bad day or you're having a bad life, for one hour, you can be somewhere else. So, I love it, I love it."
Jennifer Herrick-McGonigal, the president and CEO of the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, also added that the parade is Chemung County's largest annual event.
"It brings people into our downtown district and into the county itself," said Herrick-McGonigal. "You know, it fills up our hotel rooms and our bars and our restaurants and our small businesses. So it's a week of celebration during the holiday season, while bringing the much-needed revenue for our community."
The Downtown Elmira Holiday Parade is happening next week and officials are urging anyone able, to come on down and check it out. The parade will be held Friday, November 29 starting at 10 A.M.