Small-town Living Takes Center Stage on National Show

By ARYA PATEL
COOPERSTOWN

Residents of our small Village of Cooperstown gathered this past Friday, December 22 to celebrate the holidays and to be on hand for a special visit from WKTV NEWSChannel 2’s Kristen Copeland on behalf of the “TODAY Show.” Despite the village having a population of only about 2,000 in an area of 1.6 square miles, there were numerous bright, happy faces—not just individuals from Cooperstown, but people from Morris, Oneonta, Milford, Ilion and other locales joined us to honor this special day.

The “TODAY Show” had given our town the title of one of the “Merriest Main Streets” in the country. The “TODAY Show” has been running since January of 1952, and we were honored to be a part of their “Merriest Main Street” series tour in 2023. By six in the morning, people began to crowd Pioneer Park and, although it was early, they made memories filled with laughter and joy.

The forecast showed 12 degrees, but that didn’t stop anyone. People hustled in and out of Stagecoach, our local coffee shop, in order to find warmth as well as hot drinks and baked goods. The Cooperstown Children’s Choir sang carols to our local citizens and melted everyone’s hearts. The crowd gladly sang along to selections such as “Jingle Bells” with happiness, under layers and layers of warm clothing.

Local resident Lynne Mebust said, “It’s a great opportunity for people across America to see what Christmas is like in a small town.”

There were not only people on hand—many furry friends gathered as well, to celebrate the small town we call home. To everyone’s delight, dogs were dressed up with reindeer ears and jackets, as was a goat. Children jumped and cheered with signs, some yelling things like, “We Love TODAY!” and other good-will phrases.

The community had gathered in force as soon as we heard the news, and, as a local teacher said, standing in the crowd with her student, “We’re not rich in money, but we’re rich in community.”
Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh delivered a speech saying, “It’s the local spirit that is so important,” which is true for Christmas, but also for any other holiday or season in our gorgeous village.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and a few of their elves also joined us on this day, travelling far from the North Pole to share this special moment and brightening the days of many children and adults.
Our town has a love for all things: Christmas, baseball—but above all, we have a love for the spirit of community and happiness.

Iron String Press intern Arya Patel is a student at Cooperstown Central School.