Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD — Chuck Gervasio’s role in Ironwood’s annual Jack Frost Festival of Lights Parade is going to be a bit different this year, as parade organizers named Gervasio the grand marshall.
The parade’s theme, “Christmas is ON the Air,” also honors Gervasio — the parade’s long time on-air announcer and co-host, according to parade organizers.
Gervasio, of WUPM/WHRY, has worked with the parade for 19 of its 20 years, according to organizers, and while he has retired from announcing the parade, he will host a live WUPM radio broadcast from 9 a.m. to noon this year.
Gervasio began his career in broadcasted in high school when he worked for WSOO in Sault Ste. Marie from 1963 to 1967. After working for Teleprompter Cable TV in Superior/Duluth, Gervasio started his own station WUPM-FM in Ironwood in 1978. He opened a second station, WHRY-AM, in 1985.
Gervasio also served as the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce president in 1985 and recently finished a 3-year term on the board of directors for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.
In addition to honoring Gervasio, organizers say the theme is intended to “illustrate the many ways in which the meaning of Christmas has been portrayed through radio and television programs.
“From the early days of radio, when the gruff-voiced Ebenezer Scrooge of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ story was transformed into a happy, joyous person upon Christmas Day, to path-breaking animated television productions such as ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ Jack Frost’s ‘Christmas is ON the air’ theme opens up a world of possibilities for parade entrants to depict the sounds and visions of Christmas as they came ‘on the air’ directly into our homes.”
The festival begins with a tree-lighting ceremony on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in Depot Park. The parade takes place on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m., beginning at the Ironwood Carnegie Library and moving through downtown Ironwood. Float entries are due by Nov. 27. Forms are available at the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce office, the Western Upper Peninsula Convention and Visitors Bureau, Hitt’s Fine Furniture or at ironwoodchamber.org.
A complete event calendar is being developed, organizers said, and those wishing to have events listed can contact the chamber at 906-932-1122 or chamber@ironwoodchamber.org.
For more information on the festival, contact the chamber of the Western U.P. Convention and Visitors Bureau at 906-932-4850.
— Richard Jenkins
