Seneca Falls: It’s a wonderful town

A small brass band plays Christmas carols on a sidewalk in downtown Seneca Falls during the 2017 It’s a Wonderful Life Festival.   (Jay Jones/For the Chicago Tribune)

A cigar in his mouth, a man portraying Mr. Potter — the mean, stingy banker — grumpily greets guests during a parade through downtown Seneca Falls. He tells visitors gathered on the sidewalk, “Someday, this will be Pottersville.”   (Jay Jones/For the Chicago Tribune)

Whether director Frank Capra ever laid eyes on this bridge in Seneca Falls is debatable, but locals like to think he was inspired by the story of a man who died while saving the life of a suicidal woman who jumped from it in 1917.   (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)

The Seneca Falls It’s a Wonderful Life Museum serves not only as a testament to the movie’s staying power, but also to its powerful message of the value of every life. The museum is open year-round.   (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)

In advance of the early December It’s a Wonderful Life Festival, Seneca Falls’ welcome signs are transformed to read “Bedford” Falls.   (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)

Locals dressed as characters from “It’s a Wonderful Life” greet the crowd as they walk through downtown Seneca Falls during the 2017 festival parade.   (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)

The bar at Seneca Falls’ Gould Hotel transforms into Martini’s each December as part of the festival celebrating the famous film.   (Jay Jones/For the Chicago Tribune)

To the delight of film buffs, Karolyn Grimes gladly recites her famous line about an angel getting its wings every time a bell rings. As a 6-year-old, Grimes played Zuzu in the 1946 movie classic.   (Jay Jones/For the Chicago Tribune)

Standing outside the Seneca Falls It’s A Wonderful Life Museum, actor Brian Rohan takes on the persona of George Bailey as he welcomes guests to Bedford Falls. Rohan performs a one-man tribute to Jimmy Stewart during the annual festival in Seneca Falls.   (Jay Jones/For the Chicago Tribune)

Locals in Seneca Falls often speak of how filmmaker Frank Capra may have visited in late 1945 and gathered inspiration for his script for “It’s a Wonderful Life.”   (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)