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The first Saturday of December will be something special, as it has been for the past 70 years: Crowds will gather in Historic Old Town Manassas to enjoy colorful floats, marching bands and, of course, Santa Claus at the Greater Manassas Christmas Parade. It takes dedicated volunteers, many hours and amazing sponsors to bring this community event down the streets of Manassas.
This year, the parade has taken on the theme “Believe.” The theme fits right in with the commitment of two of the parade’s sponsors that are showing they truly do believe in their community.
Stanley Martin
As a member of the Stanley Martin family, Truett Young, VP of Land, understands about supporting the community. For over 50 years, the company’s values of giving back and putting customers first have been a cornerstone of the Stanley Martin brand. So, they knew they had a good fit with the significant commitment they made to the Christmas Parade.
Even though December can be quite busy, Young said Stanley Martin was very interested in sponsoring the parade. They feel connected to Manassas, having developed communities in the area, including Heritage Crossing, which is made up of townhomes, and Bradly Square, a mix of townhomes and single-family detached homes.
Their newest community will be Manassas Gateway, a mix of townhomes and condos. Manassas Gateway is being built behind the DMV office off Godwin and Route 28. Models are open at the two existing communities, and model homes will be available in the new community fall of next year.
Young lived in Manassas for over 18 years and began bringing his own children when his oldest were only two or three.
“My kids have always enjoyed going to the parade to see the bands and horses and floats, and of course Santa Claus.” When asked about his favorite part of the parade, Young said it always varies because there is so much to see.
While the Young family, now full of teenagers and school-age kids, relocated to Haymarket, they still make it to the parade every year.
“Old Town Manassas is a wonderful experience,” said Young. “Definitely bring your kids. It’s a great family event.”
Miller Toyota
Over at Miller Toyota, the mood is festive. Employees are decorating a brand new Toyota Tacoma that will be towing Santa through downtown Manassas on parade day. Several employees plan to hand out candy to the crowd as well.
General Manager Ken Shepard said it’s the chilly December day that is part of the fun.
“Christmas brings out the little kid in all of us. Just to see the civic groups, the bands…it’s a great way to kick off what should be a family friendly month.”
With over 40 years of helping neighbors find the best vehicles in Manassas, Miller Toyota upgraded to a new facility next to the Prince William Medical Center about three years ago. Shepherd noted this was also when the dealership began to be able to do more in the community, such as supporting local education and area nonprofits.
“As a local dealership we want to support the community. We’re trying to do more of these things,” said Shepherd.
As a member of the Manassas community, Shepherd was introduced to the Manassas parades through a Veteran’s Day parade. After finding out more about the Greater Manassas Christmas Parade, Shepherd was hooked.
“I said ‘We just need to be part of this. This is a great thing.’”
The Greater Manassas Christmas Parade will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 3rd. More information and the parade route can be found at gmchristmasparade.org.
