Christmas will come to Manassas this weekend.
The cornerstone event is the city’s 75th Annual Greater Manassas Christmas Parade, at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 4. The theme for the parade is “Down Santa Claus Lane.”
The parade will feature more than 100 acts, including marching bands, fire trucks, police, animal acts, and community organizations. Two giant balloons, a reindeer and mouse, measuring 12 feet tall by 14 feet wide, will make their debut in this year’s parade.
The parade begins on Route 28, winds down Prescott Avenue, then to Center Street, where marchers enter Downtown Manassas. Announcers and parade judges will sit at a review stand at Harris Pavilion, at Center and West streets.
WUSA-TV anchor Annie Yu and Manassas Fire and Rescue Lt. Kevin Shafer will be the parade announcers. The city honored Sharita Rouse, founder of Tummy YumYum Gourmet Candy Apples as Woman of the Year, and city native Joe Nelson, a 35-year parade volunteer as Man of the Year.
Parade attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Volunteer Prince William’s Untrim-A-Tree Holiday Gift Program. Volunteers will collect toys along the parade route.
Un-Trim-A-Tree helps provide gifts to thousands of children in Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Stanley Martin Homes, TD Bank, Miller Toyota, and Manassas City Government sponsored the parade, which lasts about two hours.
Santa Lights Manassas
On Friday, December 3, Santa Claus will return to Manassas to light the city’s Christmas Tree, on the lawn of the city museum, at 9101 Prince William Street. Crowds will gather at 5:15 p.m. at the city’s train station to welcome Santa, who is scheduled to arrive by rail car at 6 p.m.
After the tree is lit, Santa and Mrs. Claus will greet children and listen to their Christmas wishes. Free wagon rides will be offered, The Harris Pavilion Ice Rink will be open, and the downtown shops and restaurants will be for business.
For the past 27 years, the “Santa Lights Manassas” has been a Christmastime staple in the city.
