So many holiday events this weekend:
The Christmas season gets underway this weekend on our area with the following events:
Manassas Christmas Tree Lighting — Friday 5:30 p.m.
The Christmas Tree in Downtown Manassas will be illuminated at 6:30 p.m. The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. when Santa Claus arrives at the Manassas Train Depot. There will be holiday music at 6 p.m.
Attendees can take free hayrides around Downtown, and skate at Harris Pavilion.
70th Annual Greater Manassas Christmas Parade — Saturday 10 a.m.
The Greater Manassas Christmas Parade is honored to announce our 2015 Grand Marshal, Ed Asner! Mr. Asner comes to us with a prolific resume and may be best known for his role as Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and later on a spin off titled Lou Grant.
The younger generation might best recognize him as the voice of the older man in the 2009 Pixar film Up or as Santa Claus in the 2003 movie Elf. Mr. Asner is known to be a versatile, committed, eloquent and talented actor and has received seven Emmy Awards – the most any man has ever received.
The Greater Manassas Christmas Parade has been a hallmark event for 70 years providing entertainment for families and friends in the Greater Manassas community and beyond! It sets the mood for the holiday season!
The parade features over 100 marching units, numerous floats, high-flying balloons, several dancing groups-in all totaling over 2,000 participants each year! Come watch this year’s theme ‘Lights…Camera…Christmas!’ For more information, visit gmchristmasparade.org.
41st Annual Dumfries Christmas Parade — Saturday noon
Join residents from Dumfries and eastern Prince William County for the 41st Annual Dumfries Christmas Parade at noon on Saturday. The parade route takes marchers and floats down Main Street (Route 1) past Town Hall. The Dumfries-Triangle Volunteer Fire Deparment, Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad, as well as several churches and businesses participate in the parade each year.
A tree lighting will follow the parade at 5 p.m. at Town Hall.
Lunch with Santa — Saturday 12:30 p.m.
Come have lunch with the man in the big red suit at 12:30 p.m. in the Old Manassas Courthouse.
Monza / Carmellos collects gently used coats for gift cards
Monza of Historic Manassas will be collecting gently used coats to donate to SERVE in exchange for a $10 Monza or Carmello’s gift card and free hot chocolate and coffee on Sat., Dec. 5 during the Greater Manassas Christmas Parade. Coat donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Monza at 9405 Battle Street in Downtown Manassas, Va., as well as throughout December to support SERVE of Manassas, Va.
They’ll also be accepting new toys for children of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Manassas, Va.) in exchange for a $10 Monza/Carmello’s gift card during December. For more information, go to eatmonza.com. One gift card will be given per coat and/or per new toy.
“We all feel the drop in temperature, and for those in need, sometimes one warm coat is hard to come by which is why we wanted to help collect as many coats as possible for the our local SERVE program,” said Alice Pires, owner of Monza and Carmello’s in Historic Manassas, Va. “We’re excited to collect toys for the kids of CASA, let’s try to make sure no one is forgotten this holiday,” said Pires.
