Dumfries parade fun, cold, sparse around the reviewing stand

The 42nd annual Dumfries Christmas Parade was held Saturday.

This was my third year taking the microphone and announcing the marching groups, floats, and area elected officials who all participate in the Christmastime tradition.

I was honored to have Ms. Betty Covington on the stage to help me announce. Covington has done so much for Dumfries, serving as Dumfries Elementary School principal and later as the Dumfries District, renamed Potomac District School Board member.

In this day and age of video games, Netflix, and instant information, it’s great to see so many people bring their children to a parade, a time-honored tradition that brings communities together. Parents braved the cold and brought their children out on December day when temperatures never escaped the 30s.

From school dance troops, cheerleaders, Air Force JROTC, churches, businesses, the volunteer fire and rescue departments, and Santa and Mrs. Claus, there’s always a lot to look at the in the Dumfries show. All the marching organizations, bands, and floats were carefully judged they marched along the parade route. We’ll post the winners of the parade judging contest to Potomac Local as soon we have them.

The Toys for Tots float that appeared earlier this month in the Greater Manassas Christmas Parade held on December 3 that won first place at that event was also in Dumfries’ parade. We’ll see how it fared with the judges in Dumfries.

Going forward, Dumfries leaders may want to take a page out of Manassas’ book and move the reviewing stand to the end of the parade route at Graham Park Drive near Dunkin Donuts. Having both marched in the Dumfries parade, and announced the parade the past three years, I’ve noticed that many people gather at Town Hall at the start of the parade, and in a second large group at the end.

The announcer and the reviewing stand for the Manassas Parade are located at the very end of the route, at the intersection of Center and West streets. People line up along the over one-mile long parade route to see the procession, and then the participants are announced at the very end.

Very few people gather near the Dumfries parade review stand where I make my announcements.

The end of the parade is also a great place to snap photos, as many participants like to stop and perform for the parade judges to showcase their talents, and to show off their floats.

In Dumfries this year, parade marchers were told not to stop and perform in front of the viewing stand. However, some did and chose to dance or sing. Because their young hearts were enjoying themselves so much, who was we to tell them no? Where’s the Christmas spirit in that?

This year, the Dumfries parade was also competing with a series of events happening in eastern Prince William County, Winterfest, which also occurred Saturday. The festival was a daylong series of events that began with a Santa’s Lake Ridge Parade at Tacketts Mill, then caroling in Occoquan, capped off with nighttime fireworks at Prince William Marina.

Last year Winterfest was on the third weekend in the month, while the Dumfries parade has traditionally been held on the second weekend. With so many Christmastime events happening I’m sure it’s difficult to efficiently coordinate everything, but it’d be good to see the leaders of the small towns not competing for holiday event goers.

My hat is off to Dumfries Community Services coordinator Brittany Heine, who shows us what being a one-woman production is all about. Sure, Henie has help from many volunteers, but after years covering the town and participating in events, her role is the glue that makes the parade come to together.