Community Corner
Gov. Terry McAuliffe to Take Part in Falls Church Memorial Day Parade
Parade begins at 2 p.m. Monday in Falls Church.
The City of Falls Church will host the 33rd Annual Memorial Day Parade and Festival Monday. Be sure to look out for a special guest: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe
McAuliffe was last in Falls Church in October, when he was campaigning for votes with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at The State Theater.
The parade will start at 2 p.m., with Grand Marshal Sgt. Steve Rau, Falls Church Police Department. Parade king and queen are Matt Earman and Lilly Constance, George Mason High School seniors.
The parade will feature civic groups, regional and City government officials, city departments including the Police and Volunteer Fire Departments, dance troupes, clowns, and much more. The Parade will be filmed by Falls Church City Cable Television and aired on www.fcctv.net, Cox channel 11, Verizon channel 35, and RCN channel 2.
The festival takes place on City Hall grounds, 300 Park Ave., Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Some of the events on Monday include:
- 9 a.m.: Don Beyer Volvo 3K Fun Run
- 9 a.m.: The Charles Parker Band (on stage)
- 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Amusements for Children, Cherry Hill Park
- 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Tours of 164-Year-Old Cherry Hill Farmhouse
- 11 a.m.: Veterans Ceremony, Community Center
- 12:15 p.m.: City of Falls Church Concert Band (on stage)
Festival-goers of all ages will enjoy live music, amusement and pony rides, arts and crafts, food, civic and business booths, and much more.
The very first Memorial Day Parade was in 1951. However, the gas crisis caused the City Council to cancel the parade in 1981 (but the festival went on!). Happily, the parade was back in 1982, and the organizers decided to name it the First Annual Parade and Festival. The city has consistently celebrated Memorial Day with a Parade since 1982.
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The event is sponsored by the Recreation and Parks Department.
Road Closures
Several City of Falls Church streets will be closed to vehicular traffic, or will only be open to local or parade traffic, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26.
- 6 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (except for limited local and vendor traffic): Park Ave. will be closed from N. Maple Ave. to N. Virginia Ave. and Little Falls St. will be closed from Park Ave. to Great Falls St.
- 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. (Map: Map): Streets along the route of the Don Beyer Fun Run will be closed. The run begins at Little Falls and Great Falls Sts., then goes left (west) down Great Falls St., then left on Pennsylvania Ave., right on Fulton Ave., right on N. Oak St., left on Lincoln Ave., left on N. West St. and left on Park Ave. ending at Little Falls St.
- 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Parade staging areas will be closed to vehicular traffic on Lincoln and West Sts. and Park Ave.
Visitors to the Memorial Day festivities are reminded to NOT park in private parking lots with posted “no parking – towing enforced” signs. The private lots are for the customers of businesses only. Many businesses enforce “no parking” areas on weekends and holidays and may tow without notice. Free parking is available on many side streets; please check signs for time limits. Free parking is also available at Kaiser and Geprge Mason Square; see www.fallschurchva.gov/Parking for details.
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