The Reston Town Center’s annual holiday parade featured students from the South Lakes Band and JROTC as well as various dance companies, Boy Scouts, balloons, fire departments, Santa Claus, 501st legion, Gerry Connolly and many more. It took place on Friday, November 24, on Market street. The parade had a great turnout this year.
Student volunteers from the South Lakes band helped to close the parade with their performance of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The band performs this song every year in the parade as an introduction for the Santa Claus carriage.
“A lot of people go to see the parade. When we were walking we could hear a lot of people cheering for the South Lakes band,” said Freshmen, Charlotte Arehart, a member of the wind ensemble band. Arehart thought that the parade was a good way for people to see the band and get involved with it. The parade gives them good publicity and helps the band practice for future parades and events.
JROTC also participated in the parade. The group marched through the parade with performances from the expedition team. “It was a way for us to come together,” said Freshman, Racquel Key, “We got to demonstrate all the skills that we learned.”
One of the main events in the parade was the 501st Legion, an all-volunteer organization of Star Wars enthusiasts who take part in charity events. The group appeared in full costume of Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and even the Mandalorian accompanied by Baby Yoda. They also incorporated many other fan favorite characters.
Some other key moments in the parade were the balloons, Chinese Dragons, and fire departments. Many of the balloons were carried by scout troops and are very beloved at the parade. There were also multiple Chinese Dragons, which were energetic and crowd favorites. The parade brought together multiple counties by featuring both the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department and the Mount Vernon Fire Department.
This parade was definitely a great way for people to get together to celebrate the holidays and their community.
