The Connection

Entertainment Schedule

9:45-10 a.m. - Magic Hand Orchestra (Harmony Roads)

10-10:40 a.m. - Opening Ceremony Performers - Magic Hand Orchestra and the Mount Olive Baptist Church Choir 

11 a.m. - Parade

12:15 p.m. – RearVue music

12:15-12:25 p.m. - Parade Awards 

12:25-12:45 p.m. - Blessing of the Pets (St. John’s)

12:45-1:15 p.m. - Centreville Dance Academy

1:15-1:30 p.m. - Chroma Harp Korean Women’s Ensemble 

1:45-2 p.m. - Harang Sori Korean Folk Dance Group

2-2:30 p.m. - Pets in the Park

2:30-3 p.m. - Northern Virginia Wushu Academy

3-4 p.m. - Mixed Greens (rock band).

    Daisy Scouts participate in a past Centreville Day parade.
 By Bonnie Hobbs   

Come one, come all – the 32nd annual Centreville Day is Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in Historic Centreville Park. The free event is at 5714 Mount Gilead Road (off Braddock Road, across Route 29 from the IHOP) and offers fun activities for the entire family.

“Bring your friends, families and neighbors to celebrate community and history,” said Centreville Day Planning Committee Chair Cheryl Repetti. “There are several new activities this year, such as a Walk to End Hunger, an Eco Expo and even a mobile nature center.”

The festivities also include a parade, ghost tour, trick-or-treat trail, crafters and other vendors, live entertainment, tasty food, safety expo, pet revue and children’s activities galore. And during the 10 a.m. opening ceremony, Supervisor Kathy Smith (D-Sully) and Fairfax County Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole will honor Centreville Day’s Citizens of the Year, Nick Anderson of Stone Middle School and Gina Richard and Eric Cox of Cox Farms. 

Organizing the parade is American Legion Post 1995, and participating will be fire, police and sheriff’s personnel, McGruff the Crime Dog, various Scout groups and dancers. Centreville’s Himanvi Panidepu – the first Indian American to be named Miss Virginia USA – will lead the parade. 

Participants will gather near Wharton Park Court, with the parade stepping off from Wharton Lane at 11 a.m., passing the stage shortly before noon and continuing along Mt. Gilead Road to Braddock Road. Individuals and families are welcome to decorate a bike or scooter and join the fun; costumes are encouraged. 

The parade will finish with the Walk to End Hunger. Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) is organizing it to raise funds to mitigate food insecurity in the local area. Participants will be wearing special T-shirts. To join them in their quest to help end hunger, register with WFCM at www.wfcmva.org/walk. Or simply bring donations of nonperishable food to the WFMC booth on Centreville Day. 

In addition, Goodwill, which is sponsoring the Centreville Day stage, will also be collecting clothing and other thrift-store donation items. Go to www.CentrevilleDay.org. to learn where its truck will be located. 

Stage performers throughout the day will include RearVue (formerly known as the VaDeatles), Mixed Greens, Centreville Dance Academy, Harmony Road Strings, Wushu Academy, and the Korean Dance and Autoharp Ensembles. The emcees are Jonathan Cooper and Kristyn Marrott.

Attendees are also invited to sample the diverse flavors at the event’s food court. Vendors there will include Taste of Asia, Srithon’s Kitchen, Southern Fish Fry, Kona Ice, Snowie Nova, and SweetFrog yogurt.

At 2 p.m., the Rotary Club of Centreville and Chantilly will host the popular Pets in the Park revue on the stage. People are invited to bring and show off their pets; no registration or fees are necessary, and every pet is a winner. In addition, Pet Supplies Plus will give each pet participant a swag bag, and St. John’s Episcopal Church will offer its Blessings of the Pets.

At the Eco Expo, attendees may meet bees and worms and learn how to compost and recycle. They may also visit the Wonder Wagon, a mobile nature center. And at the adjacent Safety Expo, first responders will chat with people and proudly display their vehicles. Children may even ride on the seat-belt convincer and meet a K-9 officer.

Festival attendees may hop on the colorful History Train to travel quickly from Mount Gilead to the Old Stone Church area. From the Braddock Road train stop, take a short walk to the Old Stone Church (the Church of the Ascension) for snacks and more free children’s activities.

This year marks the return of Centreville Day’s not-too-scary ghost tour. See the website to register for a tour. Historian John Carter will have books and historical information, and visitors may also see the Spindle Sears House and the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church and cemetery.

The Boy Scouts of America monkey bridge is always a fun challenge for children and teens, and the younger ones will also enjoy free rides in the children’s area. Children may also traverse the trick-or-treat trail in the Marketplace, looking for vendors offering special goodies. 

“The Marketplace is a great place to find the perfect, hand-crafted gift, a treat for fido, and learn about Centreville’s businesses, churches and, yes, politicians,” said Repetti. “And thanks to the vendors and sponsors, Centreville Day is a free community event. There are no admission or parking fees and no fees for the shuttles.” 

This year, there’ll be even more remote parking for this pedestrian-only event. Parking will continue at 5860 Trinity Parkway in the Trinity Center, and a new lot will be available at Centreville Methodist Church on 6400 Old Centreville Road. Shuttles will transport people to and from Historic Centreville Park.

For more information, and to see the Centreville Day program – which contains a complete list of vendors – go to www.CentrevilleDay.org.

— Cheryl Repetti contributed to this story.