Lauren Worley, Kaylee Stanley, and their families will lead the 52nd annual Patrick County Christmas Parade as its grand marshals, organizers announced.
The parade, hosted by One Family Productions, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m.
Chris Prutting, executive director of One Family Productions, said the families were selected in alignment with this year’s theme, “Community Through Strength.”
“We believe these families exemplify the spirit of this theme,” Prutting said. “With everything they’ve endured over the past few years,” and the unwavering support they’ve received from the community, they’ve become a symbol of resilience and unity.
“It’s a perfect example of your neighbor being there for you in a time of need, and that’s what Patrick County really is good at. We really thought to honor those families, and especially those two girls, who’ve been through so much and just continue to defy the odds, we thought it was just a good way to celebrate that theme this year,” he said.
The parade will begin at Moody Funeral Services Inc. and travel down East Blue Ridge Street before turning onto Main Street. It will continue through Downtown Stuart and end at Commerce Street.
Each year, the parade averages more than 100 entries, ranging from floats and marching bands to local organizations and emergency vehicles.
The advance registration deadline for parade entries is Monday, Dec. 2. The entry fee is $20. Register for the parade online at www.onefamilyproductions.org or email pcchristmasparade@gmail.com.
“There’s been a fee since I was a little boy, and my mom ran it for the Jaycees. We do not charge rescue squads or fire departments because” of their service to the county and sometimes “they actually have to leave the parade to run a call, so we never know if they’ll be there or not,” he said.
For those registering on the day of the parade, the fee increases to $25.
“We do accept day-of entries,” Prutting said. “We’ll have stations set up along the route where people can sign up. We have spots available for them.”
The parade lineup will begin at 12 p.m. on Wood Brothers Drive, with the event expected to last about two hours.
