Small town America best reflected in grass roots parade

Leesburg VA

04 June, 2022

1:07 PM

Description

Grassroots movements, using self-organization, encourage community members to contribute by taking responsibility and action for their municipality. Prior to 1993, a group of local citizens came together to establish the Newtown Heritage Festival that would acknowledge and celebrate the place of Stephens City in the Shenandoah Valley. Later, under local leadership, a volunteer festival committee began to organize a debt free and donations driven event. The monies reserved would allow for the organizers to pass on the savings with admission to all indoor and outdoor events—offered free of charge. The festival now celebrates its thirtieth anniversary (1993-2022). This year's fifty-four parade entries slowly proceeded down Route 11/Main Street, once known as the Great Road/Valley Pike. Stephens City, laid out in 1758, is the second oldest town in the Shenandoah Valley and one of the best preserved of the "Valley Pike towns," remarkably retaining its small-town character after 250 years of expansion. Along the parade route are forty log houses built more than 200 years ago with the oldest, the Stone House, dating to the early 1760s. The festival logo promotes the Newtown Wagon and a number of entries in the parade attempted to resemble a frontier wagon. Along our main thoroughfare, a dozen shops once supported the manufacture of this famous wagon. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, tanneries, saddle and harness makers, silversmiths, timbermen, machine shops and other skill mixes were established to sustain the wagon making industry. The Newtown Wagon logo reflects the story of the ordinary people who lived, worked and prospered here and personifies the festivals pioneer spirit. The 2 PM north-south Main Street one-mile-long parade through the historic district highlights the hometown festival. The parade continuously wows the crowd with an Honor Guard, local marching bands, business and church floats, beauty pageant winners, dignitaries, Boy Scouts, civic groups, antique cars, firetrucks, military vehicles and numerous walking groups. Families schedule reunions around the event each year, old friends are back in town and children are seemingly mesmerized by the real-life, non-virtual experience. The casual ambiance emanating from the parade promotes a hometown feel. There is an excitement in the air come 2 PM when approximately 2,500 residents' line both sides of the street and sit on curbs, fences, walls, porches and in lawn chairs, waving, shouting, laughing and goading two-way conversation with the parade participants. Everybody knows each other personally, and the intimate nature of the parade makes it easier to converse with one another among a large and jubilant crowd. The procession gradually evolves into an exhilarating, fun packed, family filled get-together. The parade fosters a sense of affection and joy within our community. That genuine affection and heartfelt joy are what makes small towns the heart and soul of America. Festival Parade Committee members Donna Steward and Earl Luttrell managed the parade logistics. Plaques were awarded to Korean War Veterans; Best Display of Patriotic Heritage, Ravenwood Faire (Renaissance Fair); Best in Originality and Gore's Meats; Best Overall Appearance.