A Loudoun-Style Fourth: Parades, Polo and More

By Rachael Dickson (Contact), Sydney Wilmer (Contact)

Thursday, July 3, 2008

This weekend Loudoun will be alive with Fourth of July parades, numerous fireworks displays, and events featuring family-friendly activities, polo and more.

Great Meadow will be holding their 20th annual Fourth of July celebration, complete with an air show, polo match and rock climbing, beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday. This family friendly event will feature concerts on two stages, a variety of food vendors and a petting farm, moon bounce and face painting for the kids.

Organizers are expecting that more than 20,000 guests will show up to enjoy the activities taking place on Great Meadow's 250 acres, according to Great Meadow Program Associate Amy Richardson.

Attendees are allowed to bring food or drinks to the event; however, no glass is allowed in the park. Grills, personal fireworks and pets are also not allowed.

In the case of inclement weather, which is currently being predicted for the weekend, activities will go on for as long as possible.

"We've had rain and other types of weather issues in the past. We really try hard to keep going," said Richardson.

Great Meadow has set up an event hotline at 540-253-5001 exclusively for information about weather.

Tickets for the event are sold by the carload and can be purchased in advance at a variety of locations, including Giant and Borders, or at the gate. RV passes and VIP passes are also available, along with a limited number of tented areas, which can hold up to 50 people.

Loudoun Valley Vineyards will be extending the holiday celebrations through July 5, with two full days of live music, barbeque, wine tasting and games.

"Right now we're expecting between 300 and 400 people," Cameron Moore, one of the owners of the vineyard, said. "We have several reservations and we're getting numerous calls daily."

The kid-friendly event will feature old-fashioned games such as horseshoes. Moore said that attendees are welcome to bring picnics along, but asks that any alcoholic drinks come from the vineyard. Picnic lunches will also be available for purchase with baguettes, cheeses and salami.

Sterling residents can head down to the Ol' Time Fourth of July Celebration at Claude Moore Park, which drew 4,000 people last year. Organizers are expecting a similar crowd this year.

Activities will include pony and wagon rides, crafts, old-fashioned games, and a reptile program. The park's nature center will also be open. Attendees can bring their own food and drinks in, but no alcohol is allowed.

Numerous parades will also be held throughout the county in the towns of Leesburg, Lovettsville, Purcellville and Warrenton.

The Warrenton Fourth of July Children's and Pets Parade will have balloons and decorations available for wagons, bikes, and scooters for those who'd like to participate. At the end of the parade the community band will perform at the courthouse.

Purcellville's celebrations will feature a Fireman's Parade that will march through the town at 11 a.m., followed by the Pride of Purcellville's Fourth of July Parade. A carnival with children's rides and craft vendors will be held afterwards, with fireworks later in the evening.

Lovettsville's Independence Day Celebration, taking place a day early on July 3, will have a hometown parade followed by various activities including games, pony rides, and face painting.

Live music and concessions will be available in the evening, and a fireworks display will conclude the night.

A parade will also kick off Leesburg's Independence Day Celebration, and will continue at Ida Lee Park with food vendors, live music, and a fireworks display to end the evening.

Unfortunately, those hoping to nail down plans this weekend or spend plenty of time outdoors may run into a slight problem -- unpredictable thunderstorms.

This weekend's forecast calls for typical Virginia summer weather—heat with a high chance of thunderstorms later in the day—Calvin Meadows, a meteorological technician at the National Weather Service Office in Sterling, said.

"A cold front will be moving through on Friday, so there will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms," he said. Though there is a chance it will also be sunny.

This is not exactly earth-shattering news, he admits, but residents should note that in case of a severe storm or in the presence of lighting, fireworks are forbidden.

"[With fireworks], it's a very unsafe situation because of the possibility of lightning," Loudoun County Fire Marshal Keith Brower said. "Lightning can cause an accidental ignition."

All public fireworks displays are required to have rain dates in the case of cancellation due to severe weather.

Tagged: entertainment, Fourth of July

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