By Tammy Ashworth (May 24, 2003)

The annual Falls Church Memorial Day Parade and festivities will take place rain or shine this Monday, May 26, on the City Hall Grounds at 300 Park Avenue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This beloved community tradition, now in its 22^nd year, features a variety of events and activities, including the ever-popular Don Beyer Volvo 3K Fun Run, and stage entertainment by local groups such as the Falls Church Concert Band and N-Dowed.

The day’s first event, the Fun Run, will begin at 9 a.m. sharp at the intersection of Great Falls and Little Falls Streets, and the Lions Club Eye Van will be providing free eye testing from 9 a.m. to noon. At 10:30, the much anticipated "Pet and Owner Costume Contest," sponsored by the Falls Church Animal Hospital, will kick off at 313 Park Avenue.  Tours of the 150-year-old Cherry Hill Farmhouse will be given from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at 11 a.m., the Veterans Ceremony will take place at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Community Center.
 

The parade itself will begin at 2 PM on N. West Street, near Great Falls Street, with Ed Strait as Grand Marshal. One of the unique features of the parade this year will be "floats" in the form of red and white convertibles featuring members of the George Mason Class of 1953, the first graduating class from Mason, and members of the current graduating class of 2003. This part of the parade was initiated by Sarah Madden, one of the 37 members of the Mason Class of ’53, who has worked tirelessly to make this important connection between the generations that span exactly one-half a century. Madden expects at least eight members of her class to ride in the convertible.

Ms Sarah Madden, one of the 37 graduates of the first George  Mason High School graduating class, 1953, organized a  meeting of her class and the Class of 2003 for the annual  Falls Church Memorial Day Parade. (Lasso Online photo)

In addition to these many scheduled events, parade-goers will find plenty of amusement rides, arts and crafts and food booths, pony rides, as well as civic and business booths, to keep them occupied throughout the day. All in the community are invited to this family-friendly day of free festivities.