By Nancy Dunham
It's easy to become a bit – let's call it uncomfortable – about the holidays when you travel.
Although I love to see different parts of the U.S., having grown up on the East Coast I find it a bit disconcerting to see aluminum Christmas trees in California or Poinsettias around open swimming pools in Florida. Beautiful, yes, but the scenes did drain a bit of my holiday spirit.
The holiday celebration in Old Town Manassas, though, is something you can likely enjoy no matter what your climate preferences. The area gets just chilly enough to bring out the hot cider-drinking mood but still warm enough that you don't feel as if you're frozen within five minutes outside. Plus there are all kinds of great shops – pottery, jewelry, culinary – that will welcome you with plenty of heat, good cheer, and great items for gifts.
I especially like to take a trip to Old Town Manassas for the annual holiday festivities, which are slated for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, December 3 this year.
Don't wait until the last minute though. Although area parking is generally plentiful, it does fill up for this event so stop down early and grab a quick lunch, strap on your skates and take a whirl around the ice rink at the Harris Pavilion or just walk around and enjoy the live music until Santa's 6 p.m. arrival – by Virginia Rail Express, of course, into the Manassas Depot.
If you aren't intent on seeing the arrival, Santa will be at the Harris Pavilion gazebo throughout the evening to visit with young and old children. Head over to the Manassas Museum (9101 Prince William Street, Manassas) for the 6:30 p.m. lighting of the Christmas Tree and more music by the Osborne High School Band, the Prince William Chorale, the Manassas Chanticleers and swing singer Jason Curtis. You can even end the evening with a free hayride.
Return by 10 a.m. Saturday, December 4, and you'll see the annual Manassas Christmas Parade that includes floats, local celebrities, music and Santa. The parade travels from Mathis Avenue and ends at Center Street and Grant Avenue. Holiday stories will be told from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Train Depot and, of course, shops will be open Saturday and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a special holiday open house on Sunday.
The Manassas holiday celebration offers plenty of fun to boost your holiday spirit.