Community Celebration Marks 220 Years of Centreville History
Everybody loves a party and this weekend there’s a big one to celebrate 220 years of Centreville history.
The 20th Annual Centreville Day community celebration is being held this Saturday (Oct. 20) from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Historic Centreville Park in the Centreville Historic District. Admission is free.
Lots to do
Activities include children’s trick or treating through the historic district and marketplace, free children’s rides courtesy of G&C Auto and the N-Zone, hands-on 18th century craft activities such as making butter, colonial carpentry and candle-dipping from Sully Historic Site, Frying Pan and Ellanor C. Lawrence Parks.
Visit historic homes and churches, including Mount Gilead, built in 1785, and the Spindle Sears house, ordered from Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1933. The Old Stone Church, Saint John’s Church and the new Stuart-Mosby Cavalry Museum will all also be open.
Take a tour
Limited spots are available for guided van tours of the historic district and for family-friendly walking ghost tours. Ghost tours are $5 per person and Civil War tours are $18.
A great food court features local restaurants and festival fare. The diverse community marketplace includes crafters, local business, churches and organizations.
Entertainment
The event opens at the Park Authority Showmobile with Miss Berrios singing the National Anthem and a traditional Chinese Dragon Dance performed by the James Madison University Almuni.
Local talent will continue to be showcased throughout the day, including DJ Myra Flemister, Centreville Dance Theatre, the Mia Saunders Ballet, the Alliance Theatre, the Epic Quartet, singers Alberto Ramirez and Benito Raymundo Chavez, Southwestern Youth Association Cheer, the Harmony Road Orchestra, and the Hallelujah Mission Taekwondo.
On the lawn at Mount Gilead, Beverly Peltcher will return with her first-person living history performance revealing a woman’s perspective on the Civil War. The Swordmasters of the 18th Century will offer fencing lessons for those bold enough to try.
The Centreville Historic District will be open to pedestrian traffic only. Convenient parking and free shuttles will be available nearby.
Historic Centreville Park is located at 5714 Mount Gilead Road in Centreville.
