Lorton's July 4th Parade and Festivities

Marching bands, floats and flags—Lorton's July 4 festivities are upon us.

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland will lead the parade, which begins Wednesday at 11 a.m. and snakes from Lorton Road to Lorton Station Boulevard and ends at a reception at Lorton Town Center. The party lasts until 1 p.m. 

Parade attendance has grown into the hundreds over the past decade. "It's something else. When they first started this event, they had a few baby carriages and people walking around the Gunston Plaza Shopping Center," said Hyland, a 30-year Air Force veteran who has served as Mount Vernon's District supervisor since 1988.

"You maybe had 20 to 25 people walking around the shopping center on the weekend of the Fourth," he said. "The parade has come into its own. It has hundreds of people line along the roadway."

Last year's parade marshall was Hyland's senior aide Christine Morin. Check out the  from last year's parade. 

Staging for the parade will begin Wednesday at 10:30 at the Lorton Firehouse, 7701 Armistead Road. Parade attendees should expect to see: 

• R.O.T.C Hayfield/South County (who will lead the parade)
• John Boy of Lorton
• American Legion Post 162 Lorton
• Fairfax County Police, Fire and Rescue, Police Auxiliary
• Lorton Volunteer Fire Department
• South County Chamber of Commerce
• Merchants of Lorton Town Center
• Fairfax County Department of Transportation

There will also be an INOVA blood drive accepting walk-ins from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in front of Fireside Grill. Donors will receive a T-shirt, refreshments and will get a chance to win an iPad.

After the Parade

July 4th continues in Lorton after the parade at . The free schedule of events includes: 

• Mason Neck Wagon Ride Expedition, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (ride ends with s'mores)
• All-American Rocket Power demonstration (with air pressure and water), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• Make a star-spangled hiking stick, 3:30-4:30 p.m. 
• Search for bald eagles, which inhabit Mason Neck, with a telescope and binoculars 

Lorton Patch will be at the parade and Mason Neck State Park taking pictures. See you there!

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