Christmas parades around Central Va.

From staff reports
Published: December 3, 2008

You won’t have to travel far to find a Christmas parade this weekend in Central Virginia.

Beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday in Bedford, seven holiday parades step off through Sunday.

And that’s going to keep Santa plenty busy. Not to mention marching bands, emergency vehicles and beauty queens. And in Lynchburg, an astronaut.

Heritage High School graduate Leland Melvin, a crewmember on the space shuttle Atlantis in February, returns to his hometown as the parade’s grand marshal on Saturday. Sponsored by the Lynchburg Fire & EMS Foundation, Inc., it will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in downtown Lynchburg.

The route begins on Main Street at the Community Market, turns left at Fifth Street to Church Street and then to 12th Street. Organizers suggest arriving no later than 4:30 p.m. for a viewing spot on the curb.

Want more? Here are the other parades this weekend:

Bedford: 11 a.m. Saturday in Centertown.

Altavista: 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Altavista, starting at Seventh Street, to Broad Street to Main Street and ending at the Wachovia building.

Amherst County: 7 p.m. Saturday on South Main Street in Amherst.

Smith Mountain Lake: The annual Virginia Dare Flotilla for Toys departs the Virginia Dare Marina, on Airport Road in Moneta, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, arriving at the Hales Ford Bridge around 8 p.m. It will also float by Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Appomattox County: A 4 p.m. parade in downtown Appomattox on Sunday will be followed by the Community of Candles ceremony in downtown Appomattox.

Nelson County: 3-5 p.m. Sunday on Front Street in Lovingston.