VIRGINIA — For the 50th year running, Virginia residents lined up along Main Street to watch the Virginia Bar-B-Que parade and enjoy delicious food while listening to great bands with good company.
Trailing behind the police car leading the parade was the white, gold-trimmed Bar-B-Que float full of lovely ladies that had been crowned Bar-B-Que pageant queens. Jane Charbonneau represented the oldest of the crew, having taken the tiara back in 1973.
Two new faces to the parade were 2016 Bar-B-Que Queen Briley Scott and Little Miss Bar-B-Que Karlie Campbell.
Scott, 14, is the daughter of Brad and Melissa Scott and is active in volleyball, track, softball, and band. When not busy with one of those activities, she likes to bake, play piano, and volunteer at the local food pantry.
Campbell, 5, is the daughter of Trent Campbell and Callie Merriman and enjoys dancing at Llainia’s Dance and Gym, singing, swimming, and collecting Shopkins.
Grand Marshal Judy French headed up the parade while MC Pat Garver announced the floats as they came down the street.
“We’ve got a lot of great volunteers, the Bar-B-Que committee has worked hard all year,” Garver said. “We’ve got some great local acts, we’ve got the food tent going, we’ve got the raffle tickets for sale … the weather is cooperating, so we’re looking forward to this today.”
When the grill was hot, the crowd lined up for barbecue pork, pulled pork, pork burgers, hot dogs, and hamburgers. The proceeds from those sales will be donated back into the community, though with one more day of festivities it’s too early to tell how will be raised.
A plethora of vendors could be found selling everything from candles to DVDs to homemade art. Manny Schmidt, for example, had his repurposed glass flowers out in a wide array of colors and patterns.
“I take different kinds of glass and turn them into yard art where they can accumulate light,” Schmidt explained. “This year I’ve added several lights on the end of them, so at night, when they’ve been charged by the sun, they turn different colors: Green, red, blue. It’s nice.”
Country songwriter Mark Wills wrapped up the night with a stellar performance in the downtown square.
Festivities continue today in downtown Virginia starting with the Ministerial Alliance at noon, the (Not So) Newlywed Game at 1 p.m., the River Ramblers at 2:30 p.m., the raffle drawing at 4 p.m. and everything will wrap up with the closing ceremony at 4:15 p.m.
