2025 George Washington Birthday Parade
Saturday, February 15, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Old Town Alexandria
PARADE RULES & PROCEDURES
George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee website: www.washingtonbirthday.com
Parade Organizers contact info: gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com
By registering to participate in the parade, your organization and all participating in the parade agree to adhere to the following guidelines:
Application Process and Fees
· All units must apply to participate in the parade. All applications must be submitted no later than January 31, 2025.
· All parade units must pay an application fee of $75 with the submission of their application. Fees increase to $125 per unit after January 15, 2025. The application fee is non‐ refundable upon acceptance of the application, unless the parade is cancelled by the Parade Organizers.
· By choosing to participate in the parade, all participants agree to follow these 2025 Parade Rules & Procedures. Parade Unit Leaders are responsible for distributing the rules and procedures to members of their Unit.
· An application does not automatically confirm participation in the parade. The Parade Organizers reserve the right to decline a group’s participation or restrict parade content at any time.
· After your application is reviewed, you will receive an email about the status of your application no later than two weeks after the submission of your application.
Parade Content
· The 2025 Parade Theme is “George Washington: America’s Commander-in-Chief” in honor of the 250th Anniversary of the War of American Independence (the Revolutionary War).
All parade units are strongly encouraged to contain components that celebrate George Washington as America’s Commander-in-Chief, American independence, our servicemen and veterans, and/or patriotism. Musical/performance components and floats are encouraged.
· Unless specifically approved in advance of Parade Day, no amplified sounds (including, but not limited to, sounds from noise‐making devices, portable "bull horns," or loudspeakers) will be permitted in the Parade. Upon request, the Parade Organizers will consider permission for use of sound amplification devices on an individual basis if the request is made by January 31, 2025.
No discharge of fireworks is permitted.
The George Washington Birthday Parade is a family-friendly event. All participants are expected to be respectful and avoid the use of profanity or any behavior that can be reasonably perceived as obscene, disorderly, or threatening. Conduct rising to the level of a hate crime under the law will not be tolerated.
Assembly and Check-in Procedures
· Each Unit shall designate one individual to be the Parade Unit Leader who must be at the Parade Site on Parade Day. He or she should be familiar with the information detailed in this Rules & Procedures document and will be responsible for the order and conduct of each unit. Please indicate the name of this Parade Unit Leader on the Application.
· All youth participants must be accompanied by adult chaperones who will be responsible for supervising all children walking in the parade or riding in parade vehicles/floats.
· Any changes in the Parade Unit Leader should be shared with the Parade Organizers as soon as possible by emailing gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com.
· The Unit Leader should disseminate all relevant information provided by Parade Organizers prior to the parade to their Unit’s participants.
· Prior to the parade, the Parade Unit Leader will receive the Unit’s Division Number, which designates where their Unit will assemble, and Parade Order Number, which designates the exact order of each Unit within the Division and the parade as a whole.
· The Parade Unit Leader should check in with the Parade Marshal at the Unit’s assigned Assembly Area no later than 12:30 a.m. on Parade Day. Any one requiring assistance should go to the Information Table at the Parade Start Point (see https://washingtonbirthday.com/parade-route).
· The Parade Unit Leader is responsible for ensuring all parade participants form in their assigned Assembly Area no later than 1:00 p.m. on parade day.
· Parade Marshals will direct the line‐up of the Units within each Division and may change the Parade Order Number if necessary.
· The lead parade Unit will cross the Start Point on a signal promptly at 2:00 p.m.
Photography and Filming Notice
· By participating in the parade, photographers, videographers, and press are likely to film or photograph your group/organization. Your participation, including the participation of children in your group, indicates consent to be photographed or filmed.
· Please be mindful of how your group’s participation will appear in photographs and on camera.
Hand-outs
Safety is a priority during the parade. Please be aware that anything that lands in the parade route increases the risk of children entering the parade route unexpectedly, creating an unsafe situation.
Candy may only be handed out along the parade route. Nothing may be thrown due to safety concerns.
No blowing of bubbles permitted.
No campaign flyers or other literature may be passed out during the parade.
Please contact the Parade Organizers at gwbirthdayevents@gmail.org in advance to request permission to hand out items other than candy along the parade route.
Weapons
· Traditional or ornamental weapons are acceptable as part of a group’s uniform or costume. All knives, swords or spears carried in the parade as part of a uniform or costume must have a dull blade.
· Guns, model guns or other replicas are prohibited in the parade. Exceptions are made for participating law enforcement, historical reenactors, and military units.
· Discharging of any weapons is prohibited without prior approval by the Parade Organizers. Discharging weapons requires additional permits and coordination with local law enforcement, so it must be requested at time of application and not the day of the parade.
Vehicles and Floats
· All vehicles in the parade must be driven by someone with a valid driver’s license who is able to show proof of insurance for the vehicle.
· All vehicles and floats must be in place in the Parade Assembly Area the day of the Parade no later than 12:30 p.m.
· All float railings must be a minimum of 36” tall.
· Trailers must be towed by an accompanying vehicle and have a turning radius of not less than 90 degrees.
· The City of Alexandria has restrictions on oversized vehicles:
o Single unit vehicles may not exceed 8 feet wide, 40 feet long.
o Truck dimensions may not exceed 8 feet wide, 55 feet long.
o Buses may not exceed 8 feet 6 inches wide, 60 feet long.
· Vehicles and floats should not exceed 12 feet in height.
· Only vehicles with a parade pass are permitted in the Parade. These will be distributed in advance and must be displayed at all times while in the Parade Assembly Area and Parade Route.
· Parking is extremely limited, and participants are responsible for parking and walking to the Assembly Area. A very limited number of parking spaces are reserved near the Parade Review Stand for parade unit participants in need of special accommodation and will be prioritized for those most in need. All units requiring use of passenger vehicle parking near the Parade Assembly Area will notify gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com by January 31, 2025 to request a parking pass. Parking passes must be displayed at all times.
Participation of Elected Officials
● Participating elected officials are limited to the person currently serving in the role at the time of the event.
Safety and Logistics
· All participants agree to report to your group’s specified assigned assembly location at the requested time and to follow directions from all on‐site parade organizers, staff, and public‐safety personnel.
· Parade units may not switch locations with another group in the parade without the advance approval of their assigned Parade Marshal.
· The Alexandria Police Department (APD) will clear the Parade Route from curb to curb, maintain order, and control vehicular traffic. Participants must follow the direction of APD officers and staff.
· The conduct and movement of the parade is under the command of the Parade Marshals. All parade participants are expected to agreeably comply with the directions of Parade Marshals at all times. Failure to comply will result in immediate removal.
· All units will march at a pace set by the lead unit. Each subsequent unit is expected to keep pace and maintain a proper interval. To ensure no distracting gaps for parade spectators, all units will maintain an interval (distance from the front of one unit to the rear of the unit preceding) of not less than 15 feet and not more than 25 feet throughout the parade. Youth Group units (e.g., Cub Scouts) will maintain a 5‐foot interval between other units within these Divisions.
· All units must keep moving along the parade route unless instructed by their Parade Marshal, APD officers/staff, or Parade Official to stop for a performance or demonstration in advance by the Parade Organizers. The stop should be less than one minute in duration and the group must close any gaps in the parade to ensure proper spacing is restored.
· All units requiring the use of a vehicle to transport parade participants to/from the Parade Assembly Area must notify the Parade Organizers at gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com by January 31, 2025. Each vehicle will be assigned a specific area to drop off the unit and a specific area where each bus may park after that. The vehicle must display a pass at all times.
Animals
· All animal waste should be cleaned up and disposed of during the parade by the unit’s participants. Each horse must wear a bag to catch droppings.
· Animals may be included if they are related to your organization’s cause or central to your unit’s participation and are disclosed in the parade application. All animals must be up to date on vaccinations and comfortable being in a crowd and around loud noises.
· All canine participants should have a lead no longer than 6 feet. The use of retractable or extendable leashes is not permitted.
Cancellation
· The parade will be held rain or shine. In the event of severe weather or conditions that require cancellation for safety reasons, there is not a rescheduled date. Cancellation of the Parade will be posted at www.washingtonbirthday.com.
· Please notify the Parade Director immediately at gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com if your unit needs to cancel.
· Registration fees are nonrefundable unless the Parade is cancelled by Parade Organizers.