Why Centreville's Holiday Parade Allows Only One Santa

On Friday, December 4, a little before 6:30 p.m., up to 90 decorated units will line up in the Queen Anne's County High School parking lot. Floats will be fully decorated and no taller than 14 feet, and fire companies will be limited to one apparatus each. Only one of those units is allowed to carry Santa Claus.

The single-Santa rule is one of many in the 2026 Centreville Holiday Parade application and rules that point the same way. The Centreville Holiday Parade Committee has written a rulebook for the people watching from the sidewalk, and especially for the youngest of them. The cap on entries, the candy policy, the music limits and the ban on sirens all point the same way. Knowing that tells you what kind of night December 4 will be.

Written for the Curb

The committee gives its reasoning in plain language, which is unusual for a parade form. On Santa, the rules say:

"Replicas of Santa or persons dressed as Santa will not be allowed in the parade. The only entry that is allowed to have a live Santa Claus will be the 'Official Santa Float'. Any group failing to adhere to this will be removed from the lineup (it can be quite disturbing to small children when they see more than one Santa.) Santa hats and Elf hats are allowed and encouraged!"

Mrs. Claus gets the same treatment, so replicas and costumes are out.

The same thinking about children shows up throughout the rules:

• Candy is handed out, not thrown. Nothing of any kind may be thrown from a parade unit. Groups can have someone walk alongside to hand candy to spectators.
• No sirens. Fire apparatus may not use sirens, electronic tones or air horns on the route, and companies that break the rule put their future participation at risk.
• Holiday music only, at a reasonable volume. Music has to be "pleasant, tolerable, and acceptable for all listeners, especially children," and it can only play on the route itself, not in the line-up area.
• Children on floats stay put. Every rider has to be secured and supervised and remain on the float the whole time.
• No politics. The rules call it "a family-oriented parade" and say it is "not an appropriate venue for political ideology, campaigns, or social statements."

Then there are the lights. The committee asks every entry for "illuminated items and lots of them," and sets generator rules, including at least 12 inches of clearance between a generator and any decorations. A 6:30 p.m. start in December means a parade after dark, and the rules are written to make that darkness work in the parade's favor.

Why the Line Stops at 90

The rules that are hardest on participants are the ones that matter most to spectators. The committee explains the cap this way: "Comments from past parades indicate that the parade is too long therefore, we are limiting the parade to 90 entries." Each entry gets one unit, and applicants who are not selected will be contacted.

Several other rules work toward the same goal:

1. No stopping unless parade officials direct it, and entries have to restart right away when told.
2. No performances at the judge's stand, even from marching bands and drill teams.
3. Walking groups are discouraged "to help with supervision, safety, and gaps in the parade." Marching units other than bands are capped at 30 people.
4. Club entries are capped. Motorcycle clubs and car clubs are each limited to five per group.

Taken together, these rules favor a steady procession of lit floats over a long string of walkers with gaps between them. The committee says so directly: "It is the intent of the Parade Committee to make this parade float oriented." Floats are the only entries judged. Trophies go to Most Original, Keeping with the Theme and Best Overall, and they are handed out at the January 2027 Town Council meeting, so the competition continues into the new year.

This year's theme is "Stars and Stripes and Holiday Lights," paired with "250 Years of America." Every entry except bands, dignitaries and invited guests has to be decorated to match.

The Night Itself

Because the parade starts and ends at the high school, the hours before 6:30 p.m. are busy on that side of town. Here is the timeline the rules set out:

The rain or snow date is Friday, December 11, also at 6:30 p.m. Marching bands from outside Queen Anne's County High School and Middle School will stage across the street along John Andrews Boulevard.

The route makes a loop through town:

1. Leave Queen Anne's County High School on Ruthsburg Road/Railroad Avenue
2. Right onto Banjo Lane
3. Left onto Turpins Lane
4. Left onto Commerce Street
5. Left onto Kidwell Avenue
6. Right onto Ruthsburg Road, then back to the high school to disband

Spectators get one more job. The committee asks participants and watchers alike to bring toys for Toys for Tots, and donation boxes will be at the end of Lawyers Row along the route. The rules also ask participants to carpool and get dropped off "to cut down on downtown traffic congestion." That is a fair hint that parking near Commerce Street will be tight for everyone.

If Your Group Wants a Spot

Applications for the 2026 parade opened September 4 and close Monday, November 16, at 4:30 p.m. That is 11 days after this post goes up. Entries can be emailed to [email protected], faxed to 410-758-4741, mailed to the Holiday Parade Committee at 101 Lawyers Row, or dropped off there between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. After hours, the front door has a mail slot. Questions go to 410-758-1180.

A few details are easy to miss:

• Applications that arrive after November 18 may still be accepted at the committee's discretion, but those entries go to the end of the line.
• The entry description is what the announcer reads as you pass the judge's stand. It has to come in with the form, not on parade night, and long descriptions will be shortened.
• Businesses are welcome but must enter a decorated vehicle that follows the theme.
• Floats are limited to 65 feet long, 10 feet wide and 14 feet high, and must be 100% decorated.
• The final line-up numbers and assembly map go up on the Town's website on or about Monday, November 23.

The Parade Sits Inside a Longer December

Two days before the parade, the Town's calendar lists the tree lighting for Wednesday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m. At its September 3 meeting, the Town noted it was still looking for sponsors for the tree lighting decorations. Local businesses that want their name on the season could start there.

December 2 also starts a holiday business trail that runs through December 20. The September 3 Town Council minutes say Economic Development Manager Gaye Adams is building it on the same check-in idea as the Sip & Savor Trail, with rewards tied to local shopping and community experiences.

The Sip & Savor results give a sense of scale. In 2026, Adams reported 825 visits, 186 verified business check-ins through the trail, and 11 participating businesses. That works out to roughly one verified check-in for every four or five visits, spread across 11 businesses. The holiday version runs for almost three weeks, starting with the tree lighting and continuing past both the parade and its rain date.

The details of the trail will come from the Town as December gets closer. The parade follows a set plan: 90 entries, one Santa, lots of lights, and a 2:00 p.m. weather call on townofcentreville.org on December 4.

Jody Baker's two-adoptions-per-sale program with the Animal Care Shelter for Kent County comes from the same belief that a town's December depends on people who show up for it. Whether you're bringing a float to the high school lot or a toy to the box on Lawyers Row, I'd love to hear how your group is getting ready. Let's Connect at Jody Baker.