As the sun sank lower in the sky, Catoctin Circle, usually bustling with cars and traffic, was completely clear. Numerous students, teachers, and Leesburg residents lined the sides of the street, each finding a comfortable spot to sit and watch. The Safeway parking lot resonated with excitement and energy as clubs gathered for last minute preparations. It was the day of the homecoming parade.
For the first time in two decades, road closures meant that spectators could get a good view, and the novelty of the event didn’t hinder participation. NJROTC, clubs, sports teams, and other groups marched or drove down Catoctin Circle from the Safeway parking lot on King Street to school.
The parade even attracted special guests, such as former principals William Oblas and Edward Starzenski, superintendent Aaron Spence, school board members Anne Donohue and Lauren Shernoff, and Leesburg mayor Kelly Burk, who rode in a convertible as she greeted spectators.
“I enjoyed seeing all the Leesburg residents on the side of the road supporting the students,” Burk said. “As a former teacher, who taught at LCHS for one year, it was great to see so many friends and their families.”
The NJROTC was first in line in the parade, bearing flags and marching in lines. Clubs like the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Project Lit, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) gathered their members to display promotional posters and give out candy. A few groups even decorated floats such as the SCA’s tropically decorated trailer, or volleyball, whose members rode in the back of a truck.
“I thought the parade was a really fun way to engage with the people of Leesburg while incorporating high school kids,” varsity volleyball player Maddie White said.
Many thought the atmosphere before the parade was just as fun as the parade itself.
“Seeing all the kids talking and laughing in the parking lot was heartwarming,” Burk said.
The anticipation and excitement in the parking lot also helped make the start of the parade memorable.
“My favorite part was the excitement in the parking lot just before we all started to go,” librarian Camille Bailes said. “We were all lined up and everybody was ready and we started out on our little journey.”
The parade rekindled a tradition that was abandoned in the early 2000s.
“I have only been at this school for two years, but even in my own experience as a student and as teachers at other schools, homecoming parades have kind of been a thing of the past,” Bales said.
In light of this revived tradition, many are asking for more parades in the future.
“We had been doing them in the downtown area ever since our school was first founded in 1954,” Bales said. She and the other librarians, along with school administration, have been researching past traditions as part of the 70th anniversary. “Because it’s a part of our school’s history, I think it would be a really incredible thing if we could keep it up.”
The parade was more than just fun and successful, it had a positive effect on the Leesburg community.
“It brought people together to celebrate something that made them feel good,” Burk said. “Whether it was former students, or parents of current students or just people from the neighborhood, they were there because they were proud to be part of Loudoun County High School.”
