The City of Falls Church’s annual Memorial Day Parade and events will return this May after the coronavirus pandemic wiped out last year’s celebration, though there will be significant modifications to the usual festivities.

The tradition is for the City to host over 20,000 visitors on that day, the City’s biggest party. This year’s festivities will be scaled back in a major way. There will be a parade, but not as usual. In order to prevent crowds from amassing on Park Avenue, this year’s parade will consist of a large phalanx of official City vehicles driving through the community.

There will be fire engines, police cars, public works trucks, heavy earth moving equipment, school buses and more. Citizens are encouraged to watch the show from the comfort of their own front porches in order to maintain social distancing.     

In addition, there will be a modified Beyer Automotive’s 3K Fun Run, a solemn Memorial Day ceremony at 11 in front of the Community Center. There will also be a scavenger hunt, with specifics still to come.

Citizens will be invited to pre-register for the Fun Run, they run their 3,000 meters at some point during the week leading up to Memorial Day, and then pick up their keepsake t-shirt between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Memorial Day morning.     

The only “in person” event will be the 11 a.m. ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Community Center, limited to 130 attendees. Those wishing to attend must register in advance beginning May 4.

The Falls Church Veterans Council and the Falls Church Band will participate.