Greater Manassas Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Inisfail, Inc. Participant Information, Guidelines & Rules

It is the responsibility of the individual who completed the participant application to ensure that all participants of their organization receive a copy of these rules. The registered group is collectively obligated for knowing the rules and compliance throughout the parade.

The Greater Manassas Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is subject to a permit issued by the City of Manassas. The permit and authority for the parade are granted exclusively to Inisfail, Inc. and are applicable within the public rights-of-way and sidewalks along the parade route. Inisfail’s purpose for organizing the parade is to promote Irish culture and to provide entertainment to the community.

All parade participants are guests of Inisfail, the permit holder, and are subject to the goals, rules, and regulations included within the permit, and the authorizations and rules established by Inisfail. The purpose of the rules and regulations is to keep the parade safe for parade participants and the general public observing the parade, to assure that the parade is entertaining, and to promote the goals of Inisfail, Inc.

Failure to follow the parade rules may result in immediate removal from the parade, and/or referral to police officers for enforcement. The privilege of participating in the parade may be denied in the event of participants lack of cooperation with parade marshals

NOTE: Parade Marshals wearing yellow safety vests will be present throughout the parade staging areas and the parade route to assist each group to the correct location in the parade, and to make sure that the parade progresses without delays. They are there to help. Please respect the parade marshals and go to them with questions or concerns. Please kindly follow their instructions.

Weather The parade will not be canceled in the event of cold or rain. Please check the weather and dress accordingly as it is sometimes chilly outside in March.

Parade Conduct The Greater Manassas Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is a family-oriented event that includes children of all ages. All costumes, outfits, behavior, language, and dance moves must be appropriate for a young audience. All decisions are at the discretion of parade officials.

Follow the instructions of the Parade Marshals who will be wearing safety vests and placed along the parade route

Political statements are not allowed by parade participants as it is not the purpose of the parade which is intended to be a fun, family event to celebrate Irish heritage and Manassas. Participants may not hand out campaign materials.

Musical accompaniment, noisemakers, etc. should not interfere or detract from other parade participants. Please be respectful of the other groups in the parade. If your group is asked by a parade marshal to lower the volume, you must comply.

Candy and giveaways must be handed to the audience. The throwing or dropping of giveaways/candy is strictly prohibited as people, most notably children, may enter the parade route and endanger themselves or someone else. Confetti is not permitted.

Children age 14 and under must always be accompanied by an adult.

Do not disrupt the provision of government services (e.g. law enforcement, fire and rescue response, emergency medical services, etc.).

All animals must always be under the control of their owner. Inisfail, Inc. is not responsible for incidents that may occur (bites, property damage, etc.) which are the sole responsibility of the pet owner.  If the animal is not under proper control the organization shall be removed from the parade

Dispose of trash and refuse in appropriate receptacles. Littering is a crime.

Photos must be taken from the spectator locations along the procession route. Family members and friends of parade participants may not enter the roadway to take photographs. This is unsafe.

Parade Gaps: Delaying the progression of the parade is strictly prohibited.

It is critical that all participants work to keep the parade moving smoothly with no large gaps between the groups. Parade gaps greatly diminish the entertainment value of the parade and can cause confusion and frustration among the audience.

The distance between groups shall not exceed 25 feet at all times. Division marshals shall enforce this

Parade participants should keep pace with the group in front of them to prevent gaps in the procession.

Natural pauses will take place during the progression of the parade providing an opportunity for short stationary performances. Please take advantage of these interruptions in the progression to perform for the audience. When the group in front moves forward, terminate the stationary routine immediately and return your moving performance. All performances shall be in a forward motion and not impede the flow of the parade

Parade participants must remain in the roadway along the parade route and are not to enter the spectator area (curb line and sidewalks). Handshaking and conversations with the audience that impede the progress of the parade are prohibited.

STAGING AREA NOTES:

When you arrive, follow the Parade Marshals’ directions to the appropriate location in the lineup. Parade Marshals will be placed throughout the staging areas to help you find your designated location.

No vehicles are permitted at parade staging locations unless they are part of the parade line of march.

Parking of Non-Processional Vehicles: Park only in public parking areas located throughout the city (view city parking locations). Do not park on private property unless you have explicit permission from the owner of the property. Although parking in public parking areas is preferred, if you park neighborhood streets do so lawfully and be courteous to the neighbors. Do not park on private property such as commercial parking lots as these vehicles may be towed at the owner’s expense.

There may be a distance to walk between your parking area and your assigned parade staging location. Be prepared, dress appropriately, and wear comfortable shoes.

When walking from your vehicle to your parade staging location, use sidewalks and crosswalks. If you have a group, it is safer to walk as a group. When crossing roadways, use traffic signals and stay within marked crosswalks.

Dancers and costumed participants are allowed to use proxies to hold their place in the parade if needed. A minimum of two proxies may hold your place in the parade line-up. This is so one of these two individuals can come and get your group at 10:00 if the group is not in place. Marshals are not able to come to look for you, and you will not be able to “fill in” as the parade passes. Allowing participants to “fill in” may seem harmless to the individual group but it is disruptive to Inisfail’s management of an organized parade and is therefore unacceptable.

Arrival & Lineup Information & Parking: Please refer to the specific arrival locations for your division below

Please confirm your Division and position number and ensure your marchers have this information this will aid marshals in directing them to the correct staging location.

ALL Participants must arrive no later than 10:00 AM

Portable restrooms will be in the staging area for your convenience

All vehicles that will be in the parade procession must arrive at 10:00 AM. This is a safety precaution. It is dangerous to fit late arrivers into the parade line-up. There are hundreds of pedestrians in the staging areas, and many of them are children. If vehicles arrive late, we will not be able to fit you in.

Oversized vehicles shall receive specific details on arrival and staging in a separate e-mail. If you do not receive additional information you are to stage per enclosed instructions.

Division A & E participants will stage on Quarry Road near Seton HS.

Parade marshals will be available to help direct participants to the correct staging areas

Please enter the staging area on Maple Street from Centreville Road, A marshal will be present to allow access to the staging area

No participants will be admitted to the staging area from Zebedee St or Fairview Ave for safety reasons. Division A will form up at the intersection of Quarry Rd and Prescott Ave continuing back on the right side of the road towards Maple St.

Division A: will stage on Quarry Road starting at the intersection of Prescott Ave continuing back towards Maple St

Division E will form up starting at the intersection of Maple St and Quarry Rd. (behind Division A) and on Fairview Ave

Divisions B, C, & D Participants will stage on Quarry Road between Euclid Ave and Prescott Ave

Parade marshals will be available to help direct participants to correct staging areas

Access to the staging area will be at the intersection of Euclid Ave and Quarry Road only, there will be no access for vehicles from Prescott Ave onto Quarry Rd.

Short-term parking for drop-off is available at Payne Publishing. After dropping them off at Payne Publishing please move vehicles to municipal parking available in Old Town Manassas.

Division B will form on the left side of the road starting at Prescott Ave and continuing back on Quarry Road to the 3 way stop sign.   Division C will form on the RIGHT side of Quarry Road starting at the 3 Way stop sign and continuing back towards Euclid Ave. (adjacent to Assisted living home)

Division D will form on the LEFT side of Quarry Road from the 3 way stop sign back towards Euclid Ave.

Thank you for being a part of the Greater Manassas Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. We appreciate your support and partnership in making it a success. Our hope is that everyone will have fun and will join us every year making this a tradition for the community. Who to contact: If you have questions about the rules listed above or about the parade logistics and operations please contact Jack Southard, Operations Chairman at [email protected] (phone: 703-606-5286).