RICHMOND — The office of Gov.-Elect Glenn Youngkin has announced that the Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg are set to join the numerous guests and performers expected during this week’s Inaugural Parade.
“Williamsburg – where Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson lived as the first and second governors of Virginia – has a long legacy of civic engagement,” said Justin Chapman, Manager of Historic Trades at Colonial Williamsburg. “The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, along with members of various other departments, are honored to represent the Foundation and the nation’s founding generation in this celebration of American democracy.”
The inaugural events will all be themed after the message, “Strengthen the Spirit of Virginia Together,” which is meant to convey liberty, freedom and unity.
The parade, which will be held in honor of Virginia’s seventy-fourth gubernatorial inauguration, is scheduled to take place immediately following the inaugural ceremony, which will see Gov.-Elect Youngkin, Lieut. Gov-Elect Winsome Sears, and Attorney General-Elect Jason Miyares sworn into office.
The Inaugural Parade will feature guests and performers meant to represent all of the people and corners in Virginia.
Aside from the Fifes and Drums, special guests for the inaugural parade include:
- Virginia National Guard
- Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
- Hampton University Marching Force
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility
- NASA Langley Research Center
- Norfolk Academy basketball team
- James Madison University Marching Royal Dukes
- The Broken Men Foundation
- Several of Virginia’s collegiate sports teams’ mascots
- Representatives from the Martin Luther King, Jr. S.T.E.M. Academy and the A.T.O.M. Academy at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
- The Birthplace of Country Music Museum
- The Charlottesville Cardinals Wheelchair Basketball Team
- The Salty Southern Route
- Brunswick Tourism’s mascot, “Stewie” the Brunswick Stew Pot
- Richmond Raceway
- Martinsville National Speedway
- Virginia International Raceway
- Spearhead Trails
- Representatives from Virginia’s Law Enforcement Agencies
- Little Oakland Farm
- The Virginia Union University Choir
- The Youngkin for Governor Coalition
“The inaugural parade will bring Virginians together to celebrate the virtues, diversity, and spirit of Virginia. We are excited that members of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia university and high school students, NASA representatives, the great men and women of our law enforcement, among others will be joining the festivities. This will be a unique and momentous celebration that honors every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Governor-Elect Youngkin.
The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place on the steps of the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 12 p.m. The ceremony is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the Youngkin Inauguration Committee’s website.