"Without significant financial support, this event is in real risk of ending." Doug Myers, who organizes Christmas in Middleburg with his wife Michelle, said that to Town Council on September 24. At the time the parade had no presenting sponsor, a shortfall of about $20,000, and sponsorships running at "about half of the usual," according to the Middleburg Eccentric's October 30 report.
That gap is now closed. On November 6, the Eccentric reported that Ted Britt Lincoln of Chantilly pledged $20,000 to become the 2026 presenting sponsor, covering the whole shortfall. Michelle Myers told the paper that local support has hit a record and that volunteer offers are coming in "in numbers we have never seen." The parade is set for Saturday, December 5.
The scare also put the event's budget on the record. Those filings show that the money keeping the parade going comes mostly from visitors parking in fields and lots outside the village. Sponsors bring in much less.
Where the Money Comes From
Christmas in Middleburg is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and each year it files a budget and a statement of activity with Town Council. Its 2025 filing showed $151,529 in income against roughly the same in expenses.
| 2025 income source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Parking | $53,400 |
| VIP parking, seating and viewing | $33,025 |
| Sponsorships | $27,300 |
| Town of Middleburg grant | $10,000 |
Parking and VIP sales together brought in $86,425 in 2025, more than three times what sponsors gave. "80% of our incoming revenue is parking and VIP offers in town. Only 20% is raised by sponsorships," Michelle Myers told the Eccentric.
Sponsorships had already fallen short before this fall. The 2025 budget counted on $57,000 from sponsors, $35,000 of it from a presenting sponsor. Sponsors actually gave $27,300, and individual donations and VIP sales covered most of the difference. PenFed, the federal credit union, was presenting sponsor in 2024 and 2025.
The event has also grown. For the 2016 parade, the Eccentric reported $78,000 in income, including $9,000 from the Town. The 2025 total is nearly double that, and Michelle Myers told Council last October that costs rise "5 to 7% every year."
The Biggest Bill Is the Bus
On the spending side, the largest cost comes from the same place as the largest income. Buses that carry visitors in from outside lots cost $40,857 in 2025, more than a quarter of the event's spending. The buses became essential after the Town closed in-town street parking to parade visitors when the event returned from its 2020 COVID cancellation. The Town has also asked organizers to cap parking at 1,000 cars.
Other costs in the 2025 filing, as the Eccentric reported them:
- Barricades and portable toilets, about $15,000
- Insurance, about $6,000
- Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies to direct traffic off Route 50 and move buses out of Mickie Gordon Park
- Donations to the Aldie Ruritans, who help run the parking there
- $13,923 in gifts to local schools, churches and charities, including the Hill School, Foxcroft, Middleburg FISH and the Middleburg Hunt
Nearly 10 percent of the event's spending goes back out to local organizations. Every parking pass sold at Mickie Gordon Park pays for the bus ride into town, and part of it ends up at Middleburg institutions.
Why $20,000 Was Enough to Threaten It
The nonprofit was not broke. Its February filing showed $79,180 in the bank and no debt as of February 23, 2026. But the event has to spend before it can earn. "We spend anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000 in advance payments before we start selling parking in September," Michelle Myers told the Eccentric. Vendor deposits start as early as July.
About $66,000 of the balance is the operating account. The remaining $11,900 or so pays for the ornament and the year's charitable gifts. After the advance payments come out, the Eccentric calculated, the cushion left to absorb a missing $20,000 sponsor was somewhere between $6,000 and $26,000.
The Town's role has limits. Under a memorandum of understanding that Council approved unanimously in July 2025, the nonprofit carries all financial and contractual obligations. The Town provides police and staff and funds only what Council appropriates. For 2026, the Town budgeted a $12,000 sponsorship, up from $10,000, plus police overtime, officers from other jurisdictions and public works help. The Middleburg Police chief sets the parade route and has the final say on whether the parade goes on.
The organizers are also cutting back. They plan to move out of their office space at the end of 2026 and reduce social outreach and administrative support.
December 5, by the Clock
The official 2026 schedule sets the day in two parts:
- 10:30 a.m. Roads close for the first parade.
- 11 a.m. The Middleburg Hunt's horses and hounds lead off down Washington Street.
- Midday Carolers and a kids' zone at the Middleburg Community Center.
- 1:30 p.m. Roads close for the second parade.
- 2 p.m. The community Christmas parade steps off.
Shuttles run from Mickie Gordon Park and Lost Barrel Brewing from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The official parking page lists Premier parking at $60 per car and VIP parking at $150 per car, and both include shuttle service. Free accessible parking in town is behind Middleburg United Methodist Church for vehicles displaying a valid DMV placard or hang tag. The event's ticketing page also lists Standard parking with shuttle service at Mickie Gordon Park for $50 per car.
Ted Britt's role on the day is still being planned. Michelle Myers told the Eccentric that the company wants to partner with local businesses on "a creative and unique interaction with the community members," and the ideas under discussion include food, drink and storytime. The event's sponsor page shows the Presenting and Angel sponsorships committed for 2026. It also lists a $500 Kid Zone level, Band at $1,000 and Christmas Spirit at $12,000.
The Three Weeks Before the Parade
Parade day draws people from outside the village. The weeks before it are smaller, take place on foot along Washington Street, and start this week.
This week. The Rue de Noel Emmanuel Christmas Shop opens Thursday, November 12, and runs through November 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Emmanuel Parish House, 105 E. Washington St. The same Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mystique Jewelers at 112 W. Washington St. is hosting an Italian fine jewelry showcase with designer Jeff Mazza.
Saturday, November 14. Nature Composed at 12 S. Pendleton St. holds a seasonal wreath workshop from 9:30 a.m. to noon. That evening, the Byrne Gallery at 7 W. Washington St. hosts a public opening reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. for Yuri Gorbachev's annual exhibition. Part of the sales will benefit Ukrainian refugee families through the International Rescue Committee.
Thanksgiving week. Visit Middleburg's November roundup points to holiday meals at the Red Fox Inn & Tavern and at Salamander Middleburg, including Salamander's Grand Thanksgiving Buffet and the Harrimans Thanksgiving Feast. Reservations are required.
Saturday, November 28. Small Business Saturday downtown.
Weekends through December 28. The Red Fox Inn lists holiday carriage rides through town every weekend, except on parade day.
Friday, December 4. The Town tree lighting is at the Middleburg Museum's Pink Box, 8 N. Madison St., the night before the parade.
The former Fun Shop property at 115 and 117 W. Washington St. is also getting ready. According to Middleburg Life's October feature, developers Kevin and Remington Ash are bringing La Caccia, an Italian-American restaurant led by Middleburg resident chef Vincent Badiee. The project also includes L'Enoteca, a coffee and wine bar; a 32-seat speakeasy; and the Chase Club, a private social club upstairs. In October, the team was aiming to open the restaurants and club by the end of November, with three workforce apartments expected in the new year.
For more on what has opened around town this year, see our earlier look at Middleburg in 2026 and the Middleburg neighborhood page.
At the September meeting, Mayor Bridge Littleton suggested that members of the Middleburg Business and Professional Association each "chip in 200 bucks." For families who want to support the parade, a parking pass at Mickie Gordon Park pays for a shuttle seat and goes into the same budget that funds the Hunt review, the barricades and the gifts to local charities.
Diana has lived in Loudoun since 1998 and has watched Washington Street fill up every December. If you're thinking about what a home near the parade route or out in Hunt Country could mean for your family, Diana Geremia is glad to talk through it whenever you're ready. Let's Connect.
