Visitors Make Centreville Day Festival a Success

Residents young and old alike flocked to the Centreville Day celebration on Saturday, enjoying a sun-splashed festival that featured a zombie-slouch fun run, free children’s rides and hands-on 18th century craft demonstrations — such as butter-making and candle-dipping.

“It’s gone really well,” said Cheryl Repetti, event organizer. “We had the normal wrinkles at the start. But it’s really great to see how people cope and work together to get things done. The crowds have been great.”

The event was much bigger than last year, with a large children’s play zone and more than 80 local vendors, from G&C Auto to almost all the local banks with branches in Centreville. Repetti and the main organizing group, the Friends of Historic Centreville, were diligent this year in building a bigger festival.

“Oh, yes, it’s much bigger than before,” said Luz Mueller, of Centreville, who brought her daughter, Ellie, 3, and family to the celebration. “We like to come every year because it’s just so much fun. And we like the history. The park isn’t someplace that you drive by all the time and it’s good to get a chance to visit these places.”

The festival was held in the 15-acre Historic Centreville Park, which is part of the Historic Centreville Overlay District, hidden behind a pair of drug stores off of Lee Highway and Route 28. The historic district was created in 1986.

The park includes historically significant Civil War encampment sites and historic homes and churches, including Mount Gilead (built in 1785) the Spindle Sears house (ordered as a kit from Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1933) and Saint John’s Church. The district also features the new Stuart-Mosby Cavalry Museum, which displays significant items from the Civil War. This year’s festival marked the 220th anniversary of Centreville being recognized as a community.

Mary Eads and Shashana Courtney staffed a Southwestern Youth Association booth, offering information for youth cheerleaders. They said they had been swamped with visitors and had about run out of give-aways midway through the event.

“We’ve had lots of girls come through with their parents today,” Courtney said. “This is a good event and this has been a great day.”