Once you begin your holiday season with Christmas in Middleburg, you'll want to return year after year to the traditional festivities in a classic Hunt Country Village that have become an essential part of the spirit of Christmas for small children, world travelers and citizens far and wide.

Festivities begin at 8 a.m., Saturday, December 1st with breakfast with Santa and a silent auction at Middleburg Elementary School.

This year, for the first time, The Loudoun Symphony Brass Ensemble will entertain visitors from the new Christmas tree at the Middleburg Methodist Church.

Between seventy-five and one hundred members of The Middleburg Hunt and dozens of excited hounds make a spectacular ride through the village at 11 a.m., and after hayrides, choir performances, an art show, the Garden Club's Christmas Flower & Greens Show and the Craft Show, the Christmas Parade begins at 3 p.m. The spectacular day draws to a close as Santa takes wishes from children on an old fashioned porch at the corner of West Washington and North Madison Streets.

Santa Claus reigns supreme over the Christmas Parade an accurate reflection a truly beautiful region of the world that reveres its history and whose leading citizens are determined to preserve the feeling of an old fashioned, small town event that delights children with fire trucks, floats and marching groups.

The Corgi Corps and festive holiday wagons filled with children from schools near and far are highlights of the parade. Children of all ages love to see every kind of animal one can imagine from llamas and miniature horses to dogs who are really having their day.

Equine aficionados are always thrilled to see the stately coaches of impeccable origin, spirited riders and antique autos in pristine and sparkling condition, but they really don't want to miss the formally dressed members of The Middleburg Hunt when they make their way from The Red Fox Inn down Washington Street.

"Christmas in Middleburg is a wonderful tradition," said Parade Co-Chairman and Middleburg Eccentric Founder and Editor Dee Dee Hubbard. "We owe so much to the small group of dedicated Middleburg citizen who originated the event. It's become a hallmark of Virginia tradition, a classic series of events that really build the spirit of the season for all who attend whether they're local or from countries around the world."

Sheila Johnson, who is co-chairman this year, is directly responsible for the addition of the Loudoun Symphony Brass Ensemble for this year's events, is delighted to help with the festivities. "This is a wonderful way to begin the holiday season," she said.

Hubbard, who takes the reigns of the annual festivities this year from Middleburg Bank Vice President Reggie Dawson, follows a long line of dedicated Middleburg volunteers who have worked since 1979 to create an hallmark event for the benefit of the entire community.

"In 1979, Mayor Loyal McMillin suggested to Cissy Bunn, Patty Arwine, Punkin Lee and Patty Jackson that Middleburg needed a Christmas celebration," said Tyler Gore, a Middleburg resident and merchant. "We were having a cup of coffee when he made the suggestion and we began to talk right away about how to organize something. It was too late to do much, but we marshaled our friends and created a small Christmas celebration. It was so appreciated that we created a bigger event in 1980 and, by 1981, Christmas in Middleburg was beginning to take shape as an important opening to the holiday season."

The first year, legend has it that Cissy and Dudley Bunn contacted the Kena Scottish Temple Bagpipers who played tunes in the street. Today, the number and variety of entries in the parade provide entertainment and amusement for holiday enthusiasts of every age.

The Kena Scottish Temple Bagpipers who have played in the parade every year, will, once again, pipe in the holidays for the 2007 festivities.

For many years, Christmas in Middleburg depended on the hard work and dedication of the original organizers. Cissy Bunn and her husband, Dudley, Tyler Gore, Punkin Lee, Patty Arwine, Kelvy Costin, Barbara Griffith, Gary Welke, Tim Dimos, Reggie Dawson and many others led and contributed to the local initiative.

Establishing Christmas in Middleburg as the premier, award-winning celebration it has become was no easy matter. "It took a long time to establish it," Gore explained. "So many towns and villages wanted a Christmas Parade that we really had to work hard to ensure that our bands returned every year. There were really no Christmas celebrations when we started, but as we continued, we'd find that a wonderful parade entry one year would quickly be booked for a Christmas parade as far away as Williamsburg for the next year."

"If we wanted to be successful, we had to work very hard on our planning and organization early in the year, every year. It takes devotion and attention to detail to ensure that the events are successful and that everyone who participates is aware of how grateful we are for their help."

With a backdrop Norman Rockwell would thoroughly appreciate, Middleburg, Virginia is a classically beautiful American village that enjoys handsome stone buildings and charming brick and stucco storefronts. Washington Street, also known as Route 50 to weary Washington D.C. commuters, is the perfect setting for a Christmas celebration.

"We owe a tremendous debt of thanks to so many merchants and generous citizens who volunteer their time, talent, facilities and funds," said Hubbard. "Without our sponsors and their generous contributions, we simply could not keep up with increasing demand and obligations."

Middleburg Mayor Betsy Davis, owner of The Fun Shop who describes Christmas in Middleburg as a 'much loved tradition,' explained why so many visitors come back year after year.

"Every year, people look forward to our holiday celebration. They return regularly to enjoy the small town Christmas atmosphere that is really exceptional here. From The members of The Middleburg Hunt riding down Washington Street with their hounds in the morning to the fabulous parade and Santa holding court for wide-eyed children as the sun goes down, everyone who attends leaves with a true holiday spirit in their heart."