This year's "Christmas in Middleburg" Celebration received high praise at the Town Council's December 12 regular session, the first since the day of events. Though official estimates of crowd size are still forthcoming, Council Member Kevin Hazard, the town's official liaison to the Middleburg Business and Professional Association reported that an informal survey of restaurants and retailers indicated crowds as large or larger than last year, and business up. Traffic flow, to and from the parade, during the parade itself and along the sidewalks of Middleburg, was greatly improved. The Police Department's new "candy cane" stanchions, Hazard noted, not only improved they parade flow, but effectively widened the town's sidewalks, allowing people with "multiple bags" to move easily from shop to shop.

Police Chief A. J. Panebianco agreed, and promised to do his best to outline the entire route of the parade for next year's celebrations.

The effective and systematic clean up during and after the parade, particularly the work of more than 35 volunteer trash can monitors, was also noted.

The weather for the event was perfect, Hazard noted, with one exception. The rains preceding the celebration had left one of the fields used for parking very soggy. A number of cars had to be pushed to escape the mud.

The crowds were not only large, but very well behaved. "Typical" of the folks who come to Middleburg, Police Chief Panebianco noted.