Prince George High School again served as the host of the parade event, the district's culminating activity, as part of the day-long Storybook Character Day celebration on Thursday, October 27. Since 2020, the school division has encouraged students in grades PreK-5 to wear costumes of their favorite characters from storybooks and other mediums to school on Storybook Character Day.
Every year, ensembles range from Disney fixtures like Frozen's Elsa and Toy Story favorites Buzz Lightyear and Woody, to Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang and other recognizable storybook stars.
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Elementary school campuses also held fun events during Storybook Character Day, including L.L. Beazley Elementary School, which hosted its morning parade along the front sidewalk of the campus. The event was highlighted by Prince George School Board Office staff and county employees donning costumes with the students to walk a short route in front of the building as hundreds of Beazley students cheered and received gifts.
As in past years, the district partnered with the GFWC James River Junior Woman's Club, whose members helped pack and distribute hundreds of treat bags alongside division staff to later be passed out during the Thursday evening parade. Dozens of cars lined up along Laurel Spring Road and in the high school parking lot full of kids in costume as they drove through and received treats and other gifts.
With support from the Prince George Police Department, traffic moved seamlessly through the drive-thru and helped keep everyone safe during the evening-side event.
"Prince George County Public Schools is proud to have our annual Storybook Character Day festivities return for another year,” Division Superintendent Dr. Lisa Pennycuff said. “Our school community enjoys this family-friendly seasonal activity, which is quickly becoming a new tradition for us. We thank our friends at the GFWC James River Junior Woman's Club for their continued support over the three years of this event. I also thank our staff and the Prince George Police Department for providing the resources to help make this a much-anticipated event for the children of Prince George County and their families."
Pictures from Thursday's Storybook Character Day Drive-Thru Parade are available on the district's website and later on Prince George County Public Schools' Facebook page this Friday evening.