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Sunday, Dec. 12, will be an exciting day for Cumberland County as residents young and old gather together for the annual Cumberland Christmas Parade.

The parade, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, will feature 80 different participants, including local sports teams, classic cars, beauty queens, marching bands, first responders and more.

“We are so excited to be able to have our parade this year after having to cancel two,” Parade Co-Chair Barbara Gamage noted. “ As always, we have many beautiful antique cars as well as classics. We are pleased to have the Shriners with us again; everyone always enjoys the mini cars.”

Gamage said guests from Cumberland and the surrounding area can anticipate many different exciting parade features, including heavy participation from Cumberland County Public Schools.

“Santa will be at the Cumberland Museum after the parade to meet the children,” she added. “Thanks go out to new volunteers. We couldn’t have put the parade together without their help.”

Raymond Paul Turner Jr. has been declared grand marshall of this year’s parade. According to Gamage, Turner’s family moved to Cumberland in 1963 from Harrisonburg. Cumberland was his first assignment upon completing the State Police Basic Training School in Richmond where he graduated first in his class in 1963. In 1978, Ray was promoted to special agent with the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. After his retirement from the State Police following 33 years of service, he ran his own investigation agency for many years.

Turner is a member of Masonic Lodge 283, a member of the Scottish Rite (Shriner) organization and a graduate of Roller Business College. He served as president of Cumberland High School PTA when the school funded its first band director. Turner was active in the Cumberland Little League where along with Max Latham he took the first Cumberland Youth League All Stars in the Dixie Youth playoffs in Powhatan and won the Best Sportsmanship trophy. He taught private investigation at Southside Community College and was adjunct Instructor at Southside Community College in criminal justice. Along with all those duties, he served for 20 years as chairman of the Cumberland Christmas Parade.

Turner is a member of Fitzgerald Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School and was a deacon.

CUMBERLAND CHRISTMAS PARADE LINE-UP 2021

1. Cumberland Sheriff’s Dept.

2. Cumberland High School JROTC — color guard

3. Cumberland Parade Banner — CHS Outstanding Athletes 4. Grand Marshall — Ray Turner — Harrison car

5. Zirkle’s Day Care — Marching unit

6. Mark Peake — Senator — Jerry Seal’s car

7. Cumberland County Public School Foundation 8. Circuit Court Clerk — Deidre Martin

9. Circuit Court Clerk — Staff

10. Cumberland Head Start — marching unit

11. Julie Phillips — Commissioner of the Revenue 12. Cumberland Branch NAACP

13. Billy Pepper — antique car

14. Billy Pepper — antique truck

15. Billy Pepper — antique car

16. Billy Pepper — antique car

17. Billy Pepper — antique car

18. Billy Pepper — antique car

19. Unity Community Church

20. Robert Langhorne

21. Cartersville Fire Department

22. Miss Five County Fair

23. Virginia Forest Service–Smokey Bear

24. Backyard Outlaws –1971 Dodge Duster — Snoopy

25. Backyard Outlaws — 2011 Chevy Camaro — Ms. Rita 26. Backyard Outlaws — 2010 Chevy Camaro — Lady O 27. Backyard Outlaws — 1972 Chevy Nova — Rudy G

28. Backyard Outlaws — Truck and Trailer 2005 Dodge 29. 106-5 “The Beat!!”

30. Cumberland High School FFA

31. Tru Fixin’s

32. Bruce Hazelgrove — 1962 Ford Galaxie 33. Buckingham High School SCA

34. Southside Shriners Club

35. Miss Petite Five County Fair

37. Randolph Fire Department

38. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 97 Chevy S-10 Pickup — Joe Criss

39. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 70 SS Chevy Chevelle — Ernest Booker 40. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 59 Chevy Pickup — Jeter Thomas

41. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 72 Chevy Z38 Camaro — Windel Thomas 42. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 85 Olds Regency 98 — Charles Trent

43. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 87 Chevy Monte Carlo — John Trent Sr. 44. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 85 GMC pickup — James Jackson

45. Retired Cruisers Car Club — 86 Silverado pickup — Darin Harris

46. Paladin Medical Transport

47. Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club

48. Anthony Green Logging

49. Miss American Star Achievement

50.Greenbay Racing — car

51. Greenbay Racing–car

52. Greenbay Racing–car

53. Greenbay Racing–car

54. Greenbay Racing–car

55. Greenbay Racing- Pick-up

56. Greenbay Racing–Golf Cart

57. Greenbay Racing–SUV

58. Karie’s Baked Goods

59. Willie Smith — antique vehicle

60. Hedrick’s Mobile Service and Repair

62. Blanton’s Car Club — Jayden Blanton — 78 Chevy

63. Blanton’s Car Club — Bob Langhorne — 76 Monte Carlo 64. Blanton’s Car Club — Terry Langhorne — 86 Monte Carol 65. Blanton’s Car Club — Taylor Langhorne — 72 Monte Carlo 66. Blanton’s Car Club — Reggie Langhorne — 72 Cutlass

67. Blanton’s Car Club — Timmy Langhorne — 72 Impala

68. Blanton’s Car Club — Muddy Mosby — 20 Dodge Ram

69. Blanton’s Car Club — Thomas Thoney — 71 Monte Carlo 70. Blanton’s Car Club — Mike Gaines — 66 Galaxy

71. Blanton’s Car Club — Michael Beard — 71 Impala

72. Blanton’s Car Club — Mark Beard — 94 Corvette

73. Blanton’s Car Club–Tyrone Scott — 07 Corvette

74. Blanton’s Car Club — Darius Jackson — 10 Teehoe

75. Cumberland Fire Department

76. Cumberland PAC Float

77. Cumberland High School Cheerleaders

78. Cumberland High School Sports (football, basketball and volleyball players)

79. Cumberland High School Marching Band

80. Santa — Harrison car

Santa will be at the Cumberland Museum (Old Clerk’s Office) to talk to children. Bring your camera for pictures.