Vienna's 77th Annual Halloween Parade

Since 1946, the Town of Vienna has hosted a Halloween parade for area families.  Now held rain or shine on Wednesday evening the week before Halloween, the parade includes floats and other forms of entertainment marching down Maple Avenue, from Branch Road to Center Street. The 2023 theme is 'Cartoons and Comics.' 

How to participate

The Town will accept Halloween Parade applications from July 1 through September 15, 2023.  Applications are subject to approval based on space availability as well as entertainment value, variety and adherence to the theme and parade guidelines.  Applicants are encouraged to submit photographs or sketches of entries.  The 2023 parade application is linked above and is due by Sept. 15. 

Kids Participating in the Parade

For this year's event, children and others in costume are invited to march along in the parade, no need to register.  Children with parents who want to march should meet at 6 p.m. at the United Bank, 374 Maple Ave., E.  Only businesses, organizations and representatives with floats or cars need to apply.

2023 Grand Marshal: Mark 'Coach Pudge' Gjormand

Mark Gjormand, better known in the community as “Coach Pudge,” grew up in the town of Vienna playing and coaching his younger brother in Vienna Youth Incorporated (VYI) Basketball and Vienna Little League.  Gjormand’s 37-year coaching career has included leadership positions at Marshall and James Madison High School (JMHS), where he has been the Varsity Head Baseball Coach for 28 seasons.  He coached football at Madison High School for seven seasons.  For 20 years Coach Pudge has run MVP Sports Camps giving the town youth a place to play and learn baseball and other sports from local high school coaches and players. 

Coach Pudge has led his Warhawks to over 40 championships in the last 28 years, including three state titles, and eight times nationally ranked in the top 25 of all high school baseball teams in the country.  In 2002, the Warhawks finished as the only undefeated baseball team in state history, still holding true to this day.  Madison High School was recognized by Baseball America in 2020 as one of the top 50 High School programs of all time, and the 2002 Warhawks were named the #1 team in State history.

Gjormand is the all-time winningest coach in JMHS history and became the winningest baseball Coach in Northern Region history in April of 2021.  Coach Pudge is currently #3 on the list of winningest active coaches in the state of VA.  He served as the president of the National High School Baseball Coaches Association (NHSBCA) in 2011 and was inducted into the NHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2020.  Coach Pudge was the first coach from Virginia to have received that honor. 

Throughout his time coaching at Madison, he has assisted well over 100 former Warhawks in achieving their goal of continuing to play baseball in college or at the professional level.  Coach Pudge’s dedication to the Vienna Community through his leadership in James Madison High School Athletics and MVP Sports athletic programs has impacted thousands of youth over the past 37 years.