PLYMOUTH, Ohio — “There is a palpable party atmosphere in Plymouth as the village completes final preparations for its bicentennial celebration,” Susan Moore, president of the Plymouth Improvement Committee, said.
The Plymouth Improvement Committee is the official organizer for Plymouth’s bicentennial and the group has prepared for the past 15 months to arrange a variety of events and activities.
Cemetery Walk
The celebration begins, unofficially, on Saturday, Aug. 1, as the Plymouth Area Historical Society sponsors a ‘cemetery walk” through the village’s Greenlawn Cemetery. Visitors will meet some of Plymouth’s most colorful characters who will “come alive” to tell stories of their lives and of Plymouth’s past. Tours are free and will begin at 2 p.m., beginning every fifteen minutes until 3 p.m.
Mike Albert
Mike Albert and the Big “E” Band will perform a free concert on the mobile stage behind Plymouth’s Municipal Building at 7 p.m. The Elvis tribute group is well known throughout Ohio as well as internationally, and provides a dynamic and memorable family-friendly performance.
Spear dedication
On Sunday, Aug. 2, the Heritage Center Museum invites the public to attend the unveiling of portraits of Solomon and Augusta Billstein Spear at 1 p.m. The portrait have been donated by the Spear family. The ceremony marks the official acknowledgement of the contribution of the Jewish community that thrived in Plymouth from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries. Descendants of Solomon Spear will be present for the event.
Ofiicial ceremony
The official opening ceremony for the Plymouth Bicentennial will occur Sunday, August 2 at 2 p.m. in front of the village municipal building. Four keynote speakers, each of whom were born and raised in Plymouth, will speak on the theme, “The Plymouth Legacy.”
Parade and fireworks
A community parade will follow at 4 p.m. and will be led by Honorary Grand Marshall Henrietta Kruger McGinnis, who, at 105 years old, is the village’s oldest living native. Bicentennial King and Queen, Wallace Redden and Eldora Wilford, will also be officially crowned. At 6 p.m., a free gospel and Christian music concert will feature locally known performers, Rex Kilgore, Ruby Combs, The Tackett family and Matt Kennard.
The day’s festivities will culminate in a fireworks display at Plymouth High School after dark. Food vendors will be available in Plymouth’s Square throughout the afternoon.
Various activities
On Monday, Aug. 3, a full slate of exhibits, activities and nightly entertainment is planned and will continue throughout the week. Daily events include the annual quilt show, hosted by the Heritage Center Museum; the Plymouth Library’s Art Show; and, starting on Wednesday, Aug. 5, the annual Silver Kings of Yesteryear exhibit. Carnival rides will also open on Wednesday.
Entertainment and events
Entertainment for the week includes a Community Choir and Talent Showcase; Country Square Dancing; The locally popular New Washington Band, The “Gang” Band, The Mike Combs Band, The Rib-Ticklers and the Fun Center Chordsmen. All concerts are free of charge.
Special events during the week will include a mini garden tractor pull, tractor races, the Cowboy Action Shooter, a diorama of the Battle of Gettysburg, a Revolutionary War encampment, a model train display, an Abraham Lincoln impersonator who will stroll village streets and recite the Gettysburg Address, and meals and activities at community churches.
Fireman’s 5K
The annual Firemen’s Festival 5K run will take place on Saturday morning, Aug. 8, and Levels Gym will sponsor its 2nd Annual Color Riot run at 9 p.m. that evening.
Throughout the week, contests and games will provide activities for children, and on Friday and Saturday, an array of historical exhibits will be available in “Heritage Alley,” just east of the Heritage Center Museum on the Square.
School open house
Plymouth High School will host an open house on Friday, Aug. 7, from 1 – 5 p.m., so alumni can reconnect and tour both the high school and the new athletic complex that is scheduled to be complete in time for the 2016 football season. Non-alumni are also cordially invited to attend. In addition, the gymnasium at the Village Municipal Building, formerly Plymouth Elementary School, will be open each day so visitors can enjoy a respite from the heat and have a cold drink.
Fire department chicken barbecue, parade, Miss Ohio
The week will reach its crescendo on Friday and Saturday when the Plymouth Fire Department’s annual chicken barbecue takes place, complete with mud volleyball, bingo, and the Grand Parade on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. The newly crowned Miss Ohio, Sarah Hider, will be the Plymouth Improvement Committee’s special guest for the parade, and she will draw the winning ticket for the Troy-Bilt zero-turn mower raffle, a fundraiser that has helped to fund the free activities provided during bicentennial week.
According to Susan Moore, President of the Plymouth Improvement Committee, “Our bicentennial has been a true community event. Residents of all ages, merchants, and village employees and officials have contributed significant time, talent, and energy to plan activities that will engage all age groups and interests. Our mission was to raise enough money so we could offer all events at no cost, providing an opportunity for everyone to fully participate in this celebration. It has been a most gratifying process and we are eager for the party to begin.”
Further information and a complete schedule of events can be obtained on Plymouth’s village website at plymouthoh.org, on Facebook at plymouthohbicentennial, on Twitter @plybicen, or by calling the village offices at 419-687-4331, ext 1.
