Highland’s 200 years celebrated Friday, Saturday

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Two days full of activities have been scheduled for the Village of Highland Bicentennial Celebration that will be held Saturday and Sunday.

The celebration starts at 9 a.m. both days. It ends at 8 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. Regular parking is available on the old school grounds and handicapped parking is available off Church Street.

The lineup for Saturday’s parade begins at 11 a.m. at the old school grounds. The parade will start at noon.

Following is the complete schedule for the weekend’s events:

Saturday, Sept. 17

9 a.m. – Opening ceremony and Civil War camp opens

9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Biscuits and gravy sold

10 a.m. – All vendors open

10 a.m. – Museum open

11 a.m. to ? – Fish fry at shelter

Noon – Parade down Main Street

1 p.m. – Musket firing demonstration

1:30 p.m. – CCB Martial Arts demonstration

2 p.m. – Water balloon toss

2:30 p.m. – Chili cook-off

3:15 p.m. – Musket firing demonstration

3:30 p.m. – 3G Martial Arts demonstration

4 p.m. – Katelyne Adams

4:30 p.m. – Feed sack race

5 p.m. – Country music artist Sean Poole with Hickory Lane

6 p.m. – Musket firing demonstration

6:15 p.m. – Nashville recording artist Jack Lewis

7:15 p.m. – Musket firing demonstration

7:30 p.m. – Raffle drawings

8 p.m. – Closed for the day

Sunday, Sept. 18

9 a.m. – Civil War camp opens

11 a.m. – Community church service at Highland United Methodist Church

11 a.m. – Museum opens

Noon – Cornhole sign-up

1 p.m. – Cornhole tournament

1 p.m. – Musket firing demonstration

1:15 p.m. – 4 Given Quartet

2:15 p.m. – Open singing

3 p.m. – Musket firing demonstration

4 p.m. – Music by Blue Steel

5 p.m. – Museum closes

6 p.m. – Event closes

The celebration is the brainchild of Highland Mayor Henry Smith, according to celebration committee chairman Barbara Hodge. Other committee members are Carol Garringer, Brenda Machan, Patty Gilliland, Darlene Ervin and Richie Davy.

“We want to make it kind of like a homecoming to bring people back to their hometown,” Hodge said earlier this year. “It’s going to be huge.”

There will be commemorative glass mugs and T-shirts for sale for $12 each. Each day will also feature games, food, a jail, inflatable games for kids, raffles, split-the-pot drawings and more. Any leftover funds will be used to help maintain the village park.

Highland was established in 1816 and was originally called New Lexington. But there was another town near Canton called New Lexington, so the local name was changed to Highland sometime after 1900. Hodge said it had to happen after 1900 because that’s when the current Highland United Methodist Church was built and it has the name New Lexington etched on it.

The committee is still in need of items for the museum like New Lexington/Highland history, advertisements from old businesses, and pictures of people and the former Highland school. Items for the museum can be dropped off at the village park Friday from 2-8 p.m.

Anyone wanting more information on how to be involved can contact Hodge at 937-780-7931 or Jeremy Kibbey at 937-780-1042 or 937-205-8112.

Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.

Village was established in 1816; originally called New Lexington

By Jeff Gilliland

[email protected]

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