SAVANNAH – Savannah is turning 200, and the village is ready to party.
The bicentennial committee has planned a full slate of activities Friday, June 22 through Sunday, June 24 to mark the milestone.
“We’re so excited it’s almost here,” said committee chairperson Melanie Fitch, who has spent more than a year planning for the weekend and raising funds to pull off the bash.
Fitch is happy to carry on the tradition of helping with one of the village’s milestone birthday celebrations, something her grandmother did for the Sesquicentennial celebration.
Meanwhile, the village is getting brand new sidewalks this week to put its best foot forward for the occasion, mayor Tom Kruse said.
Though only about 400 people live in the village itself, Kruse said the Savannah community is considerably larger. The mayor has noticed interest in the bicentennial runs throughout Clear Creek township and beyond, and he has been getting calls from many people who grew up in the village or have family ties to the area.
“It’s a good excuse for a party, but it’s really a milestone, or a time to reflect. It’s easy to forget how far we’ve come,” Kruse said of the bicentennial.
Kruse has lived in the village for 40 years and has served as mayor for 22.
“It’s my community. I love it here,” he said. “It feels good to be part of a grassroots community.”
Kruse noted the bicentennial is a chance to remember not only the village’s history– Savannah was originally named Vermillion and was laid out in 1818 by John Haney– but also to celebrate the present. The community is noted for its ball diamonds, its strong schools, its active community members and its civic organizations, Kruse said. The area also boasts economic development in recent years with growth at Bailey Lakes General Store and the additions of Neil Co, Dollar General and Beyond Measure Market.
Bicentennial festivities kick off Friday evening with a 6 p.m. opening ceremony, during which the committee will recognize seniors over the age of 85 and will reveal a bicentennial memento for the park. That night, a quartet from the Fun Center Chordsman and a group of cloggers from Mansfield will perform.
Saturday’s events include a pancake breakfast, a 5K race, a craft show, historical displays, musical entertainment, a parade, carnival games and contests, a K-9 demonstration, line dancing and more. At 3 p.m., Lynnette Porter of Fredericktown will speak about the Underground Railroad. Several local performers will entertain throughout the day, and evening performances include Brian and Scott Osborne and The Clear Creek String Band (5 p.m.) and Sugar Creek Bluegrass (7 p.m.).
Arden Fitch, who serves as the bicentennial committee’s entertainment chair, said the audience can expect a dynamic and high-energy performance from the headlining band. He said he planned the lineup of performances to be entertaining for adults but also clean enough to attract and please families and even members of the local Mennonite community.
Activities on Sunday include a community church service featuring circuit riding preacher Nate Wells on horseback and a community choir, followed by a closing ceremony and a potluck at the town hall.
With all the planning complete, the Fitch family and the rest of the bicentennial committee can only hope for good execution and good weather.
“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s just been a joy meeting all the people we’ve met through this,” Arden Fitch said. “It’s just going to be a great celebration of freedom, family entertainment and fellowship.”
Friday, June 22
6 p.m. – Opening Ceremony in the park
6:30 p.m. – Honoring seniors ages 85+
6-8 p.m. – 4-H Food stand
7-9 p.m. – Barbershop Bravado Quartet and Buckeye Country Cloggers
Saturday, June 23
6-10 a.m. – Pancake breakfast
8-9 a.m. – 5K registration
9 a.m. – 5K race
10 a.m. – Entertainment in the park
1 p.m. – Parade
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Craft Show in Town Hall
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Historical displays at museum, Reenactment group, Vietnam Wall
3-5 p.m. – Carnival Games
3 p.m. – K9 Dog demonstration
3 p.m. – Underground railroad speaker
3-5:30 p.m. – Touch-A-Truck
3:30 p.m. – Registration for skillet throwing contest and cornhole
4 p.m. – Skillet throwing contest
4:30 p.m. – Fire extinguisher training
5 p.m. – Brian and Scott Osborne and The Clear Creek String Band
5 p.m. – Cornhole tournament
7-8 p.m. – Sugar Creek Bluegrass concert
8:30-10 p.m. – Line Dancing
Sunday, June 24
10 a.m. – Church service in the park
11 a.m. – Closing ceremony
11:30 a.m. – Pot luck in Town Hall
