Good Times in a Small Town: Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day and New Time
Dianne Walbrecker
Emmitsburg rolls out the red carpet for neighbors and visitors alike at its biggest event of the year: Community Heritage Day. This year, at our 38th annual festival, we roll out all the games you love, the BBQ chicken, car show, horseshoe contest, parade, and music, but all at a later time than in previous years. Rather than starting too early in the morning, most events will begin at noon. That will give you plenty of time to eat breakfast at the Vigilant Hose; take a cool, refreshing dip in the pool (free for the day); play those hard-fought games like the three-legged race and the raw-egg toss; but also stick around for the parade, music and dancing, and fireworks—with enough energy to spare. For any questions, you can always email us at [email protected].
As always, the Vigilant Hose Company starts us out with its famous breakfast at 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The Lions Club will serve its famous BBQ chicken dinners, as well as hot dogs and snacks, from noon until sold out, at the Community Park Pavilion.
For those of you who enjoy cycling, we have biking activities for the hardcore biker, as well as the beginner. This year we offer our 50-Miler Sightseer tour that begins at 8:00 a.m. For mountain bikers, we offer various trail rides, from beginner to advanced, at Rainbow Lake at 10:00 a.m. At 1:30 p.m., the “Tour de Pasture,” a five-mile police-escorted ride around Emmitsburg and a shorter family-friendly ride “Tour de Park” will be offered. Finally, from 1:00-4:00 p.m., we will hold “drop in” Bike Safety Rodeo for kids to learn cycling skills at the basketball courts in Community Park.
The public vote car show (registration at 10:30 p.m.) and vendor show will begin at noon. The car show will be on School Lane at the elementary school parking lot, while vendors will be set up in Community Park. For horseshoe fans, registration will be open at noon at Community Park. Games for the whole family, sponsored by the Lions Club, will begin at 2:00 p.m. You will want to bring your best for the water balloon, raw-egg toss, sack races, tug of war, and pie-eating competitions. May the best man, woman, child, or team win!
The Emmitsburg Lions Club is once again sponsoring a Heritage Art Contest. The contest is open to school-aged children from the Emmitsburg School Area in first through eighth grades. Homeschoolers are encouraged to participate as well. All artwork should reflect the theme, “What Does My Community Look Like to Me?” Prizes are awarded to winners in each division. For registration go to Emmitsburgevents.com or email [email protected]
The beer garden will return to this year’s Community Heritage Day celebration as a fundraiser to support two local worthy causes: The Friends of the Emmitsburg Library and Emmitsburg trails. This year, we plan to expand our hours into the early evening, and we are happy to report that Dave Blackmon from Smoketown brewery is returning to share his delicious brews; we are hoping to bring in a couple more breweries to join the fun.
The parade will begin lining up at 4:30 p.m. on Mountain View Road, and will begin half an hour later. As always, folding chairs will crowd the Main Street of Emmitsburg, as people cheer their favorite with “whoops and hollers.” The parade will end at Community Park in time for music and more food.
Come to the Band Stand in the park, from 6:30-9:30 p.m., to rock the night away with the Special Delivery Band, bringing you music from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. This is the kind of music to which everyone will want to dance.
We know you brag about our fireworks to your coworkers, friends, and family, and this year will be no different—they will again be spectacular. Come down to Community Park for the music, food, and company, and enjoy the fireworks up close and personal,
