Over 200 attend W’burg ice cream social as part of 200 year celebration

At least 250 people are estimated to have come out to the Whitley County Courthouse square Saturday for an ice cream social that is part of Williamsburg bicentennial celebration.

At least half a dozen local churches, the Forcht Bank Ice Cream machine, and Athens Enterprises provided free ice cream and so forth for those in attendance.

Athens Enterprises, or Athens Treadmills, uses horse drawn treadmills to help produce ice cream in five-gallon churns.

“It was a success. We had a good time. I am real pleased with the turnout. I have been tickled,” noted Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison.

“I would be remise to say that if you have not been attending these historical events we have been having, you have missed out on some really good stuff. I have been real tickled how well things have been attended. We are witnessing history.”

On Friday night, there was a 70 percent chance of rain Saturday, and Harrison told Charlotte Vanover, one of the organizers of the ice cream social, that he was going to start praying for the rain to hold off. It did.

“The Lord heard our prayers and the rain held off until the time we got done,” Harrison noted.

During Saturday’s ice cream social, organizers held the 20 Decades of Williamsburg Costume Contest, and had 11 participants.

KK Rose and Jace Tyree, both age four, won the ages 12 and under division. Rose wore a costume complete with leg warmers from the 1980s. Tyree dressed as a chimney sweep from the 1890s.

Jozy Vanover and Addyson Combs, both age nine, were the runner’s up. Vanover wore a costume from the 1950s, and Combs wore one from the 1980s.

In the age 20 and over division, Tacy Boles and Emily Shelley took the top honors. Boles wore a costume from the 1980s, and Shelley wore one from the 1950s.

Other costume contest participants included: Veronica Combs, 1980s; Luke Briscoe, 1950s; Levi Boles, 1950s; Aubrey Ann, 1950s; and Boston Shelley, 1950s.