Williamsburg tweaks plans for bicentennial celebration

Williamsburg officials are still tweaking bicentennial celebration plans in April, and trying to nail down a few loose ends.

Williamsburg’s bicentennial planning committee met for about two hours early Thursday evening to discuss the 200^th anniversary celebration.

Williamsburg officials are concentrating their celebration in April because this is the month that Williamsburg was selected as the county seat 200 years ago.

Mayor Roddy Harrison announced that in addition to the dedication of the historical marker honoring Samuel Cox at noon on April 7 and two other dedication ceremonies immediately after that, there will be a reception that evening at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service’s Community Art Center, which is located across the street from city hall.

The reception will be from 6 – 8 p.m. for an artifact exhibit that will be on display throughout April at the art center.

The exhibit will feature items that may have been used by people in Williamsburg over the last 200 years, but not today, such as an old butter churns or rotary dial phones.

The Cooperative Extension Service Art Center will accept items for possible display from March 19-23 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Each person can submit between one to five items, and should include a brief description of each item.

The ice cream social, which will include story telling, music and games, is scheduled from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on April 14 at the old courthouse in Williamsburg.

The 20 Decades of Williamsburg Costume Contest will also take place that day for anyone wanting to participate.

Participants are asked to pick clothing representative of one of the 20 decades in Williamsburg history.

Judging will be from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on April 14, and the winners will be announced at 1:30 p.m. that day.

There will be a male and female winner in each of three age classes, 12 and under, ages 13-19, and ages 20 and up.

Winners will receive a free season pass to the Kentucky Splash Waterpark.

Harrison added that you don’t have to dress up in order to attend or take part in the ice cream social and celebration.

Times have also been tentatively set for the historic homes and garden tours that will take place on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22.

On April 21, there will be a tour of four historic homes, which will take place from 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. On April 22, there will be a tour of two homes, which both have gardens from 2 – 5 p.m.

This is the only event during the month-long celebration where there will be an admission charge.

Presold tickets are $30, and $35 on the day of the tour. One admission price covers the tours for both days.

Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to help fund the bicentennial celebration events.

One of the biggest changes announced Thursday is that a planned one-mile run/walk and bicycle rodeo, which had been set for April 21 at the Kentucky Splash Waterpark, is now scheduled for April 28 in downtown Williamsburg.

The run/walk is now scheduled for 11 a.m. on April 28, and will be followed by the bicycle rodeo that will take place from noon – 2 p.m.

Also on April 28, there will be civil war and colonial encampments set up on the courthouse lawn that the public is invited to tour.

There will be campsite demonstrations starting at 10 a.m. that morning.

The “20 Decades of Williamsburg Parade” is scheduled for 4 p.m. that day.

Jayma Moore, who is helping organize the parade, said she has already had people express an interest in participating in it.

For more information about the parade, contact Moore at 523-8384.

Williamsburg’s month-long bicentennial celebration will culminate on April 28 with a birthday gala and dance that will feature a live band from 7 – 10 p.m. at the Williamsburg Tourism Center.