Plans are coming together for the Roulette Township Bicentennial celebration that is scheduled to take place on July 8-10, and organizers are putting the finishing touches on a weekend filled with community-wide activities and a wealth of historical significance.
“Everyone is starting to prepare for this event, which will hopefully live up to the amount of effort that’s been put into it thus far,” according to Roulette Township secretary-treasurer Nita Spencer. “The town, as a whole, has come together, and there’s a lot of anticipation building for this celebration.
“It’s a great chance for residents to have a lot of fun, learn some history about the town they live in and cultivate a little pride in all that happened during the years it was founded and throughout the last 200 years in the area.”
The bicentennial celebration will begin on July 8 with a 5K Walk for the Fight Against Domestic Violence at the Roulette Firehall. Registration begins at 6 p.m., followed by the walk that is set to start at 6:30 p.m.
Also at 6:30 p.m. at the firehall will be an ice cream social and Bicentennial Bingo.
On July 9, a breakfast buffet will be available from 6 to 9 a.m. at the Friendly Inn, followed by a prayer service by the local VFW and American Legion at 10 a.m. at Old Bill’s Kendall Lot on Main Street.
The Roulette Volunteer Fire Department will hold an Amazing Chicken Barbecue beginning at 11 a.m. until all food is gone at the Roulette Firehall — where most of the events of the day will be held.
A variety of music and Karaoke, children’s games, local vendors, Yogi the Clown and old pictures on display will also start at 11 a.m. and continue throughout the day at the firehall.
A cupcake birthday celebration will take place at 11 a.m., and cupcakes will remain at the firehall for anyone who wants them until they are gone, Spencer noted.
Meanwhile, a Supercar Cruise by Mark Kelly will go from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the firehall and up Rivers Street, which will be partially closed during the day on Saturday (July 9), according to Spencer.
Registration for the bicentennial parade will begin at 2:30 p.m., with the parade beginning at 5 p.m., during which time all activities will pause aside from face painting and tattoos that will be available.
“After the parade, all activities will recommence and more will begin,” Spencer stated. “With the announcement of parade winners, essay contest winners, and there will also be speakers who have lived here for a long time that will share stories of their experience in Roulette over the years.”
Also following the parade will be Old Time Photos with Joni Peer (costumes provided), a duck race beginning at the River Street bridge, A DJ and dance opportunity at Friendly’s Inn, and band music with Josh Hatcher.
To Fill a Backpack’s Food Cart, which begins at 3 p.m. at the firehall, will move to the Baptist Church between 8 to 9 p.m. to supply food for the fireworks presentation that is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. at the field behind the Baptist Church on Main Street and is sponsored by the Roulette Fire Department.
On July 10, To Fill A Backpack’s Food Cart will provide breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon at the Little League Field on North Street, followed by registration for a cornhole tournament at 9 a.m. and the beginning of the tournament at 10 a.m.
Mobile Fresca will serve lunch at noon, and a 3 p.m. Hymn song at Riverside Methodist Church will conclude the bicentennial celebration festivities.
Meanwhile, a “Walk Down Memory Lane” will take place all day on Main and River streets throughout the weekend, in which signs will be placed in areas where businesses used to be, or have changed over the course of time, Spencer explained.
“Veterans on the Wall” will also be held every day throughout the celebration, in which photos, historical information and local fun facts will be displayed at the Old Bill’s Kendall Lot on Main Street.
Many who have worked “diligently” on the weekend’s plans deserve recognition for their efforts, according to Spencer, who added the committee and its helpers are the real reason plans have come together so smoothly.
“So many people make up the bicentennial committee,” Spencer stated, “whether they are actual members or just plain hard-working people who want to see this thing succeed. Everyone deserves recognition for the planning and preparation that’s gone into this and that continues to happen.”
In addition to Spencer, organizers for the bicentennial event include Mandy Andreano, Luke Baker, Shari Baker, Sharon Baker, Patty Miller, Joni Peer, Brenda Milliron, Shelby Milliron, Lydia “Boots” Haskins, Becky Gould, David Shalkowski, Andy Kulp, Cathy Kaziska, Kathy Barrett and, especially, Amy Brown and Beth Sigafoes and “all of those who put together flags and banners for the celebration,” Spencer highlighted.
“It’s a huge task and a really important celebration for all,” she said. “So it’s wonderful to see how much the community of this town has come together — it really is a town-wide effort. We’ve all sort-of jumped together to put on a good weekend for the community and, as a whole, I think we’ll really see that time and effort made worthwhile by all who take part and enjoy the festivities that are to come. Through it, we’re helping businesses out, bringing people to town and aiding causes on many fronts that will all come to fruition at the bicentennial.”
Anyone who is interested in being a vendor at the celebration is invited to contact the Roulette Township Supervisors office at (814) 544-7549.
