The old town hall bell in Craik is going to ring again Sept. 7 when the community joins together to celebrate the 100th birthday of the historic building.
Helen Lee, volunteer with Craik’s Old Town Hall 100th Birthday Celebration, said residents of town over 90 years old have been invited to ring the now little-used bell as a way to begin the centennial celebration. She said this opening ceremony for the festival would usher in a day of revellery for the community as they gather together to commemorate the town’s past while having a bit of old-fashioned fun.
“This gives everybody a chance to have a look at the history of what was going on around here and having the youth involved with the elders, so we have a chance to learn about it and create our own history,” said Lee.
After the opening ceremony, festival goers will be invited to an old-fashioned tea at the Community Legion Hall before the Craik Lions Club put on a bingo. During the afternoon there are also plans for tours of the old town hall, kid’s activities, a car show along Main Street and entertainment on the upper floors of the building.
“We’ve got some people lined up to do about 20-minute sets upstairs,” she said. “I’ve got about 80 minutes worth of people right now, but I’m still looking for some daytime performers that could do 20-minute sets.”
Lee said the entertainment the group has organized for the day is musical, but they are open to anything if someone has other ideas in mind. She said in addition to the concert people would be invited to visit the Craik Oral History room at the town hall during the day and the Craik Museum would be open for tours.
The day is going to be capped off with a community barbecue supper followed by a talent show at the Legion Hall. Revellers have also been invited to dress up in outfits covering the period of time from when the town hall first opened to the present day.
“We’re asking people to dress up in their favourite decade,” said Lee. “It’s anywhere from 1913 to 2013, so if you just come in your regular clothes then you’re dressing in the 2010s. We want to make it easy.”
Lee said it has taken the group a few months to organize the festivities and she is very excited for the day to begin. She said the help by various volunteers in the community to get everything ready is really appreciated and hopes the day brings back fond memories to everyone who joins in the fun.
To read more please see the Sept. 2 print edition of The Davidson Leader.