CENTERBURG — The Heart of Ohio USA Days Committee has a jam-packed lineup of entertainment for this year’s festival.
The event runs Thursday, June 22 through Saturday, June 24 at Memorial Park. Rides are free for everyone, and of course, there is yummy fair food.
Residents and businesses on Main Street are encouraged to participate in the eighth annual patriotic decorating contest. Invitation letters will be hand delivered to all of these homes and businesses several weeks prior. Judging will take place on Wednesday, June 21, so all decorations need to be in place before that date. Centerburg council members will be judging.
There will be two winners: one residence and one business. There will be a sign placed with the winners so people can see the winning decorations. Each winner will also receive $100.
The committee also will continue the parking shuttle from Centerburg High School just west of town. Free school bus shuttles will be offered on Friday evening and all day Saturday from after the parade until after the fireworks. The roadside turnaround will not allow any parking as that will be the pick-up/drop-off point for the buses. Handicapped parking will be available in the park as well as for vendors and entertainers.
The big tree in the park blocked fireworks from their new location. At the bottom of the hill they can be viewed fine. Therefore, the grassy area along 314 on the outer side of the driveway will not allow any parking this year. It will be roped off as will the lower hill as the prime seating area for the fireworks display.
Thursday, June 22: Kid’s Night Program
•7 pm Baby Crawl for crawlers up to age 2. The Toddler Track Meet is for 2- and 3-year-olds.
•7:30 pm crowning of Little Miss Liberty and Little Uncle Sammy
•8 pm Remy & Friends. Remy is a talented entertainer who does magic, illusions, juggling, ventriloquism, balloon animals and more. He also chooses kids from the audience to assist in some of the activities.
Friday, June 23
•6 pm: Six Miles to Nellie brings the sound of generations of storytelling through music. Featuring lead vocalist Courtney DeCosky; songwriter/guitarist Jeffrey Williams; bassist Michael Wolfe; drummer and vocalist Les Harmeyer; singer/songwriter John Schnabel; and Robert Shipley on keyboards.
•8 pm: “At It Again” is central Ohio’s premier country band playing today’s country mixed with some hits from the past. This boot-kickin’ group consists of Shane Langley on lead vocals, Centerburg’s own Mike Allen on lead guitar, Bruce MacLaughlin on bass guitar and Centerburg graduate Austin Thorpe on drums. The guys enjoy putting on a good show as well as watching the Hardwicks dance during their performances.
Saturday, June 24
•10 am parade. Lineup is at the Church of Christ west of town beside the high school. Entries wanting to be judged must be there by 8:30. Those not entering for judging are to arrive by 9 am.
•12 noon pedal tractor pull. The Buckeye State of Ohio sanctioned kid’s tractor pull is for kids ages four through 11 in front of the stage with the track on the driveway. Registration is at 12 pm and pulls begin at 1. Ribbons will be given to all participants and trophies to the top three places in each age group.
All children pull for free. The top three will be able to participate in the State of Ohio Pedal Full finals at the Hartford Fair in Croton in August. The top winners there go to the National Pulls at the Corn Palace in South Dakota in September.
Adults 12 and above may also pull once the children are finished but this is at a $5 fee each with “bragging rights” as the prize. There will be bleachers for spectators.
•12 noon the annual Princess Party will begin on stage. This year will be the first appearance by Jasmine, straight to Centerburg on her magic carpet. Back again from year one will be the lovely Cinderella. The princesses will sing some of their signature songs and do a sing-a-long with the kids on stage as well as a dance party. Afterward, they will retire into the shady roadside park and take time to meet and greet every little princess and pose for pictures with them until 4 pm.
•12:30 karate demonstration
•4-5:30 pm Eclectic Campfire. The “man of a thousand songs” is what Malcolm Spence is known for. His material consists of Pop, Rock, and Country all done in a unique guaranteed to entertain style. Here are a few samples of the song list: Who’ll Stop the Rain, Lonely People, Runaway, Your Song, Brown Eyed Girl, Gentle on my Mind, Build Me Up Buttercup, Don’t Worry Baby, I’m A Believer, City of New Orleans, I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You, Stand By Me, Long Time Loving You, I Go to Pieces, Sister Golden Hair, Lost in the Fifties Tonight, Strawberry Wine and so many more.
•5:30-6:30 pm Edge of 17-Unplugged, the Stevie Nicks Experience featuring local residents Melissa Boggs and Patrick Boggs. Melissa has always uncannily sounded like Stevie Nicks, so now she has a band and the hair and costumes to “become” Stevie Nicks. Both will give us some of their best performances, with Patrick doing songs from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Melissa’s songs will include the best of Fleetwood Mac such as Edge of 17, Rhiannon, Stop Dragging my Heart Around and more.
•7-10 pm Sensational Soul Brothers. From the soles of their white socks to the tops of their famous fedoras, the Sensational Soul Brothers Show and Revue gives you a show you will remember for a long time to come. It’s just like the Blues Brothers are right there on stage. You’ll hear “Jake” and “Elwood” do the famous hits like Soul man, Hold On, I’m Comin and Rubber Biscuit with some other great songs like Jailhouse Rock, Gimme Some Lovin’ and Respect! The group is from Dublin and features Malcolm Spence as Elwood and Lonnie Freeman as Jake and the bands are the Sound of Chicago Horns and the Memphis Stax Rhythm.
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