The chance to celebrate a 100th birthday doesn’t come around very often, so why not hold a big party?
That’s exactly what the Village of Clyde is doing this Saturday when the community’s centennial celebrations take over the annual Summer Solstice festivities.
Although the village actually turned 100 on Jan. 28, and celebrated with a cake at the village office, the community opted to hold off on the big party until the summer months to encourage more people to come out to mark the occasion.
“It’s just a great day for everybody of all ages,” said centennial committee member Linda McCoy. “It’s a great opportunity to bring kids out and just have a family day out with them and feel the energy in Clyde that day.”
Although the day is all about celebrating the village and its history, there will still be a lot of the usual Summer Solstice activities taking place.
Festivities start at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the seniors drop-in centre, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the big parade down Main Street.
Immediately after the parade the activities kick off at the ag grounds. There are the usual playful diversions — petting zoo, face painting, bouncy castles and the like, mutton busting and farmer’s market — as well as some new additions.
One new activity, McCoy said, is the pony carts. There will be ponies pulling little carts that kids can ride in.
Another is the Find the Sun contest, which has as its prize an iPad tablet computer.
One hundred laminated suns “to represent the 100 years of Clyde” will be hidden throughout the community. Anyone who finds a sun will be able to take it to the curling rink for an entry into a draw to win.
When it comes to activities and events dedicated to the village’s centennial, McCoy said those interested in the history won’t be left wanting.
Eleanor Hall School will open its doors in the afternoon for tours, complete with photos from the history of education in the village.
Around the community, signs will be posted to point out where former buildings stood, mapping out what the village looked like in years gone by. And in the community hall, history books will be out on display for perusal, she added.
To be part of the village’s centennial is a momentous honour, and one that elicits strong emotions from those involved, such as Clyde mayor Doug Nyal.
“I find myself in a very unique position, and humbled by the position I happen to have with the 100th anniversary,” he said. “I’m proud to be in this position.”
Nyal’s pride is also a result of his family’s role in building what Clyde is today, as he’s following in the footsteps of father, Paul, who served the village as mayor, councillor and employee for many years.
“He and many others pioneering the village to get us to where we’re at today is quite an accomplishment,” he said.
What the village is today is the result of countless volunteers devoting hours of their time, he added, creating a volunteer ethic that rivals just about anywhere else in the world.
Because of that history of helping out, he said it’s important people come to the celebration, especially if they’ve been away from the village for years.
“I encourage them to come out and take part,” Nyal said. “It’s something they helped build — they were here, they were part of the community and they helped build the community to what it is today.”
Nyal also gave credit to the 12 different organizations that had a hand in putting together the centennial and Summer Solstice festivities, a group that included not only the “shakers and movers” in the community, but also just regular people who wanted to contribute in their own way.
“We’ve had a lot more input from a lot more groups, and it was all necessary to make it the event it’s going to be,” he said.
“It’s been a lot of work for all these people and they’ve put in a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of thought and it’s going to be a great weekend for us. It’s going to showcase the Village of Clyde.”
