Decatur's long-awaited 175 Anniversary Celebration officially kicked off today, starting a 10-day run which coincides with the annual Kekionga Festival.
Citywide garage sales and a co-ed slo-pitch tournament are today's opening events. Two performances of the "Cuties of Decatur" were held Wednesday and Thursday, and a dinner-play performance is scheduled tonight.
Following is the schedule through the weekend:
Today
Samuel Rugg lives again!
The man who founded Decatur in 1836, the same year that Adams County was created, is being brought back to life by Michael Casper, a retired elementary school principal here, while one of Rugg's three wives, Susannah, is being recreated by Casper's wife, RoxyAnn.
The longtime Decatur residents are giving historical presentations to third-grade students in the North Adams school district as well as those at St. Joseph Catholic School and St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran School.
A new event in Decatur this year, part of the Adams County Run/Walk Challenge Series, is the Edward Jones/Kekionga 5K Greenway Gallop, which will be held during the Kekionga Festival and the city's 175th celebration.
The Greenway Gallop will be held on Sunday, August 28, starting at 2 p.m. at the Kekionga encampment behind Riverside Center. Runners will follow an out-and-back trail along the Rivergreenway Trail and finish near the gazebo at Riverside Center.
