PALMERSTON – A weekend-long event has been planned by community members to celebrate Palmerston’s 150th anniversary.
Dubbed the Palmerston Homecoming, the event is planned to run from Aug. 1 to 4, which is the civic holiday long weekend.
“It’s an invitation for people new and people old that have left the town to come back, reunite, have some fun and just enjoy everything there is to offer in Palmerston,” said Chris Harrow, chair of the Palmerston Homecoming committee.
Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum
A key part of community is the Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum, and it will be involved in multiple events in the Homecoming.
On Aug. 1 and 2, the museum will host a historical presentation at the Norgan Theatre.
At the museum, there will be train rides and handcar experiences on Aug. 1 and 2. On Aug. 3 there will still be train rides, as well as a handcar race hosted by the fire department.
Parade
A parade to celebrate Palmerston’s 150th anniversary will travel through the streets of Palmerston on Aug. 2 at 11am (see the Community News’ separate parade story for more details).
Fun for children
The weekend will include kid-oriented attractions such as outdoor games and inflatables at Lions Park, Chuckles the balloon artist, a kids foam party at the Lions Park sports pad, and more.
There will also be a Glow Express Kids Dance, which is a ticketed event on Aug 2 from 2 to 3:30pm at the Palmerston Legion.
Open to ages four to 12, tickets are $10 per child and include free admission for one adult chaperone per family. Kids under 10 must have an adult present.
Food
There will be food trucks, booths and a beer garden available at Lions Park at various times throughout the long weekend.
There will also be six ticketed meals. From Aug. 2 to 4, every morning has a ticketed breakfast and every evening has a ticketed dinner.
Tickets to individual meals are available for purchase, as well as an all-encompassing meal pass for $150, providing admission to all six meals.
Concerts
Night concerts will be hosted at the Palmerston arena on Aug. 2, 3 and 4. The concerts run from 9pm to 1am and are ticketed events open to ages 19 and above only.
The musical acts are as follows:
- Aug. 2: The Sandpipers
- Aug. 3: Bradley Hale and Chris Clark; and
- Aug. 4: 12th Line Band.
Individual tickets are available for purchase, as well as a three-concert entertainment pass for $85.
An “all access weekend pass” is also available for $215, which includes all six meals and all three concerts.
The deadline to purchase meal tickets or any of the three passes is July 17. Individual concert tickets are available for purchase up to the day of the event.
Tickets are available online at palmerstonhomecoming.ca/tickets, as well as in-person (cash only) at Norsco’s and What’s The Occasion in Palmerston.
Grand Central Market
A variety of vendors will be open from 10am to 2pm on Aug. 4 as part of the Grand Central Market at Lions Park.
Vendor spots are still available for $10 and those interested should email palmerstonhomecoming@gmail.com.
Scavenger Hunt
A photo scavenger hunt will be running during the Palmerston Homecoming events. The scavenger hunt is designed to help people explore Palmerston and its history.
Palmerston Homecoming stated the only things needed to complete the hunt are “cell phone camera, a google account, and a willingness to explore.” They also reccomend participants work in teams
There are two completable scavenger hunt lists. Completing and submitting each one will submit the team into a draw for an unannounced prize.
The scavenger hunt will be open from July 28 to Aug. 4 at 3pm.
Visit palmerstonhomecoming.ca to learn about other events over the long weekend celebration.
