Celebrate Poland offers new events for 2011

Photo

Neighbors | Submitted .During last year's Celebrate Poland weekend, the event featured “Chalk It Up for Poland,” an art exhibition on the township’s sidewalks. The event will return this year from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 25.

Photo

Neighbors | Submitted .During the 2010 Celebrate Poland event, Poland parents and kids stopped by a free petting zoo near Village Hall. The zoo will return this year in the same spot from 12 p.m. to 3p.m. on Saturday, June 25.

Photo

Neighbors | Submitted .Last year's Celebrate Poland weekend hosted a Civil War encampment and re-enactment on the Village Green. The 61st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Company D, who were Union soldiers, were pitted against the 4th Alabama Company, fighting for the Confederacy. Although this year's celebration will not include a re-enactment, there will be a salute to the Ohio 23rd Volunteer Infantry on the evening of June 25.

Photo

Last year's Celebrate Poland weekend hosted a Civil War encampment and re-enactment on the Village Green. The 61st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Company D, who were Union soldiers, were pitted against the 4th Alabama Company, fighting for the Confederacy. To commemorate 150 years since the beginning of the Civil War, this year's Celebrate Poland will include a salute to the Ohio 23rd Volunteer Infantry on the evening of June 25.

STAFF REPORT

Since 2007, Celebrate Poland has offered local residents the best of what the village has to offer as part of their June 24-25 event. Along with the familiar activities of the firemen’s parade, fireworks, craft show, and Poland Idol competition, this year’s celebration offers new experiences to revelers at the event.

“Our passion is to provide a variety of family-oriented fun that lets our guests explore everything that our downtown has to offer,” shared Larry Warren, who is the vice president of the Celebrate Poland planning committee.

“Some of our new events this year have all been at the suggestion of local groups who wanted to be involved in the celebration. We have a great community of people getting involved, and of course, a great village of people who will enjoy it,” Warren added.

The Steel Valley Artist colony will meet for its first-ever art show on the lawn of Village Hall on both days of the event. The show brings together a group of talented local artists, and it will be the first art show on the Village Green in 15 years.

The Poland Track and Cross Country Club is sponsoring Celebrate Poland’s first 5K Run/2 Mile Walk on Saturday morning.

At Peterson Park also on Saturday morning, there will be a rededication of the Polish Veterans Memorial, which has moved from South Avenue to a place of honor next to the statues of Casmir Pulaski and Thaddeus Kosciusko in Peterson Park.

Warren and his planning committee find that the event is an important recognition of everything Poland has to offer.

“Downtown Poland is so pleasant and definitely meant to be explored on foot. Celebrate Poland lets families take advantage of our wonderful space at little or no cost. It’s an honor to offer this event to the community,” Warren shared.