10th annual Celebrate Poland is this weekend

Staff report

POLAND

As the village turns 150 this year, the annual event that celebrates the town also marks a significant milestone.

Celebrate Poland, the two-day community festival that begins Friday evening, is now in its 10th year.

“We are so happy and proud that we have sustained this tradition for a decade,” said Cindy Best, vice president of the event committee, in a news release. “The committee works very hard to make this event a highlight of summer, and one that everyone in Poland can enjoy.”

The event kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday with the Strawberry Festival at Poland Presbyterian Church, followed by a parade at 7 p.m. It culminates with a fireworks display at 10 p.m. Saturday.

Included in this year’s programming is recognition of the village’s sesquicentennial anniversary. The Poland Historical Society will dedicate an Ohio Historical Marker that commemorates the village’s 1866 incorporation, as well as the significance of Poland Town Hall, at a ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday at the gazebo near town hall.

Other highlights of Celebrate Poland include the annual “Chalk the Walks for Poland!” sidewalk-art event, live music, food vendors, an arts and crafts show, the Poland Idol singing contest, historical walking tours, and more. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.celebratepoland.com or the Celebrate Poland Facebook page.

A free shuttle service will run to accommodate visitors. Between noon and 4 p.m. Saturday, buses will run from Poland Methodist Church, where parking will be available. Between 6:30 and 11:30 p.m. Saturday, the same service will be offered at both the Methodist church and the high school.

Event organizers noted that Celebrate Poland runs solely on volunteers and donations. Many donors reportedly increased gifts this year in honor of the 10th anniversary, which the committee used to extend the hours for live music.

“Celebrate Poland keeps growing and attracting new people, but the tradition keeps on going,” Best said in the release. “We have a strong sense of community here.”