published: Sunday, October 07, 2012

Centennial Week is here, let's party

Centennial Celebration week is here! Let the events begin!

This issue is dedicated to the full updated line up of Centennial events and to let you know who in this community stepped up to be a sponsor for these events that we will all enjoy.

Let us begin on Friday night, Oct. 12 in beautiful downtown Sebring on the Circle with Destination Downtown Sebring. Join them for their monthly fun-for-all gathering; this month it's the Annual Halloween Bash ... Centennial style! Yes, from 5-8 p.m. there is trick-or-treating for youngsters at Historic Downtown Sebring merchants, costume contests with People's Choice in six prize categories: adults, kids, preteens, teens, critters and Centennial. Ghost Stories will be presented by Highlands Little Theater at Sadie Kahn Park. Games for kids and fun for the young throughout Historic Downtown. There will be a DJ and more. Don't forget to judge and vote for your favorite Halloween decorated storefront.

Also from 5-8 p.m. is the Highlands Art League monthly second Friday Reception at the Yellow House Gallery & Gift Shop, 1989 Lakeview Drive. Visitors to the Yellow House will find the cowboy artist Hobby Cambell taking his turn at Artist of the Month. A sixth-generation Floridian, Cambell grew up in Bassinger with a burning desire to be around horses and cattle and a yearning to draw and sketch Florida and the cowboy lifestyle.

The Yellow House Gallery and Gift Shop is home to five artist studios, and more than 20 other local artists, as well as the Members Gallery are invited to display and sell their artwork.

Friday night is also filled with all types of Sebring High School events, from football games to high school reunions.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 it's the Bed Race on West Center. This is set up to be a crazy fun time for all. We have plenty of beds registered, food vendors, prizes, DJ Rooter Rush, Sick Sideways Racing Team and professional driver John Dean II onsite for autographs, photos in the race cars and more. A trophy will be awarded to the best bed. Come on out and cheer your team on. Participants need to be there at 10:30 a.m. for the safety meeting.

That same evening, at 6 p.m. , coordinated by Dee Andrews and Adam Martin, is the Circle of Truth Ministries Concert on The Circle with performance by local singer Justus Martin and local Youth Pastor Dustin Woods speaking, and the main act band, Rush of Fools.

Monday, Oct. 15 is the parade of the century. Promptly at 6 p.m., the parade begins. The Centennial Parade will follow the same route that the Christmas Parade follows, and after the parade there is a party on The Circle. California Toe Jam Band will be on stage; the roads will stay closed. There will be food vendors, Toby's Clowns, and an award for Best Float. Florida native artist James R. Hahn will be working on his latest project, the huge 40-foot Centennial Mural on Magnolia and South Ridgewood, and more. The public is encouraged to dress in period costumes, any period over the past 100 years will do. There is a Period Costume Contest; simply sign up at the registration table that night and possibly win.

Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. is the Special City Council Reception. This is a unique night at City Hall as our current mayor and council members will re-enact the very first council meeting Sebring ever had. There will be cake served and a great time will be spent with our elected officials.

Beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17 be at City Pier Beach for the Community Church Service. All of Sebring is invited to this special night of prayer - all denominations, churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike. This is an opportunity to join together with your community on the beautiful beach of Lake Jackson. There will be KFC box dinners available for $5 each, while they last. Bring your chairs, blankets and/or sandwiches for this prayer service under the stars.

Thursday, Oct. 18 is the night that history will be made. Beginning at 5 p.m. join all of Sebring on The Circle for the Downtown Sebring Chamber Mixer with prizes. A Historic Downtown Walk will be available. There will be beverages of all types and food vendors. Promptly at 6 p.m. we request your presence for the setting of the Sebring 100 Time Capsule. The capsule will be buried on The Circle with instructions for it to be opened 100 years from now. Then the Mountain Dew Cloggers will hit the ground and the Mayor's Street Dance begins on North Ridgewood. Join the community and square dance with Mayor George Hensley during this celebratory evening. Join us as the Back Porch Revival Band entertains into the night with great music, and sing along to "The Centennial Ode" written by Mayor Hensley. This will be a fun night for everyone. The streets will be closed downtown Sebring from 3-10 p.m. and we will all be dancing in them.

Friday, Oct. 19 you can participate in the Blessing of the Businesses Luncheon. You'll need to RSVP for this, as seating is limited. Guest speakers are the co-founders of the very successful Destin Week of Blessing, Mel Ponder and Charter Captain Mike Parker. Catering is provided by The Palms' own Chef Mac. During the luncheon, there will be a special time of prayer for each business represented.

This is the third Blessing of the Business held in Sebring; the first two were in the spring of 2008 and 2009. Centennial Week is the perfect time to bring the Blessing of the Businesses luncheon back to Sebring.

Then at 7 p.m. join us at City Pier Beach. This was going to be Boat Parade night, but not enough boats entered so we turned it into the Pier Beach Boat and Luau Party, complete with a Limbo Contest and more. Dress in your finest luau attire.

We will have the boats that registered for theparade on the shore, all decorated for our viewing pleasure. DJ Rooter Rush will be there, as well as food vendors, prizes, leis, and more. Plus, the electric CitiCar Show will take place. These cars were built here in Sebring during the '70s, and the group of them is in town celebrating the Centennial focus week with us.

Finally, Saturday, Oct. 20 is loaded with activities starting at 7:30 a.m. at Highlands Hammock State Park. The Sebring Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the Major Thomas McGuire 5K. The Sebring Historical Society Luncheon will be at noon at the Bert J. Harris Jr. Agri-Civic Center. Then at 3 p.m. the Major Thomas B. McGuire Memorial Dedication will be at the Sebring Regional Airport Terminal.

McGuire earned all his decorations before age 25. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions. His final mission was on Jan. 7, 1945. McGuire Air Force Base was dedicated in his honor in January 1948. Major McGuire was the second leading "Ace" in the U.S. Army Corps in World War II, operating in the Pacific early in the war.

McGuire was a Sebring High School graduate.

In conjunction with the Sebring Centennial Celebration there will be a ceremony dedicating Kenilworth Boulevard, running from South Lakeview Drive east to Haywood Taylor Boulevard at Sebring Airport to the memory of McGuire. It will be known as the "Major Thomas B. McGuire Memorial Boulevard" with appropriate signage.

Then the Grand Finale Centennial Birthday Bash begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Lakeshore Mall. The biggest birthday cake Sebring has ever seen is included in the fun.

There will be gifts of all kinds, including $1,000 gift cards. There will be live music by local band Long Shot and more.

All of these events are free and open to the public.

There needs to be a special recognition to all the sponsors that have stepped up in this community in order to make this possible. A huge thank you to all of the following sponsors: Host Sponsor is Alan Jay Automotive Network. Gold Sponsors include the News-Sun, Cohan Radio Group, Progress Energy, CenturyLink, Lilly O'Toole & Brown LLC, Denise Grimsley Campaign, Mayor George and Nancy Hensley, Lenihan and Associates Inc, Swaine & Harris PA, The Lakeshore Mall, the Jack Hancock Family, PS Signs & Graphics, Comcast Spotlight, Sick Sideways Racing. Silver Sponsors include Heacock Insurance, Jen Brown, Hodges University, Shoemaker Plumbing Inc, The Palms of Sebring, Heartland National Bank, Champion for Children Foundation, Highlands Independent Bank, Taylor Oil Company Inc (BP), and First United Methodist Church. Bronze Sponsors include Don Jose Mexican Restaurant, Wicks Brown Williams & Co, Highlands Self Storage Inc, Mayor Smith and Jean Rudasill, Waypoints Financial, the Allen Altvater Family, Leisure Acres Inc, Still Chic Consignment Boutique, Bakers Septic Installations Inc, and Tolar Automotive. Patron Sponsors include Sebring Recreational Club Inc, Military Sea Service Museum, McClure & Lobozzo, Florida Non-Profit Housing Inc, Carlos R. Roman CPA PA, Robbins Nursery, Bob the Realtor, John Adair and Janie Modrell.

Please check out our new website, www.Sebring100
.com, and make a copy of the mayor's song, "The Centennial Ode." We are expecting all of the community to join us on Thursday for the Setting of the Time Capsule and for the Mayor's Street Dance, and we can all sing along.

Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SebringCentennial, call 655-5554 or email events@sebring
100.com and get involved.

Thanks to the News-Sun for being a sponsor and the opportunity to keep everyone informed on Sebring's Centennial Celebration.