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City of Hayfield to celebrate 150 years this weekend

 

When the community of Hayfield sets its mind to something, it’s 100% forward.

That determination of volunteerism will be on full display this weekend when the community’s four-day sesquicentennial celebration kicks off Thursday night.

The celebration will splash over the four days and will include over 40 events with just about a little bit of everything.

“We want to put on a show,” said Celebrate Hayfield Committee Treasurer Deb Towey.

Like any small community, Hayfield wasn’t going to let the 150th anniversary go quietly and so a core group of volunteers came together about three years ago to begin the process.

While the community has always had the Hayfield Fire Department Chicken Fry, it has been without a true town celebration for just under 10 years when Hey Days called it quits.

This was the perfect opportunity to get back into the town celebration swing of things, at least for one weekend.

“We got together or coordinated a committee that has done Hayfield Hey Days and the fire department’s chicken fry and tried to get some of the leaders that took care of those events and bring them on board,” Towey said. “With the concept that we wanted to bring a lot more people on board. A lot of people could do one thing and have a good weekend.”

Once assembled, the committee looked back at its 100th celebration to take inspiration, however, since those early days of planning, Towey said the 150th has likely gotten bigger than anybody really expected.

That’s largely a credit to sheer number of volunteers who climbed on board to help make the 150th a reality.

“At one of our meetings we had 24 volunteers show up and it was wonderful. And then we listened to ideas,” Towey said. “The original organizational part of the meeting was, what does everyone want to see happen? And a lot of it was geared around what had happened. What’s happened in the last 50 years? What was the entertainment back 50 years? Was it the sack races, was it the horseshoe tournaments? So we want to bring back a lot of the old family entertaining type activities.”

It was a lofty task. The 150th falls on a very busy weekend with several communities throughout the area holding their own celebrations. That means a competition for vendors, bands and entertainment opportunities.

It’s certainly not something a group can put together in just a short amount of time.

“Because there is so many things you have put in place a year ago,” Towey said. “You want to get your parade units, you want to get your bands. We want a strong flea market. If you want concussion wagons you have to have them booked a long time ago. You can’t do it a month before.”

And right smack dab in the middle of all of this planning came the COVID-19 pandemic and suddenly everything shifted. During that time the committee and its subcommittees found it hard to even meet and continue planning.

To the south they saw what had happened to Lyle when it had to postpone it’s 150th one full year to 2021

“All we can do is try and see … we’ve put a lot more effort into the solid planning in the last eight months,” Towey said.

That planning has resulted in a very long list of activities. Starting with a teen dance, Children’s Theatre presentation and family movie Thursday night, the celebration sweeps through the four days with an abundance of activities and events.

Each day is packed with things that appeal to all ages.

Simply put: If you can’t find some fun in Hayfield this weekend, you’re not trying hard enough.

Of the 40 plus events, Towey said a couple stand out. The first is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at Pool Park Field where the Rochester Roosters will take on a Hayfield team for some old time baseball.

How old time? Really old time.

The game will be played without gloves and will look very different from the baseball fans of the Hayfield Vikings are used to seeing.

“They are going to come with their old time uniforms and there is going to be a community team to play them in old time uniforms,” Towey said. “Right at the park, 11 a.m. to noon, there will be an explanation of what they do and noon to 2 p.m. they have the game.”

There are also a pair of street dances Friday and Saturday night featuring County Line Drive and the Time Machine.

Anchoring it all is the Grand Parade at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“We’re still working on it,” Towey said. “If anybody still wants to come in and be an entry into the parade we would be glad to take them. We’re hoping for about a 100-unit parade.”

Underlying it all, organizers are hoping to highlight the Community Hayfield like never before with a celebration that will leave people with a lasting impression of what it and it’s people have to offer.

Especially coming out of COVID and with a mountain of other concerns weighing heavy on people these days.

“I think one of the things I think about is how the last couple years that have been affected by COVID,” said Jen Hegna, another member of the Celebrate Hayfield Committee. “First, it’s monumental; it’s 150 years, but then it’s a way we can all come together and celebrate our town with a variety of ways. It’s for children, adults, families, teens — there’s really something for everyone thanks to all of our volunteers and our committees that created the different events. That’s it in a nutshell. To have something like this after what we’ve been through as a community is pretty fabulous.”

The celebration can also serve as a way to pull people to the community itself.

“I would think the number one theme is a town celebrating a community,” Towey said. “By saying that we wanted to bring as many in from out of town so they can see what we’re made of. They can see our town. They can see how nice of a place it is to be here. Especially the economy like it is, people are looking for small towns in a lot of respects.”

While the celebration will be one for the history books, organizers also hope it sends a message both to citizens of Hayfield and those who are returning for a visit.

That big things can come from small places.

“There’s something to say about a small town,” Hegna said. “A small town where a majority of people know our neighbors, we know our local businesses, we know the school district.”

“The community coming together for those kinds of things is to me very heartwarming,” she continued. “We’re not just anonymous. If you want to connect with your community, you find  a way to do that and they’re more than welcoming to you.”

For more information on events at the Hayfield Sesquicentennial or to try and get a spot in the parade, visit the Celebrate Hayfield website at: www.celebratehayfield.com/ or visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/CelebrateHayfield.

Schedule of events

All times and events are subject to change.

Thursday, June 23

• Teen Dance, main stage, 7-10 p.m.

• Children’s Theatre – “Rainbow Fish,” at Trinity Lutheran Church, 7 p.m.

• Family Movie, Himle Park, 9 a.m.

Friday, June 24

• Viking Pride Golf Tourney, Oaks Golf Course, 9 a.m.

• Quilt Show at the Senior Center, 2-6 p.m.

• School Tours, Hayfield Public Schools, 5-7 p.m.

• Family Bingo at the American Legion, 5-8 p.m.

• Variety Show at the Center Avenue Stage, 7-8 p.m.

• Camp fire, Games and S’more! at Trinity Lutheran Church, 8 p.m.

• Adult Street Dance featuring County Line Drive on the Main Stage, 9 p.m. to midnight

Saturday, June 24

• 5K Healthy Heart Walk/Run starting at Himle Park, 7:30 a.m.

• Boy Scout Pancake Feed at the Hayfield Fire Hall, 8 a.m. to noon

• Co-Ed Volleyball Tourney at Himle Park, 8 a.m.

• Mush Softball Tourney at Himle Park, 8 a.m.

• Garden Tour at 73524 200th Avenue, Hayfield, 8:30 a.m.

• Hayfield History Exhibit at Hayfield Town Hall, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Quilt Show at the Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Bean Bag Tourney at Himle Park, 9:30 a.m.

• Flea and Farmers Market at Center Avenue, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Field of Flags Ceremony at Fieldcrest, 11 a.m.

• Roosters Baseball at Pool Park Field, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• City Carnival at Downtown Parking Lot, noon to 8 p.m.

• Jim Jayes Magic Show, downtown, 1 and 3 p.m.

• Historical Panel at Center Avenue Stage, 2:30 p.m.

• Ray Sands & The Polka Dots at Center Avenue Stage, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

• Hayfield Fire Department Chicken Fry at the Fire Hall, 4-8 p.m.

• Family Bingo at the American Legion, 5-8 p.m.

• Fireworks at Himle Park, Dusk

• Adult Street Dance, Time Machine, 9 p.m. to midnight.

Sunday, June 26

• Omelets and Bloody Marys at the American Legion, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Worship Service at Veterans Park, 9:30 a.m.

• Horse Shoe Tourney at Himle Park, 9: 30 a.m.

• Car Show on Main Street, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Flea and Farmers Market on Center Avenue, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Vintage Fashion Show at Trinity Lutheran Church, 11 a.m.

• Hayfield Pantry Tour at Cedar Creek Church, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Hayfield Community Photo at Veterans Park, 12:30 p.m.

• Kiddie Parade at Veterans Park, 1:30 p.m.

• Grande Parade, 2 p.m.

• Red Barn Animal Petting Zoo in Himle Park, after the parade

• Jim Jayes Magic Show in Himle Park, after the parade.