Dianne Walbrecker

(5/25) It’s coming soon! Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day will be celebrated on the last Saturday of June, as it has been for the last 40 years.

June 24th will begin, as always, with the all-you-can-eat breakfast hosted by the Vigilant Hose Company at the Activities Building on Creamery Way. From there, events roll on all day, from family games to vendors / crafters, horseshoe and cornhole tournaments, chalk art contests, bike races, a car show, Chicken BBQ and food trucks, the parade down Main Street, music and the grand finale – the fireworks!

As the committee finalizes plans, we asked community members to reflect on their favorite Community Heritage Day memories.

Kerry Shorb, owner of My Father’s Footsteps, paused and looked at the ceiling as he thought back. "Ah, I know. My daughter could not get enough of the Barrel Ride," he laughed. "She rode around and around on that ride all day. I got dizzy watching her."

A woman in line at Jubilee recalled, "I remember sitting on the lawn across the street from the town office to watch the fireworks. There were so many people crowded onto the lawn in front of the Town Office and the school that we had to spread our blanket over there. We came for the parade, went down to the park for the music and the speakers, and then went back to our spot for the fireworks. It was quite a show."

Willis Johnson, long-time resident, said he loved the family games. "I remember the looks on the kids’ faces as they attempted to catch the raw eggs. It was always scary when they caught one safely but then had to take a big step back for the next time. I’ve squashed a lot of eggs myself," he chuckled. "I also loved watching the mess when they tried to eat the pies with their hands behind their backs. That was always fun."

Families line the streets to watch the parade. It has its fair share of pleasant memories, both from those watching and those riding in the floats. Anne Kulceski remembers riding in the Lion’s Club float and throwing candy to those on both sides of Main Street. "We used to have to freeze the chocolate, because everyone likes that the best. We also had to be careful about throwing the candy so we didn’t run out by the time we hit the corner of Main Street and Seton Avenue. We had to remember that South Seton also had a lot of folks lined up too. It’s so much fun to see the kids running out into the street and squealing with delight when they would get a big handful."

Frank Davis, Town Commissioner and EMS Captain, recalls the first Community Day 40 years ago. "I remember Marshall Sharrer from the Lions Club working very hard to raise money for the first celebration, especially the fireworks. That was a huge deal back then because Emmitsburg had never had fireworks of any type. We lived at the house next to the old Ford Garage, at 122 South Seton Avenue. I must have been in my early 20s and I remember crawling out on the roof to watch the fireworks. What a show!" Frank, who works with the town’s Parks & Recreation Committee, is also excited about the Car Show the committee is planning for this year’s event. He noted that Carolyn Miller, with the committee, is leading the effort.

"Community Day was an amazing experience for us. We had just moved into Emmitsburg and really didn’t know much about the town. The Lions Club family games was the first time my kids had ever done or even seen anything like a sack race or pie-eating contest. They were little then, and it was wonderful for them. Patrick and I loved the celebration. It made the town feel warm and welcoming, a real small-town atmosphere," said Jennifer Joy. In fact, she and her husband appreciated Community Day so much that she has been involved, with many others, in putting it on over the last decade.

So come join us and create some memories of your own. Follow us on emmitsburgevents.com or on Facebook at Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day.