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McKenzie to Celebrate 150th Birthday

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The City of McKenzie will commemorate its sesquicentennial, 150th Anniversary, in a year-long celebration starting Saturday, January 26 at noon. Leading the celebration is the executive committee comprised of Chairman Jason R. Martin, Vice-Chair Monica Heath, Joel Washburn, Jennifer Waldrup and Mayor Jill Holland.
It is the executive committee’s plan to center all events, festivals and celebrations around the history and heritage of McKenzie. This will not be a small feat and will require a great amount of preparation and help throughout the calendar year of 2019.
January’s Birthday Kick-off will take place at McKenzie’s renovated Park Theatre Saturday, January 26. Guests are invited to celebrate the City of McKenzie’s birthday with cake and other festivities. Following the birthday event, The McKenzie Banner is sponsoring a community double feature film showing of To Kill a Mockingbird and O Brother, Where Art Thou? Those in attendance for the birthday event will receive a commemorative movie ticket and poster. Only 150 tickets and posters will be printed. Throughout the year other commemorative items and souvenirs will be sold.

Currently, the committee is recruiting all local churches, schools and civic organizations to lend a hand in making the sesquicentennial a success. The McKenzie Banner, McKenzie’s oldest business, established in 1870, will take the lead in sponsoring the celebration. Additional sponsors and vendors are encourage to help make this a huge triumph for the city.
Each month there is a sesquicentennial event in the plans. Tentatively the calendar of monthly events will be: January is the Birthday Kick-Off Bash; February is Celebrating African-American History focusing around Webb School; March will have a Mardi Gras theme; April is Celebrating Our Heritage; May will focus on the newly renovated McKenzie Depot; June we will partner with the Gordon Browning Museum; July is the annual Freedom Fest; August is the Sweet Tea Festival the city will honor the women’s suffrage movement; September will be a Homecoming Celebration with a community meal sponsored by local churches and civic groups; October will bring back the cemetery walks; November will honor the veterans of McKenzie with a special presentation; December will be a closing Christmas-themed ceremony.
If anyone is interested in volunteering or helping sponsor the celebration feel free to contact The McKenzie Banner at 731-352-3323 or McKenzie City Hall at 731-352-2332.

McKenzie, Anniversary, 150th