Limestone Co 200th Birthday Party

​​All Limestone Countians invited to County’s 200th birthday party

​ATHENS, Ala. – Everyone who lives in or loves Limestone County is invited to join the party at the Limestone County Bicentennial Celebration, 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Limestone County Event Center.

The event will feature...

... the sounds, sights, and tastes of Limestone County, from area musicians playing native Limestone County music, to historic photos and artifacts on display, to local students enacting a living wax museum of Limestone County history makers.
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Any good birthday party features a birthday cake, and this party will feature both a cake and cookies in the shape of Limestone County. Attendees can also purchase food from local food trucks at the event center courtyard.
Area musicians will play a free concert of some of Limestone County’s native music, from Native American songs to African American gospel songs to bluegrass music, and breaks will feature video birthday greetings from Limestone County notables.

The concert schedule will be:

• 5:30-6:00 – Yvette Running Horse Collin: The director of Sacred Way Sanctuary and the Native American Horse Trail will share stories and songs of local Native Americans.
• 6:00-6:30 – Happy Birthday, Limestone County: Limestone County Archivist Rebekah Davis will share inspiring stories from the county’s history, Limestone County Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough will recognize the bicentennial, and then all musicians will gather and join the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Limestone County before the cake and cookies are served.
• 6:30-6:45 – School Choirs: Performances of historic and patriotic songs by Athens City and Limestone County school choirs.
• 6:45-7:00 – Round Island Missionary Baptist Association Men’s Choir: The choir will sing traditional African American gospel songs.
•  7:00-7:30 – Craig Family Trio: Billy Craig, Dwight Craig, and Kevin Craig will sing and play traditional bluegrass songs.

Throughout the event, historic scenes of Limestone County will be shown on the screens, and selected students from Limestone County will participate in a living “wax museum” in which they depict Limestone County history makers and share displays of information and stories about these historic figures.

Attendees can view special exhibits on display, including:

• Historic Limestone County Schools: The Limestone County Board of Education will display historic photos from the Limestone County Archives of early schools, coordinated with a county map showing their locations.
• Limestone County History Gallery: Historic photos of Limestone County places and events will be displayed, gallery style, on the Event Center walls.
• Athens City Schools Artwork: Artistic depictions of Limestone County life, created by Athens City Schools students.
• Native American Artifacts: Local Native American tribe members will display artifacts and talk about their history and genealogy.
• Civil War Artifacts: Local historians Chris Paysinger and Joey Thompson will display Civil War artifacts and historical items from in and around Limestone County.
• Mooresville: Historic photos and artifacts from Limestone County’s oldest incorporated town.
• Time Capsule Contents: In 1993, Athens and Limestone County celebrated their 175th anniversary by placing a time capsule in the Limestone County Courthouse, filled with more than 50 items that range from local club handbooks to letters from then-President Bill Clinton. The County retrieved and opened the capsule during the recent Courthouse renovation, and those contents will be on display at the Celebration.
• Driving Forces: How Athens Got Here: This exhibit, created by Girl Scout Troop 10338 and first displayed at the Limestone County Archives, shares the stories and the people behind some of Athens and Limestone County’s best-known streets and landmarks.
• The Way We Worked: Photos and information about working life in Limestone County.
• Alabama Veterans Museum: The museum will remain open late that evening and invites everyone to stop by for a visit.
  

For more information about the Limestone County Bicentennial Celebration, and to stay up-to-date as additional details are announced, like “Limestone County, Alabama, Bicentennial” on Facebook, or contact Bicentennial Committee Co-Chair Michelle Williamson at 256-233-6400 or Co-Chair Teresa Todd at 256-232-5411.

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