BUCYRUS – Rallying around the “Community Unity” theme, organizers for the city’s Bicentennial Celebration are kicking plans into full gear.
The yearlong celebration will officially kick off New Year’s Eve with a “Bratwurst Drop” on Washington Square. An eight-foot-long bratwurst sandwich made of wood and fiberglass – the city’s version of the Times Square ball – will be hoisted above a firetruck for the afternoon ceremony, which will highlight other activities that day.
“We’re trying to stimulate the community, their sense of pride and our city’s history,” said Kelli Patterson, the city’s administrative assistant who also serves on the Bicentennial Commission. “We’ve been working and planning. We’re just full of ideas and we want to get everybody, including multi-generations, involved in this.”
The major change to the Bicentennial plans is that the black-tie gala originally scheduled for this New Year’s Eve is being moved to Dec. 31, 2021, Patterson said, and will instead cap off the milestone year. The Commission is working in conjunction with the Crawford County Arts Council to plan the ball, which will be held at the Loft at Pickwick Place.
The tribute to Bucyrus, which was founded in 1821 by Samuel Norton and Col. James Kilbourne, will consist of “piggy-backing” onto already established events, such as the Bratwurst Festival, then “infusing” other special activities throughout the year, Patterson said. The focus, however, will be on legacy projects – permanent improvements to benefit the community for generations to come.
Commission member Randy Fischer is excited about one of the proposed legacy projects – developing a flood plain area just north of the Sandusky River into the North Side Park, which would span the east and west sides of Sandusky Ave. “We just think this area screams to be a park space,” Fischer said, “and it would beautify that area on the north side of town.”
Architectural plans have already been drawn up for what’s being called Norton Bicentennial Park. Space is being designated for a playground, gazebo, dog park, and even parking for food trucks, Fischer said. The park could also serve as a trailhead for a future bike and walking path in town, he said, and draw lake traffic on busy summer weekends.
Other legacy projects on the Commission’s wish list include two Bicentennial archways spanning Sandusky Avenue on each side, welcome signs at all eight entrance points into town and a true meridian marker and time capsule. Upgrades to Aumiller and improvements to other city parks are also being proposed, and brick pavers are being considered for North Park, depending on available funding, he said.
For the spring of 2021, the Commission is organizing a Johnny Appleseed dedication on Finley Hill, complete with a glass apple being designed and crafted by Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works, Fischer said. The Commission is also working with the American Legion to expand the annual Memorial Day parade to include a tribute to veterans and other activities.
The big July 4th weekend will feature a Founders Day parade through town, along with the traditional Kiwanis fireworks show, a walk through Oakwood Cemetery, entertainment on the stage at Schines Art Park, building and home tours, an architectural scavenger hunt, and the re-dedication of the True Meridian, Fischer said.
In the fall, Bicentennial Progressive Tours will be given with bus service provided by Ohio Specialty Services. Stops will include Speakeasy, the Copper Kettle Works, the Elks Lodge (former residence of Col. Kilbourne), the Historical Society and the Toledo & Central Ohio Train Station, with dinner served to tour-goers afterwards.
The idea, Fischer said, is to encourage residents of all ages to jump on the Bicentennial bandwagon. That could even mean inviting high school art students from Bucyrus, Buckeye Central, Colonel Crawford, and Wynford to paint Bicentennial-related images on storefronts downtown, which could be changed throughout the year, he said.
“We want to engage kids as much as possible,” Fischer said. “We feel there’s a richness to our history here and we want future generations to understand that and appreciate that.”
For now, the Commission has ordered more than 100 Bicentennial banners featuring the logo and “Community Unity” theme to be hung on light poles downtown by the end of the year. Businesses and organizations interested in sponsoring a banner can find additional information on the Bicentennial website www.bucyrus2021.com
“We’re going ahead with the planning full-steam,” Fischer said, despite a few setbacks earlier in the year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. “We’re going ahead and we’re very optimistic.”