BUCYRUS –The “pot” is getting sweeter as the city prepares to conclude its yearlong Bicentennial celebration.
A copper kettle raffle has been added to the closing event – the Bicentennial black-tie gala – on Dec. 31 at the Lofts at Pickwick Place. Tickets for the ball, which are $100 each, go on sale Monday, with only 200 seats available on a first-come basis.
“It will be a time to make history in Bucyrus,” said Kelli Patterson, coordinator for the city’s Bicentennial Commission. “The celebration of our 2021 year is coming to an end, but not really. It’s being used as a springboard. This is just the beginning of what’s next.”
Tickets to the gala include hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing, and live entertainment. At the same time, the Crawford County Arts Council will have an art exhibit and silent auction downstairs, with proceeds to benefit their scholarship fund, Patterson said.
The copper kettle, which was donated by James Patrick of Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works, will be raffled off for $25 a ticket but will also be brimming with items donated by Bucyrus-area businesses. “The winner will get the kettle and all this amazing stuff. I think it’s going to make it that more special,” Patterson said.
The idea to fill the kettle actually came from Patrick and the owners of two other businesses in town – The Copper Irons and The Paper Pipe, Patterson said. “James is so community-oriented as far as the Bicentennial.
He has been so hands-on. It just evolved from there.”
The Commission is already soliciting kettle donations, which will be collected through Dec. 3, Patterson said. Businesses that don’t have a specific product to sell can also participate by sponsoring a table at the gala with their company logo featured and special recognition that evening.
The New Year’s Eve event will culminate with the “Bratwurst Drop” at Schines Art Park downtown, which will be live streamed at midnight. The drop was originally set to kick off the Bicentennial a year ago but was postponed until May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Patterson said.
Planners have rallied around the “Community Unity” theme for the city’s 200th birthday, which has been marked by several celebratory events throughout the year, many of which have coincided with Memorial Day, Fourth of July festivities, the Bratwurst Festival, and other already established events.
But the Commission’s legacy projects, which have laid the foundation for the future of Bucyrus and its residents, will be remembered long after the ball – or the bratwurst – drop on New Year’s Eve, Patterson said.
“It’s the spirit of Bucyrus. We’re leaving that legacy. And those projects will still be in place even though the celebrations are coming to an end.”
Tickets for the gala can be ordered from Emma Crawford at emma@bucyrus2021.com Information on table sponsorships is available from Debbi Gifford, 419-569-4748.