Friday, September 5, 2003

Palmetto gearing up for birthday celebration

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

Start digging through your closets and rummaging in the attic for some fashions from yesteryear. Palmetto is celebrating its 150th birthday this month with four days of events starting September 25 and is asking anyone who attends to dress accordingly.

During Monday night's City Council meeting, city officials encouraged everyone to participate in this year's celebration.

The city was founded in 1853, so anything from the late 19th century would not be out of place during the festivities. Bonnets and bustles, hoop skirts and parasols for the fairer sex will help call to mind the early days of Palmetto when a lady's ankle was all the rage.

Derbys or straw hats, stiff collars, spats, overalls and pocket watches will do for the men who want to strut their stuff like their great granddad did.

It's all part of a taste of what Palmetto has been and still is, a friendly, little town proudly sharing its history and southern flavor with those who enjoy nothing better than an old fashioned cake walk or hoe-down.

There will be plenty to see and hear through Sunday, September 28 when the celebration concludes, officials said.

A car show on Saturday that goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will also have food and other booths available. Live entertainment will be provided by Music Express on both Friday and Saturday. Line dancing, a trolley tour around town, old-fashioned games for the kids, an art show and a quilt show are some of the other happenings.

It's a little bit of old and new the last weekend in September for the citizens of Palmetto. You won't be denied admission if you show up in a new pair of jeans, but there isn't any other time you can stroll up and down the avenue and gawk at all the newfangled marvels