by Geoff Fox
Everyone will be celebrating America’s 250th birthday on Saturday, July 4, but the Hancock Arts Council and Main Street Hancock will keep the party going on Sunday, July 5, in Widmeyer Park.
Former Mayor Dan Murphy said the Hancock Arts Council will be hosting the event in the park with music beginning at 2 p.m.
Murphy said people are invited to bring their own picnic if they’d like, but there will be food vendors at the park.
Food begins at 12:30 p.m.
Among the vendors will be Chef Jeremy Ward, the Culinary Gangster, with his fresh fruit kabobs, ground beef sliders, vegetable wraps, and cherry BBQ pork sliders for sale.
Murphy said parts of the money from those sales would be donated back into the community.
There will also be 75 first come, first serve Antietam Dairy ice creams available with coupons from the Hancock Main Street table. The ice cream was donated by Sierra and Danny Flohr.
The Arts Council Band will be performing patriotic and Americana music from the founding of our nation through the present with songs sung during that time.
The Tri-State Ukelectrics will also perform, followed by a Community Kazoo Band with free kazoos for the first 40 people and conducted by Mike Klingerman, professor emeritus at the Washington Conservatory of Music.
Main Street Hancock will also have a table at the event where there will be face painting and taking public input on their Town Mural project.
Main Street Hancock wants to hear what makes Hancock special to you be it the trails, river, history, small town charm, or community spirit.
Hancock Girl Scouts will have a booth where they will have patriotic crafts for the kids at the event.
Event organizers said there will also be brochures of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence available, a commemorative print, and American flags will be given out to the first to come.
And for those who want to cool off from the heat, the splash pad will also be open during the celebration.
Should there be rain, the event, since it is a musical event, would be moved to the Community Center on High Street.
Toll House opening July 4
The Historical Society will also be having the Toll House, just west of town on Rt. 144, open on Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a member of the Historical Society on hand to answer questions and talk about the building’s history.
It’s free to tour the Toll House.
