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Concord Township’s Community Days will return on Aug. 5-6 to celebrate the township’s bicentennial year.
According to township Recreation Director Debra Bechel-Esker, this year will see the return of a fully-featured Community Days, after the event was canceled in 2020 and slimmed-down in 2021 due to the pandemic.
It also continues the long list of events the township has held this year to mark its bicentennial, which occurred on March 8.
Aug. 5 will be the event’s “Uncorked” Cocktail Hours from 6 to 10 p.m., while Aug. 6 will be Family Day from 8 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 11 p.m.
New to “Uncorked” this year will be bar service from the Thirsty Filly.
“In addition to beer and wine, we are doing cocktails to kind of amp it up a little bit,” Bechel-Esker said.
She noted that the Friday night will also include food trucks, a bicentennial raffle and music from the RayBans Steel Drum Band and Rock Radio Band.
“You start the evening off with this relaxing island vibe, having cocktails served by the Thirsty Filly, perusing the bicentennial raffle baskets and just enjoying time together and then the Rock Radio Band amps it up with dance tunes and toe-tapping music,” she said.
Family Day will start with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m.
The event will resume at 4 p.m., when Bechel-Esker said that there will be a bicentennial flag raising ceremony. That flag will remain for the rest of the year.
For the first time at Community Days, the township will also welcome visitors to the Old Stone Schoolhouse, 7125 Ravenna Road, starting at 4:30 p.m.
“A lot of people pass by this building every day and have never been inside,” Bechel-Esker said. “It’s basically Concord Township’s museum. It’s our repository of a lot of our artifacts and displays of pioneer life in Concord.”
Don Maxson will give tours of the schoolhouse. He and Bechel-Esker co-wrote the Concord Township book for “Images of America,” and Bechel-Esker said Maxson “is basically our local historian.”
Other activities at the Old Stone School will include a look at pioneer life and family games from that time period.
Meanwhile, traditional Family Day events will take place at Town Hall, 7229 Ravenna Road. The event’s schedule lists beer sales, food trucks, a raffle, a craft and vendor space and Bubblepalooza. Concord Alliance Church will sponsor a Kid’s World area.
The frog jump contest, which has been hosted for more than 40 years by the Penny family, will be held from 4:30 until 6 p.m. Bechel-Esker said that attendees can get in line and pick a frog, and trophies will be awarded for the three longest jumps.
She added that the frogs are not harmed and are returned to their habitat afterward.
Bechel-Esker said that the band Pieces of Eight will play from 5 until 7 p.m., at which point the township will hold a centennial birthday party. Cupcakes will be served, and the township will name its citizen of the year.
Abbey Rodeo will then take the stage from 8 until 10 p.m., when the event’s fireworks will begin.
Community Days has been held for more than 40 years, Bechel-Esker noted. The event was initially planned by a group of community volunteers, and the township has overseen the event since 2016.
“It’s an opportunity for family and friends to come together to relax, to have fun, to celebrate Concord Township,” she said. “Life is so busy these days…and this is a chance just to relax for a while and enjoy live music and friendship.”
Bechel-Esker noted that many township businesses have contributed to the festival. Larger sponsors will have banners on the fences at Town Hall, and the event’s sponsors will be recognized in the fall edition of the Concord Grapevine.
“Concord businesses are very supportive of recreation events, and it’s obvious that they like to give back to the community,” she said.
The event is open for township residents as well as those from other communities.
With the exception of the events at the Old Stone Schoolhouse, Community Days will take place at Town Hall. The Romick Railway will transport visitors between the schoolhouse and main venue between 4:30 and 9 p.m. on that Saturday. Admission is free.
Bechel-Esker said that anyone who wants to know more, or who is interested in being a vendor at the event, can call her at 440-639-4652 or email desker@concordtwp.com.
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