GUILFORD — For the third year in a row, Guilford will celebrate community on Saturday, June 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Broad Brook Grange, which is sponsoring the event, in Guilford Center.
There will be a 5K road race, whiffle ball, music, food, activities for kids, and a special unveiling and dedication of a Guilford 250th commemorative plaque at the nearby museum.
Registration for the 5K run begins at 8:30 a.m., and the race begins at 10 a.m. The route winds its way up a hill, past quiet woods, open fields, dairy farms, and a one-room schoolhouse, through historic Guilford Center, ending back at the Grange.
Participants may register in advance or on the day of the race. The $10 fee benefits the Building Fund of the 1896 Grange building, which serves as the town's community center.
At 9:45 a.m., an American Legion color guard will post the colors. At 10 a.m., there will be an informal, free whiffle ball game in the pasture adjacent to the Grange. At 11 a.m., strolling accordionist Bob Tucker of Guilford will entertain with old time tunes, and may invite a sing-along. Also performing will be the two-person string band, The Howling Kettles.
Activities for kids include games, such as tug-of-war with prizes, and free face painting. The Guilford Free Library will give out free books and free library cards to Guilford residents.
There will be free watermelon provided by the Guilford Historical Society. Picnicking is allowed and there will be food from Dick & Cindy's hot dog cart, supplied by Blueberry Haus, where hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers will be for sale, with proceeds benefitting the Guilford Recreation Club.
Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG) will be selling lemonade and ice cream, with sundae fixings, along with T-shirts and other FOMAG items.
Visitors can buy two DVD souvenirs of the recent Guilford 250th celebration. One DVD has the performance of Broad Brook Anthology, a play for voices presented last November. And a newly-issued 2-disc set is a six-hour retrospective of the 50-plus events of the 2011 celebration year. Both DVDs were produced by Guilford videographer Michael Hanish.
Near noon, at the Guilford Historical Society's Museum in the old Town Hall, the unveiling of a commemorative plaque for the 250th will be held. The bronze plaque has the 250th logo and will be set in a large stone in the front yard of the museum. Joy Wallens-Penford designed the logo, and the stone was donated by Eddie Clark.
Donations will be accepted during the event to support the celebration.