September 11 & 12} Santa Rosa Beach Centennial Celebration

Founded 100 years ago…Santa RosaBeach prepares for Celebration.

The centennial of Santa Rosa Beach is now well into the planning process with  County Commissioner Cecilia Jones, and other county offices , the Chamber of Commerce,  the Tourist Development Center,  plus local business organizations  and historic societies coming together for a  free two day spectacular celebration. 

The dates are  Saturday and Sunday , September 11-12, 2010at Gulf Placelocated on 30-A.  The Saturday is “Celebration Day” and “let the good times roll”  will begin  at 10:00AM. Plans are in the works  to have various bands and close that evening with a  well known headliner.  Local folk  artisans will be working and selling their wares on the grounds.

Sunday is “Heritage Day”, and festivities are to be oriented to the history and the founding of the Old Town of Santa Rosa which originally sat on Hogtown Bayou plus the entire Santa RosaBeacharea  communities.

The focus is to bring back the old time fair with  pioneer cracker music, get down clog dancing, and minstrel shows. Plans are to have craft men and women show  how things were mostly made by hand plus  early machinery techniques. Also in the planning stages are the various games that were found at early country fairs. Sackcloth races, three legged races, the  spoon and egg running event, wheelbarrow run, and the old games of pin the tail on the donkey and horseshoes for the children plus several others.  

 Including in the planning stage are:  the good old days with pickling and preserves  for sale, quilt making stands , muscadine wine,  bee keeping and local honey, basket makers, jug pottery, rock-candy cookers, leather and wood craft, needlepoint, soap producers, lumber and turpentine displays, the old blacksmith, homemade fragrances, and so many, many other primitive displays.

Return to the era of the  timeless fruit stand selling vegetables , lemonade stands and country fired chicken, pies, plus other “fix’ns” . Simply put, it is  just  “back to the past”  taste treats.

Horse and buggy rides,  and costumed actors will escort the visitors plus  hand out the old fashioned hand-fans which was the air-conditioning of days-gone-by coupled with balloons for the children. You will also hear the marvelous echoes of the cock-a-doodling roosters on the grounds.

The attendants will be greeted as they enter the grounds with large displays of old maps of what the area looked like plus early photos of the community pioneering families and the steamboats that brought them to Santa Rosa.  

Maybe you have a “by-gone craft” ?  For those wishing to sell goods,  10’x10’ tent space will be only $35.00 for the two days. For those wishing to only demonstrate , and not sell anything, there will be no charge for a space. Vendor participants will be chosen by the Celebration Committee.  Vendor space is limited with a  deadline for vendor entry of  May 1, 2010.  Call Johndra Culp, event coordinator at 622-5815 for details.

The 100 year celebration will also need volunteers. Join in on the fun, call  Johndra to get on the volunteer list. You can even dress up if you wish!