MERNA – Heritage Days 2023 is right around the corner; the early summer celebration this year straddles two months: June and July.
Starting on Friday, June 30, the A-M Foundation will hold its annual banquet at the One Box Convention Center in Broken Bow, and the festival will officially kick off at 6 p.m. with the Little Miss Heritage Days Pageant for Anselmo-Merna 2nd and 3rd-grade girls to be held at the Activities Playground.
Saturday, July 1, opens with a 7:30 a.m. pancake feed at Anselmo-Merna School, sponsored by the Anselmo-Merna School Board and administration. Breakfast will run until 9 a.m. when the lineup and registration for the annual parade will open at the A-M School commons area. The parade theme this year is, “Little Moments – Big Memories.”
At 9:30, a street fair, complete with craft vendors and concessions by The Secret Garden will unroll down Main Street and remain open until 4 p.m.
Starting at 11 a.m., several events will set the stage for the afternoon: axe throwing downtown, an obstacle course on the Community Center’s west lawn, miniature golf on the library’s yard, and a pedal tractor pull downtown, sponsored by the Merna American Legion.
The afternoon will open with a cornhole tournament at noon, with the proceeds going to the Anselmo-Merna football team, and water activities for kids 7 and under at the sand volleyball court.
Other afternoon events include a photo booth, bingo, and a 3:30 p.m. ping pong ball drop downtown. At 5:30, the annual alumni barbeque will feed as many as possible in the City Park, and the festival will conclude in the hands of the fire department at the ball field: at 8 p.m., the volunteers will hold a watermelon feed at the ball field, followed by a fireworks display.
A flyer is attached.
