Quasquicentennial News

Party on the Bricks!

Join us as we kick back and enjoy the spring event for the Quasquicentennial Celebration! We are looking forward to a great time complete with awesome food and toe-tapping music! We are closing off C Street between Norris Avenue and West 1st Street for most of the day so come join the fun!

The Ping Pong Ball Drop is the much anticipated retail promotion that promises everyone will have a “ball”! We will shoot thousands and thousands of Ping Pong Balls into the air and watch you and your family scramble to collect as many as you can! The balls will be specially marked for redemption at the various sponsoring merchants. Merchants will be offering discounts, prizes, and more when you bring the balls to their respective stores. It will be fun for everyone with groups classed by age. The lucky participant who finds the “Grand Prize” ball will be eligible to travel to SolVista, Colorado, for either skiing in the winter months or golfing in the summer months. Included will be a gas card and cold hard cash for easy spending while on your trip!

Once you’ve had a chance to catch your breath, we’ll entertain you with a public shaving of anyone who wishes to participate in the Quasquicentennial Beard Growing Contest! The food vendors will be set and ready to serve a variety of mouthwatering foods by around 4:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chairs and chow down while listening to music beginning at 6:00 p.m. And don’t forget your dancing shoes so, as you feel the beat of a great band from Eastern Nebraska, you can indulge your urge to dance the night away! The band, Slingshot, plays Top 40 Country, Classic Country and traditional Rock & Roll! Mark your calendar....you will want to be there!

Special Day for Quasquicentennial Logo

March 1, 2007 was a special day in McCook! On March 1, mail originating in McCook was cancelled with a special quasquicentennial cancellation stamp to commemorate the beginning of McCook’s 125th birthday celebration. It was a busy day at the Post Office and a memorable day for the Central Elementary students. Students visited the Post Office and were given a tour. They were treated to a glimpse of what happens to their mail once they put it into the mailbox. Many students brought special letters with them to be marked with the 125th cancellation stamp. James Casson, Postmaster, noted that he had also received several hundred letters from around the world requesting the special cancellation. Students on the tour were treated to special quasquicentennial pencils, courtesy of ACME Touch Printing, and cookies courtesy of the Post Office.

Quasquicentennial Events
(Subject to Change)

February 3 - McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet* Theme: Happy Birthday McCook

Guest Speaker: Senator Ben Nelson
(*Not a Quasquicentennial Activity but the Banquet will serve as the 2007 kick-off.)

March 1 – McCook Quasquicentennial Cancellation Stamp

Historical ‘first use’ of the official Quasquicentennial Cancellation Stamp at McCook Post Office.

May 5 - “Party on the Bricks”

Food, music and fun.

3:00 p.m. Ping Pong Ball Drop Retail Promotion: Thousands of Ping-Pong balls will be dropped on Norris Avenue. Ping-Pong balls will be specially marked for prizes, retail discounts, etc.

4:00 p.m. Food Vendors: A wide selection of Food Vendors will be available to satisfy even the hungriest of the hungry!

5:00 p.m. Public Shaving: Participants in the ‘official’ beard-growing competition will be publicly shaved to kick off the contest. Winners will be announced at Heritage Days Celebration in September.

6:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.  Music, Music and Music!

6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Band to be announced.

8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Sling Shot from Eastern NE playing a mix of top 40 Country, Classic Country, and traditional Rock and Roll.

July 4 - “ Happy Fourth of July”

All Day Baseball Tournament: (More Details TBA)

6:00 p.m. Baseball, Hot Dogs and Apple Pie(?): All American Celebration complete with Hot Dog Supper including a Watermelon Feed at the Jaycee Complex.

6:00 p.m. Vintage Baseball: Baseball players from the Stuhr Museum will involve ‘loco’ locals in a fun-spirited baseball game based on the old-time rules complete with period uniforms for both teams.

9:00 p.m. “Patriotic and Proud” Program: Inspirational (with a twist of fun included) musical program including special instrumental and vocal music selections.

September 29-30 - Heritage Days Celebration

All the usual activities plus special additions to commemorate the 125th Birthday of our community. Plans have not yet been finalized.

October 31 - Fall Extravaganza

Organizers are still formulating the plans for this special event. Announcements will be made as information is available.

December 1 - Old Fashioned Christmas

Plans are being made for a very special day to celebrate our heritage of Christmas’ Past. Tentative plans include a Craft Show, Christmas Lights Parade, Caroling, Horse & Buggy Rides, Victorian thru Modern Day Santas, Street Corner musicians, gift wrapping, Homespun Holiday Hearths on street corners with cider, cocoa, smores, etc. These activities will coincide with the Holiday Housing Tour and Christmas movies.

December 8 - Governor’s Ball
(Subject to Change)

The Quasquicentennial is working through the Norris Foundation to organize and plan this very special, gala event. Honored guests will include Governors and other statesmen as well as family representatives of those who are deceased.

Quasquicentennial Sponsor Levels

Heritage ($5,000.00 and Up)

The Heritage sponsor level includes the Heritage Souvenir Pak, advertising recognition, name listed on a sponsor banner at all 2007 Quasquicentennial activities, and six complementary tickets to the Governor’s Ball.

Golden Plains ($2,500.00 and Up)

The Golden Plains sponsor level includes the Golden Plains Souvenir Pak, advertising recognition, name listed on a sponsor banner at all 2007 Quasquicentennial activities, and 4 complementary tickets to the Governor’s Ball.

Prairie ($1,000.00 and Up)

The Prairie sponsor level includes the Prairie Souvenir Pak, advertising recognition, name listed on a sponsor banner at all 2007 Quasquicentennial activities and two complementary tickets to the Governor’s Ball.

Pioneer ($500.00 and Up)

The Pioneer sponsor level includes advertising recognition and the Pioneer Souvenir Pak.

Homestead ($250.00 and Up)

The Homestead sponsor level includes advertising recognition and the Homestead Souvenir.

Settler (Up TO $250.00)

Friends of McCook - Thank you!