Bovina Bicentennial Celebration, Update 10

We are less than ten months away from the big day and four months from the actual Bovina Birthday!

Last month's blog entry focused on the plans for the celebration weekend in 2020, so please go to that entry (https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2019/09/bovina-bicentennial-celebration-update-9.html) to see the tentative schedule.

We have added to the schedule plans to have a Bovina Birthday Party on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, the actual 200th birthday of our town at the Bovina Community Hall. Stay tuned for more details. It likely will be a dish to pass kind of event with a birthday cake (assuming the weather cooperates, of course). 

A lot of this month has focused on fundraising. Two boxes of my recently released History of the Town of Bovina were purchased with Bicentennial funds from Purple Mountain Press and we are into the second box. I sold some at Taste of the Catskills (thanks to Jay and Abby Wilson), sold more at a book signing on October 17 hosted by the Bovina Historical Society (thanks to BHS President Briana Riera and all the other board members who helped) and have started selling at Russell's Store where sales have been brisk. All proceeds from these sales go into the Bovina Bicentennial Fund. 

The ad-hoc Bicentennial committee will be meeting in November (date to be announced). I want to create four sub-committees: 

• Parade committee will be responsible for getting marching units, including floats, bands, and any other participants, as well as handling organizing the actual parade (the Bovina Fire Department will handle traffic control).
• Vendor/food event committee will be responsible for the event under the tent on celebration day. I have already lined up a couple of food vendors. This event will celebrate Bovina's history and community. It would be great to have local people selling their wares, but it also would be nice to have different displays relating to the town and its people. 
• Music committee will handle the evening music program under the tent. We want to have local musicians come for an evening celebration that will end with a bonfire (and maybe roasting weinies and s'mores).
• Fundraising committee will help reach out to local businesses and people who want to help with the celebration. I already have been actively seeking grant funding but in some instances we will need to match the funding.

I am looking for volunteers to participate on these committees, as well as suggestions for people I can contact. The next committee meeting date will be via Facebook and through the Bovina Historian google group and the Bovina Bulletin Board.