Old Timers celebrates 25 years

• Volga citywide celebration runs through Sunday

VOLGA – It’s going to be a big week for Volga.

It’s the 25th Old Timers Celebration. “Through the Decades” is the theme for this year’s celebration, and an all-school reunion Saturday night is one of the highlights.

But festivities begin Friday with citywide rummage sales and an alumni golf tournament at Meadow Creek Golf Course. That evening, Meadow Creek is set to host a party for the community, beginning at 7 p.m., with food catered by The Valley Restaurant, free ice cream from RFD News Group, inflatables from Volga Girl Scouts, a bean bag tourney, live music by One Night Only, and finally fireworks at dusk.

Saturday is the big day, starting early with a 7 a.m. pancake feed at the Volga community center.

New to Old Timers Day this year is a bone marrow registry drive: Community members can register to become a possible bone marrow donor at the community center from 7-9 a.m. Saturday, and again from 12-3 p.m. at the city park and starting at 4 p.m. at Sioux Valley Schools.

A new 5K run joins the traditional “Race at your own Pace” this year, and both start from the auditorium, with 8:30 a.m. registration.

Also new this year is a volleyball tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. Saturday. The celebration has long included a softball tournament, which also runs all day Saturday this year.

The Old Timers parade begins at 11 a.m. from Sioux Valley Schools, but what follows is new this year, an organizer said: The Parade of Homes hosted by FCCLA. The tour includes four homes, some historical and some modern.

Another new activity in keeping with “Through the Decades” is a bus tour hosted by the Volga Lions Club, called “If Tombstones Could Talk.” The tour bus leaves at 12:45 p.m. from the Brookings County Museum. It will stop at Hillside Cemetery and Schadé Vineyard.

A Party in the Park lasts from noon to 3 p.m. with food vendors, craft booths, live music and games for kids. Water games begin at noon and a kiddie tractor pull at 1:30 p.m. There’s also free swimming all day at the city pool.

An all-school reunion for Sioux Valley begins with registration and tours at 4 p.m., followed by a steak dinner, program and social featuring music by Something New.

Also Saturday night, Volga firefighters will host a street dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. featuring The Rude Band.

The Old Timers Celebration wraps up Sunday, with a 10:30 a.m. community coffee and 11 a.m. worship service, in the Sioux Valley gym.

Commemorative T-shirts are being sold at Valley Mart, Jagers and City Hall. For more information, visit www.volgacity.com or email oldtimers_volga@yahoo.com.



Contact Charis Prunty at cprunty@-brookingsregister.com.