GARLAND — Registration to participate in one of Garland’s biggest events is now underway.
The second annual Garland Community Day is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. Some of the highlights include a parade, street dance and games. The event is being sponsored by the Town of Garland, North Carolina Small Towns Economic Prosperity (NC STEP) and other community organizations.
The theme for the event is “Honoring Yesterday, Celebrating Today, and Embracing Tomorrow!” For more than three decades, community members enjoyed the now-defunct Rotary fair in October. But after the Garland Rotary lost its charter in 2013, the event took a hiatus. Residents wanted it to return, so community members recharged the event and came up with Community Day.
In a letter addressed to friends of the community, Mary Brown, NC STEP chair, and Mayor Winifred Murphy stated that Garland’s Community Day is a special day for the town to honor and reflect on history, heritage, celebrate the present and embrace future generations.
“We do hope that you can come and join us as we honor, celebrate and embrace,” the officials said. “Our day will be filled with community vendors, joyous and diverse entertainment, a special unity ceremony and a spectacular parade. With the communities help, we hope to have activities for all ages and cultures.”
Town officials and organizers are looking for businesses, organizations and individuals to participate. Applications are now being accepted for parade entries, vendors and entertainment.
The parade line-up will begin at 9:30 a.m. on West Seventh Street and Church Avenue and coordinators will have an assigned number. There is no fee to join the parade, which is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. The listed grand marshal for the parade is Kyle Cashwell and Ashanti Matthews has been selected for the junior grand marshal spot.
An application to perform during a slot between noon and 4 p.m. is also available. Currently, a fee is not listed on the forms.
Fees for vendors depend on the service being offered during Community Day. The fee for non-food vendors is $15 per space and $25 for each food space. For education and informational participants, there is no charge. For anyone needing electricity, the fee is $20 per additional outlet. Since electricity is limited, participating vendors are being encouraged to have their own power source. Spaces will be assigned by a vendor setup committee.
The deadline for registrations is Sept. 1. Forms are available on Garland’s website, www.townofgarlandnc.com, and can be accessed by clicking on the “News/Events” tab. For more information, call 910-529-4141 or 910-627-1692.