NEWS RELEASE - Overview           For release June 25, 2008

Fun for all at Southampton, Aug. 14-17, 2008

Southampton, Ont., June 25, 2008 -- Be sure to set aside the third weekend in August for an unforgettable time in Southampton.

They call it a four-day anniversary party, and what a party it promises to be. The town at the mouth of the Saugeen is getting ready to celebrate 150 years since incorporation as a village in 1858.

150th Anniversary Weekend runs Aug. 14-17, 2008, from the opening ceremony at the Flag on Thursday, to the closing at Fairy Lake on Sunday. It's your chance to experience a century and a half of town history ... with a parade, artisans village, antique cars, live music on the beach, three dances, roller skating, feasting and a school reunion.

Visitors are expected from far and wide, and, with 38 events packed into four days, their only problem will be choosing what to see, and what will have to be missed. All events are connected with Southampton's historical and cultural heritage, under the umbrella theme "Then and Now".

At the Artisans' Village in Town Hall you can see demonstrations of the skills of yesteryear: weaving, rug hooking, wood turning, pottery making, clockmaking and rock chiselling.

Car buffs can enjoy Gary Brown's Cruisers Night car show down at the Flag, watch the classic cars in the Saturday parade, and then get a close-up view at the OLG Antique Car Show.

It's a four-day music festival, too, as a tent and stage sprout at Southampton's Flag for four days of fun and music. There's folk and roots on Thursday night, rock on Friday night, jazz on Saturday afternoon, and country and bluegrass on Sunday afternoon. It's an unprecedented chance to hear local musicians like Flashback, Bearcats, Waterside, Jim MacDonald, and the Southampton Jazz Band.

The Big Band Dance at Town Hall on Saturday night features the always popular Stardust Big Band. For the same $15 ticket you can step next door to the Arena and take in Sapsuckers and the Greg Deckert Band, headlining the 150th Anniversary Dance. For details, see the news release on music.

There's something for all ages. The children's program is a full of fun activities: when you enter the bicycle decorating contest and bike rodeo on Friday (with gifts for all entrants) you can take your bike in the big parade down High Street the next day. Kids also won't want to miss the BMX dirt bike demo, the penny carnival and kite-flying on the beach.

Teens, too, can have a good time at the Teen Dance at Town Hall, Friday evening, and the beach volleyball tournament on Saturday.

Saturday morning will be unforgettable as High Street fills with a massive parade on the theme of "Then and Now." Organizer Bob Cartwright says the parade has six marching bands and 42 floats. For more, see the news release on the parade.

And talk about food -- you won't go hungry, with community breakfasts, perch sandwich lunch and a beef bash BBQ dinner.

The list of events goes on -- tennis demonstrations, canoe and kayak regatta, school reunion, lantern festival, and actors from Performing Artists of Saugeen Shores in period costume on the street.

The 150th anniversary celebrations are made possible by the hard work of a large team of volunteers, plus funding from government and local sponsors. For more, see the news release on sponsors.