Barrington celebrates 150th birthday this weekend

Barrington will celebrate not only the nation's independence this weekend, but also the town's 150th birthday, with four days of family friendly events highlighted by a parade down Main Street, a Fourth of July fireworks show and the long-awaited opening of the renovated White House.

The festivities kick off Thursday with the 31st annual Barrington 4th of July Brat Tent, where visitors can enjoy three days of food, live music and entertainment. Located in the north commuter lot of the Metra station downtown, the tent is open from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

On Friday, the event will pay special tribute to active military personnel and veterans through a number of events and displays, including a special ceremony at 3:30 p.m. to honor current and former service members. Among those taking part are sailors from Great Lakes Naval Academy, the Heart of a Marine foundation, and the Rolling Thunder Illinois honor ride group. There also will be opportunities to send a soldier a care package and sponsor a flag to aid research for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Live music will fill the tent Thursday and Friday nights. Alex and the All Stars and Sixteen Candles will perform Thursday, and Ron Hawking and Camile & Tangled Heart will take the stage Friday.

The observance of Barrington's 150th anniversary gets into full swing Saturday with the annual Fourth of July parade, which this year has the theme "Barrington Through the Decades - a Sesquicentennial Celebration." All entries will represent a particular decade of the town's history.

Longtime village residents Mary Smith and Paul Thompson will serve as co-grand marshals for the parade, which steps off at 10 a.m. from Barrington High School marches along Main Street to the train station. For more details, visit the parade's website, barringtonparade.com.

After the parade, the village will celebrate the official opening of the White House, the historic downtown home that underwent a $6.1 million, donor-funded renovation to become a community and cultural center for Barrington. Village officials and the White House Steering Committee will cut the ribbon and celebrate Barrington's birthday gift to itself.

Residents can then tour the White House throughout the day and learn more about its history and unique architecture. Former village Trustee Tim Dunn, who is the great, great grandnephew of the house's builder, will be reading the Declaration of Independence from the home's front porch.

The Independence Day festivities conclude with the village's annual fireworks display, which will get underway at dusk at Barrington High School, 616 W. Main St.

More history-themed fun is to be had Sunday, when the Chicago Salmon vintage baseball team will mark its 20th anniversary with games beginning at 1 p.m. at Miller Park. The games will include local Barrington ballplayers taking a turn at playing with the Salmon.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Barrington Area Ministerial Association will host Families, Fun and Faith Ice Cream Social, an afternoon of music, games, and an ice cream social at the brat tent. This event is reminiscent of the Methodist Camp that was an annual fixture in the Barrington community for 100 years.

For more information on all the events this weekend, visit barrington150.org.