4th celebrates Sleepy Hollows 50th birthday
"This year's 4th of July celebration will be extra special because we are celebrating our village's 50th birthday," explained Sleepy Hollow Service Club member Greg Kesseler. "The fireworks will be spectacular as it will be our usual display with the addition of some special fireworks thanks to a partnering with the village to do a bonus show."
The Service Club will be celebrating its own 35 years of existence this year as well and has made sure that all of the usual 4th of July traditions will continue as well beginning with the morning Sleepy Hollow Mile Fun Run/Walk at 8:15 a.m. It starts at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School, circles Sabatino Park and ends back at the swimming pool.
At 9 a.m. young and old anglers will have picked out their favorite spots around Lake Sharon for the Bob Zdenek Memorial Fishing Derby. They will try their luck until 11 a.m to see who will be able to catch the biggest fish or at least have the opportunity to have the best story of "the one that got away".
The Bill Ritchie Memorial Parade begins at noon. John Florance, SHSC vice president said, "If anyone would like to be in the parade, just show up at the Sleepy Hollow pool parking lot at 11:30." Many times the parade participants are equal in number to the parade observers with everyone from dads on riding mowers, kids on bikes and babies in strollers and wagons all taking part in this march around Sabatino Park. Everyone has added a touch of red, white and blue to their vehicles and it is truly a community event.
The park itself is the heart of the village and from noon to 4 p.m. it is the place to be. There are games for the kids and pony rides and train rides as well. There will be a dunk tank and lots of entertainment. You can enjoy the contemporary music of Steve & Sylvia & Friends while you munch on hot dogs, brats, Italian beef sandwiches washed down with pop, water or even beer and wine, foreign and domestic, if you have a wrist band. There will be an ice cream truck there during the day and in the evening as well.
This year there will also be a special 50th Anniversary booth set up where some original maps and other memorabilia will be displayed. There will also be some longtime residents to provide some "living history" reminiscences about the early years. You can purchase special mementos of the occasion like 50th anniversary T-shirts and mugs emblazoned with our famous headless horseman and this is the last year to purchase your Lake Sharon Flag Pole Commemorative Granite brick. You can also buy raffle tickets for the 3 p.m. Raffle drawing.
At 2:30 p.m the pie eating contest begoms which is open to kids under 18. John Florance describes the pies as "competition grade pies involving pudding and whipped cream in an aluminum pan" and the fastest eater determined by the judges will win a gift card from Best Buy.
At 3 p.m. the main raffle drawing will take place and the top prize has been raised this year from $750 to $1,000. There are additional cash prizes of $300 and $200 plus four tickets to a Chicago Cubs game, a flagpole brick and more. You don't have to be present to win.
By 4 p.m. everything begins to shut down until the big Fireworks Display at 9 p.m. The gates open at 7 p.m. and a rain date is set for Saturday. People can come and get a good spot to see the show and bring some mosquito repellant to ward off unwelcome diners. This should be a wonderful never-to-be-forgotten day at least until our 75th birthday rolls around.