City of Adrian unveils entertainment schedule for bicentennial weekend

ADRIAN — After several months of planning, including input received from a number of local groups/organizations, a four-day schedule of events for Adrian’s bicentennial celebration has been announced.

The city of Adrian is set to celebrate its 200th birthday this summer, July 3 through July 6, 2025. The schedule of celebratory weekend events was unveiled last week during the Adrian City Commission’s Jan. 21 meeting, and a corresponding bicentennial website is now live online and can be visited at sites.google.com/view/adrianbicentennial2025/home.

As the planning process continues over the next couple of months, additional activities and information will be added to the list of events.

Here’s what to expect and what can be added to your calendar for the first couple of days in July:

Thursday, July 3

6:30 to 7 p.m., Ice cream social at the Adrian City Market, 115 Toledo St. This is a free event and is available while supplies last. There will be 200 servings of ice cream available.
7 to 9 p.m., Adrian City Band and Lenawee Community Chorus performance at the Adrian City Market. Another free event, spectators are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and listen to a live American heritage concert of music.

Friday, July 4

10 a.m., Free Civitan of Lenawee 4th of July parade. Those wanting to participate in the parade must register beforehand.
Noon, Rededication of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) marker at Comstock Park, 263 W. Maumee St., followed by an Indigenous People recognition and opening of the time capsule buried in Comstock Park.
2 p.m., Moriyama Sister City talk in Friendship Alley in downtown Adrian.
3 p.m., Hispanic Heritage program conducted by Latino Leaders for the Enhancement of Advocacy and Development (LLEAD) Adrian.
5 p.m., Historic walking tour around downtown Adrian and in Comstock Park.
5 to 8 p.m., First Fridays activities throughout downtown Adrian.
10 p.m., Fireworks show at Comstock Park. Spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets with them.

Saturday, July 5

8 a.m., Fun run/walk at Trestle Park, 302 Hunt St. Registration is required.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Parade of homes around Adrian. This is a ticketed event, and tickets will be available soon.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Farmers market and other vendors at the Adrian City Market.
Noon, Free historic baseball game at Island Park, 1090 N. Broad St., featuring the Walker Tavern Wheels who are a vintage baseball team playing 1860s style/rules baseball.
2 to 10 p.m., Events relocate to the PlaneWave Instruments campus, 1375 N. Main St., for musical performances and additional activities hosted by the River Raisin Ragtime Revue.

River Raisin Ragtime Revue plays ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’

The River Raisin Ragtime Revue closed its performance July 9, 2022, at its Ragtime Extravaganza with Sousa’s ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever.’

Sunday, July 6

9 a.m. to noon, Parade of homes around Adrian. This is a ticketed event, and tickets will be available soon.
9 a.m., Bike tour with Mayor Angie Sword Heath. The free bike tour will start at the Adrian City Market/Farmers Market Pavilion and will tour historical places in the city.
Noon, Time capsule burial at Comstock Park.
Noon to 2 p.m., Picnic in the park at Comstock Park, which will close out the weekend of events.

Adrian’s bicentennial website is interactive in that it allows users to click on each event date for more information, how they can learn about sponsorships, maps of locations where bicentennial events will be held, information about historic tours, and how to be part of a bicentennial community scrapbook project being led by the Adrian District Library.

Planning for Adrian’s bicentennial weekend began sometime in May/June 2024 and will culminate in a community celebration of Adrian’s history and its future, Adrian City Commissioner Mary Roberts said.

Work is still going on to fine-tune all bicentennial plans, and sponsorships/donations are being sought. There are many ways for volunteers to assist, too. The next meeting of Adrian’s bicentennial planning committee is 6 p.m. Feb. 10 in the basement of the Adrian District Library for anybody interested in learning more.

The bicentennial committee has worked with many groups over the past months including the River Raisin Ragtime Revue, Adrian City Band, Lenawee Community Chorus, Civitan of Lenawee, the Lenawee Historical Society, Adrian College, Adrian First Fridays, Adrian Noon Rotary, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Adrian District Library, Downtown Adrian Main Street/DDA and many volunteers.

The logo for Adrian’s bicentennial has been created by Alayna Paeth with Adrian College’s Department of Art and Design.