Community plans a full weekend of events

It’s Homecoming time again in Olive Hill, and – yes – that means the parade and fireworks. But it also means talent shows, live music, free pool day, and more.

Events actually kicked off a few weekends back when the Homecoming Pageant was held at West Carter High School. Lexi Bond was selected by judges to represent the community as Miss Olive Hill. Her court includes Teen Miss Independence Taylor Maschke and runner-up Shelby Suttles, Pre-Teen Miss Independence Camryn Varney and runner-up Piper Rayburn, Junior Miss Independence Londyn Lykins and runner-up Raylynn Stevens, Small Miss Firecracker Kayleigh McDavid and runner-up Aubree Judd, Little Miss Firecracker Nevaeh Bush and runner-up Sophia Villasenor, Little Mr. Firecracker Kingston Swanigan, Mini Miss Sparkler Abbie Barker and runner-up Kennedi Lawson, Mini Mr. Sparkler Easton Wilburn and runner-up Lucas Bradley, Tiny Miss Sparkler Bristol Covie Jordan and runner-up Harper Walker, Wee Miss Sparkler Haisley Cook and runner-up Remi Irick, Wee Mr. Sparkler Liam Tackett, and Baby Miss Sparkler Ivy Roe and runner-up River Rae Walker.

You can look for them all in the parade on Saturday, but the festivities get started in earnest well before that. Things kick off tomorrow (Thursday), with a free movie night at the Depot, in downtown Olive Hill, at 8:30. The Chamber will be showing The Land Before Time on the big screen outside.

Then, on Friday, the Olive Hill Center for Arts & Education hold their annual On With the Show song and dance show, featuring the music of Broadway and Hollywood. The setlist currently includes Send in the Clowns from Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, When Life Gives Me Lemons from the movie Peter Rabbit, Cuban Pete from the Mask, Never Enough from the Greatest Showman, Memory from Cats, and Somewhere from West Side Story. Additional numbers include Cool Rider from Grease 2, Hopelessly in Love with You from Grease, I Only Have Eyes for You from Dames, No Reason from Beetlejuice, and other music as well as dance routines.

The business window decoration contest will also be conducted on Friday evening, so if you haven’t gotten yours ready for the weekend yet, now is the time.

Saturday, of course, is parade day. That kicks off at 1 p.m., with lineup starting at Olive Hill Elementary at 11 a.m. But before you lineup and brave the heat, you might be interested in grabbing yourself a pancake breakfast at the Olive Hill First Christian Church. Breakfast will be served there from 7:30 – 10 a.m.

After the parade you can check out more music, see more dancing, and discover your neighbors’ hidden talents, when Olive Hill’s Got Talent kicks off at 6 p.m., back down at the Depot.

While there’s still plenty of fun, there is some sad news for the car enthusiasts among us. The Cruise-In, originally scheduled for the same time at Olive Hill Auto Parts, has been cancelled by the sponsors, event organizers said. But despite the cancellation, there’s still plenty to keep you busy through the Monday holiday.  

On Sunday, for instance, you can load up the kids and escape the heat at the City of Olive Hill’s Free Pool Day. Swimming at the public pool is free that day, from 12:30 – 5 p.m. That gives you plenty of time to enjoy the event before heading out for the Blessing of the Animals in the city park next door, from 3:30 – 4:30, and then enjoying the community picnic, with live music from TLC Ministries, at 4:30. That’s followed by a community church service, sponsored by the Olive Hill Ministerial Association, in the park at 6 p.m.

Those events would be enough for a full weekend, but the Fourth of July falls on Monday, so the community isn’t done just yet.

There are two options for music on Monday evening, both worth checking out. Down at the Depot the town will feature a tribute to a hometown hero with their In Memory of Tom T. Hall show, starting at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, over at Duvall & Moore Funeral Home they will be serving up free hot dogs, along with their signature family hot dog sauce, and live bluegrass music.

There’s still more music, from Badly Bent, back down at the Depot at 7 p.m.

This all leads up to the fireworks show, sponsored by the city once the sun goes down.

It’s taken a lot of hard work, by lots of volunteers, to bring this all together, event organizer Tammy Moore explained. But it’s a labor of love for everyone involved.

“We just want to thank all the volunteers that have helped us,” Moore said. “They’ve all worked really hard and we’re proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

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The Carter County Times is a weekly newspaper serving Carter County, Kentucky, since June 2020.

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