PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
DRONE SHOW … A Viking helmet in Evergreen School colors takes shape during Friday night’s drone show at Metamora Party in the Park. The synchronized display was one of the weekend’s hit attractions as the community celebrated America’s 250th anniversary and the fifth annual festival.
BASEBALL … A young ballplayer takes a swing during one of the Evergreen Youth Association games held throughout Party in the Park weekend, as youth sports remained a centerpiece of the community celebration.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
Metamora’s Party in the Park returned for its fifth year over the weekend, bringing hundreds of residents and visitors together for three days of family activities, entertainment, and community traditions.
Held June 12 through June 14, the annual event featured everything from youth sports and live music to a parade, car show, famous chicken dinners, and a special Memorial Wall dedication ceremony.
This year’s celebration carried an added patriotic theme as the community joined in recognizing America’s 250th anniversary.
Friday night’s festivities opened with youth baseball and softball games, a tractor show, the Evergreen High School All-Class Reunion, and live music by Sweet Tea before ending with a synchronized drone show that lit up the skies over Metamora Park.
Party in the Park General Chairman and Chamber Board Director Jeff Truckor said the display was made possible through support from the Fulton County Visitors Bureau and represented an exciting addition to the annual celebration.
“It’s nice to be on the cutting edge of something new,” Truckor said. “We’re extremely excited.”
Saturday kept the momentum going with a full day of activities, including the Happy Birthday America Parade, a car and motorcycle cruise-in, volleyball and euchre tournaments, children’s entertainment, youth ball games, and live music from the Skittle Bots.
The village’s popular chicken dinners once again drew a crowd, while local organizations added to the festivities with an ice cream social, bake sale, library activities, and programs for families and children.
Truckor credited the success of Party in the Park to the many volunteers, businesses, and organizations that continue to support the event each year.
“The village and the chamber work hand in hand,” he said. “It’s exciting and it’s a lot of work, but when it’s all done, it’s satisfying.”
The weekend concluded Sunday with the Village of Metamora Memorial Dedication Ceremony, a tradition that has become an important part of the annual event.
Emceed by Cheryl Geer, the ceremony included a Flag Day observance, village updates from Mayor Cathy Mossing, the dedication of new Memorial Wall plaques, and the induction of two new members into the Wall of Fame.
This year’s Memorial Wall additions honored Bev and Butch Double and Judith and Thomas Snyder, while John Linehan and Cheryl Geer were recognized as Wall of Fame inductees.
Geer, who has served as emcee for the ceremony for 26 years now, said the event holds special meaning for the community.
The Memorial Wall was established after the death of a local softball player, with his family wanting to create a lasting tribute in the park he loved.
Since then, the wall has continued to grow as families honor loved ones and preserve local history.
“I’m very honored that they would choose me,” Geer said of her own induction into the Wall of Fame. “I don’t do the volunteer stuff for recognition; I just love the community.”
From longtime traditions to new attractions, Party in the Park once again highlighted the strong community spirit that has helped the event grow over the past five years.
With residents, volunteers, local organizations, and businesses working together throughout the weekend, the celebration provided an opportunity for old friends to reconnect, families to make memories, and the village to celebrate both its history and its future.