Fredericksburg celebrating 200th anniversary all summer

Sitting quietly in Salt Creek Township in Southern Wayne County about a mile from the Holmes County line, Fredericksburg is the epitome of a quiet rural town. This year, though, the people in the tiny village are ready to pump up the volume.

From now until sometime in November, Fredericksburg will celebrate its 200th anniversary. The bicentennial party was originally going to be a singular event, but it grew to a summer-long celebration and now will span half the year.

“We were talking about it. Do we have just one event?” said Missy Sidle of the Fredericksburg Village Council, which is overseeing the commemoration. “Some of the places around the country that have small villages are doing things all year long. We’re already behind the 8-ball on that one.”

The 2020 census pegged Fredericksburg’s population at 409. That’s 164 fewer than were counted in 1850, the first year the village population was tabulated. The population peaked in 1970 with 601, one more denizen than in 1890.

In other words it’s a small town among small towns. But like many communities with little numbers, Fredericksburg packs a big punch when it comes to putting on events.

“We said, ‘We can do this,’” Sidle said. “The committee sat down and started hashing out a plan.”

Set to kick things off this past weekend was the Fredericksburg school reunion. The get-together was to be attended by anyone who could make it who was a student at Fredericksburg School, from its days as the local high school to its final year, just completed, as a grade school in the Waynedale District.

The reunion was to follow an open house during which people could take a final stroll through the school, first opened in 1891. The building will soon be razed to make room for a new fire department. A drone group photo was to capture the crowd at the reunion.

July will feature the Fourth of July Parade, a tradition all its own, dating back to the early 1990s.

August’s entry will be a new event, based on recommendations of elderly residents.

“They were talking about how they would have a dance in town,” Sidle said. “They closed off the streets and had a dance. So that’s what we’re going to do in August.”

The dance will be accompanied by a vendor show, so the non-rug cutters in the crowd will have reason to attend.

September will feature the Fredericksburg Fire Department homecoming and the Library Roll bike ride. Keep an eye out for exact dates and times. The bike roll, which will celebrate its 20th installment, usually comes in late September. The fire department homecoming has taken place at various times throughout the month and includes the Little Miss Fredericksburg ceremony.

“We’re all trying to work together without stepping on anybody’s toes,” Sidle said.

October’s event will be a night of history when Sidle said older residents will discuss the history of the village. That likely will take place at the Presbyterian Church.

The grand finale will be exactly that, coming sometime in November and including food trucks, music and a fireworks display if money can be raised.

“If you miss one event, you can still come and join us for something else,” Sidle said. “I think every event we have is geared toward all different types of people.”