It's shaping up to be a great Heritage Days

Congratulations to all the honorees for this year's Heritage Days festivities -- Parade Marshalls Howard and Janet Kool, Grand Marshalls brothers Brett and Toby Warren, Honor Family Eugene and Marilyn Anderson, Queen Erica Wood and King Isaac Langan.

If forecasts are correct, they'll reign over a beautiful weekend, with clear skies and highs in the 80s predicted.

The highlight, as always is the Heritage Days Parade, 10 a.m. Saturday, with "Grow With Us" as the theme. It is always a fun time, with plenty of treats and hand-outs for the kids and a chance for new and existing enterprises to put their best foot forward.

The good weather should expedite one of the most colorful and exiting events, the Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department Challenge, set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Norris and East First. It's open to 4-man teams and also features a kids challenge.

And, the Alzheimer's Support Group will play a part in this year's celebration, conducting its annual Memory Walk at 5:30 p.m. in Norris Park on Saturday.

New this year is the Heritage Days Cycle Tour Sunday morning, open to bicyclists of all abilities, covering routes of five to 38 miles. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. in Westview Plaza and the ride begins at 8 a.m.

The Evangelical Free Church is in charge of this year's worship service in Norris Park, 10 a.m. Sunday, and church members will contribute to the day's bandshell entertainment, including the 4 Hyms from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Rachel Gordine from 1:30 t0 2:30 p.m. and Shelby Stevens, Tyler and Riley Rambali from 2:30 to 3 p.m.

Sunday bandshell entertainment closes out from 3 to 5 p.m. with the Robin Marks Dance Studio.

Of course, those are just a few of the highlights. Norris Park and Norris Avenue will be as busy as ever, with a run/walk at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, car show at 9 a.m. and McCook Art Guild Tractor Show at 10 a.m. on East H and Norris Park, youth activities on the east side of Norris Park, High Plains Museum and Heritage Senior Center activities, and Friday's prayer breakfast, sponsored by the George W. Norris Foundation, featuring Ken Curry of NPPD at the Heritage Senior Center, 1312 W. Fifth, at 7 a.m. Friday.

So it's shaping up to be another great Heritage Days weekend -- let's make the most of it, reconnecting with old friends and making some new ones.