CLARION?- Clarion is preparing to celebrate a big milestone next weekend: The city’s 150th birthday.

Organizers are using the annual Festival in the Park as the foundation for the city’s sesquicentennial celebration, expanding it to include Friday.

“We’re pretty excited to show off our community and how it has changed over 150 years,” said Susan Toftey, one of the organizers. “We have a lot to offer people. There’s a lot of free activities and a lot of growth in the community to see.”

Festivities will run from 10 a.m. Friday through 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Among those activities are parades, skating parties, flag football, food, music and tours of the Wright County Courthouse and Clarion Goldfield Dows schools.

“The unique thing about the courthouse is they will allow you to go up in the bell tower,” she said, adding that it’s not easily accessible. “Everything is original except for when they electrified the clock.”

The courthouse is one of the unique features of Clarion, said Pam Townsend, Clarion Chamber of Commerce director.

“We are the only county, that we know of, where the courthouse sits in the middle of the county,” she said. “Nobody has contested it.”

Though events, such as library tours, the classic car display and family fun swim time, start early Friday, there is also an opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

“We’re going to honor our grand marshal and World War II surviving veterans,” said Toftey.

Following the opening ceremonies there is a flag football game during which teams of seven will go head to head.

To sign up, call Mason Roe at 269-0860.

After the sun sets following the football games, participants will light up the sky with luminaries, which can be purchased for $1.50.

“You can buy luminaries and there will be a ceremony at dark in memory of those who got us to this point and in honor of the future,” Toftey said.

Saturday will have much of the traditional Festival in the Park events, said organizer Larry Guth.

“Just your traditional arts and crafts in the park,” he said. “Between the displays and the events, there’s something for the whole family.”

A craft flea market will be at Gazebo Park and the courthouse square from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be a parade from Fifth Avenue to Wright County Road R38 to First Avenue which ends at Second Street. Awards for the winner of each of three categories of parade entries will be given.

Guth said there’s no reason not to visit Clarion as it celebrates its sesquicentennial.

“It’s all small town food, all small town energy, all small town values and all small town fun,” he said. “It’s a way to display who we are to share it.”