Come one and all to the Pierce County Quasquicentennial (125th) Celebration to be held Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 3 in Rugby. Activities for all ages have been planned. Residents will be on hand to welcome everyone back to Rugby.

It promises to be a fun-filled celebration with the All-School Reunion and the Pierce County Fair held at the same time. Booklets with all the activities are in the process of being created and will soon be available.

The history books are at the printers and will be available in mid-June. A limited number (100) of the Centennial books have also been reprinted.

Housing is at a premium. If someone wants to come for the celebration, but doesn’t have a place to stay yet, contact Toni Stevenson at 701-776-6248. She and her committee will do their best to find a place. Well over 900 people have registered for the All-School Reunion activities. And that number, of course, does not include people who over the years lived in Rugby and have moved away, but will be attending the celebration.

For those who come early and get to Rugby before July 1, The Village Arts are performing an original musical “Medora” written by Glory (Blessum) Monson from June 27-30 at 7 p.m. in the armory. Following the last performance on June 30, there will be an after theater party at the Rugby Eagles which is open to the public with a special invitation to all former Village Arts performers.

Village Arts has planned an open house at the Memorial Hall (date and time to be announced). Memorabilia from 44 years including recordings and tapes, posters and scrapbooks will be on display. They also have some other activities planned such as orchestra and choir concerts, book signings of local authors and a fine art and photography exhibit.

Of interest to many will be the Germans from Russia Heritage display at the library in Rugby on both Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Michael Miller, NDSU, will be available to help with genealogy research.

The Prairie Village Museum will be open throughout the celebration. A typical Norwegian house and a Germans from Russia house will show the idea of the lifestyle of the two major ethnic groups that settled in this area. On Sunday, July 3, the Prairie Village Museum board will host a breakfast at the museum from 8:00 a.m.-noon. All are welcome.

Community Day is on Friday, July 1 with a golf tournament, salad luncheon at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Little Flower PTO open house at the school, open house at Ely Elementary, Christmas Country Style, Pierce County Courthouse tours with cake and coffee in the afternoon, Lions Club picnic for supper, Quasiquicentennial Opening Ceremony after the picnic and a dance to the Johnny Holm Band at the fairgrounds to top off the day.

Reunion Day is Saturday, July with 5KRun/Walk, fair activities, school tours, softball tournament, salad luncheon at Bethany Lutheran Church, Ellery Park fair, car show, arts, crafts, music and food, alumni dinner at the armory and a street dance to the Past Due Band in the city parking lot behind Ellie Ann’s.

On both Friday and Saturday several other activities will take place: the Village Fine Art and Photography Exhibit, on going class get-togethers, Germans from Russia Heritage display and Christmas Country Style.

Faith and Family Day is Sunday, July 3 with breakfast and museum tours, and attending the church of choice, Christmas Country Style continues, fair activities continue, Parade at 1:00 and in the evening fireworks.