The Quasquicentennial (125th) Celebration and All-School Reunion, held June 30 through July 3 in Rugby, seems to have ended on a high note.

Several current and former Rugby residents, an estimated amount of over 2,000, came out in full force to many events held that weekend. General responses from those in attendance, from the weather to the street corner, were positive.

Village Arts celebrated 44 years of bringing the arts to Rugby, starting with the Bully Ball, which was held on June 30 at the Eagles Club. 125 people were in attendance, and past and present cast members gave speeches. Village Arts also held an open house at the Memorial Hall, which displayed costumes, signs and several scrapbooks full of pictures and posters from past performances. It received fairly good traffic from past performers and their families.

There were golf tournaments held in the morning and afternoon on July 1 at the Rugby Golf Course. The Medalist Tournament started at 8 a.m., and the three-person scramble started at noon. Keith Duchscher won the Medalist tournament, and Randy Schneibel and Dave Presthus took second and third place, respectively. The Duchscher team (comprised of Keith and Linda Duchscher and Carlan Kraft) took first place, while there was a tie for second between the McClintock team (comprised of John, Brett and Jack McClintock) and the Class of ’98 (comprised of Jeff Duchscher, Ray Uhlenkamp and Jerald Lemar). The tournaments received a very positive response.

“Everybody enjoyed the camaraderie, and they were impressed with our golf course and how good it looked,” John McClintock said.

Also on July 1, after the celebration’s opening ceremonies, the Rugby Lions Club served an estimated 1000 people during their picnic at the fairgrounds. Multiple club members were in attendance and helping out with the event, a service project which received many good comments.

“We were pleased to serve,” said Lila Harstad, Lions Club president.

People were continuously flocking into Ellery Park for the Ellery Park Fair on July 2. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there were 20 vendors selling arts and crafts, and antiques and classic cars were on display, especially a prize-winning 1957 Chevy owned by David and Sheila Schall.

“Everyone was pleased with the turnout, it was very well received. It was a fun event to plan,” said Patricia Bye, a member of all-school reunion committee who helped plan the Ellery Park Fair.

Organizers are looking at maybe doing the event again. Because there was no fee or charge for vendors to be there, it was a very attractive event for them.

Also on July 2, the Selective Memory Band played a benefit at the Rugby Eagles, presented a plaque to Tilman Hovland for lifetime service and raised $800 for the RHS Music Boosters.

The Prairie Village Museum got its fair share of people, as well. Of those who have never been to the museum before, or haven’t been there in years, 20 people came out on July 2, and 30 more came on July 4. The museum served over 500 people from 8 a.m. to noon during their Sunday, July 3, pancake breakfast. Pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee were served from two locations, the Old Depot and the Sandben building.

“We went through quite a bit,” said Cathy Jelsing, the museum’s executive director.

Tents, which were used as sun shelters, were put up on the museum grounds, which also helped contribute to the event’s success. Board members and their spouses, in addition to those who work at the museum, helped serve.

“It was a real nice thing to be a part of,” Jelsing said.

A final tally of those who went through the gate at the Pierce County Fair has not yet been calculated, however the July 1 performance from the Johnny Holm Band proved to be the biggest draw. Early estimates as to the amount of people who went through are between 1500 and 2000. There were open class contests in quilting, baking, photography, painting and artistry, in which entrants and their works were judged on June 30, and the works were displayed July 1-3. Overall winners at the Junior Points livestock show for heifers and steers were Madison Sundsbak and Lyndsey Schmitz, respectively.