HARBOUR GRACE, N.L. — Harbour Grace is holding its first-ever Come Home Year this summer, which is also the 75th anniversary of the historic town's incorporation.
Kathy Tetford, one of the co-chairs of the organizing committee, said a number of activities are lined up for the 16-day event from July 10-26, and they still have more to come.
“We want to have a few things for people to do every day,” she said. “We want it to be kid friendly and give people a lot to do.”
Tetford said the idea came up a couple of years ago when people were discussing what to do for the 75th anniversary. They’d never had a Come Home Year before, so it seemed like a good opportunity to celebrate both.
It’s been a lot of work so far, Tetford said, and will be a lot more work yet. It wouldn’t be possible without all the volunteers, she said, and they’ll be looking for more people as the event gets closer.
So far there are a variety of things slated, including a number of hikes, a book launch, musical and concert in the park. The musical, composed and written by Ged Blackmore, explores the history of the region and will be a highlight, Tetford said.
“I saw a sample of it and it's extraordinary, it’s absolutely wonderful,” Tetford said. “It’s going to be amazing.”
Tetford said they hope to highlight town history and noted the firefighters will also present a re-enactment of the wedding of Princess Sheila NaGeira on July 11 before the concert in the park.
A day, July 16, will be dedicated to Amelia Earhart and her part in the town's history, with author Heather Stemp launching a book on the famous aviator that night.
Tetford said they don’t know how many people to expect, but hope their first Come Home Year will draw in a crowd.
“I hope it's blocked,” she said. “We’ve heard of people planning family reunions around it so hopefully there’s all kinds of people here."
The last day of the Come Home Year will be the annual regatta in Lady Lake. All events and times are subject to change, Tetford said and will be updated as they know more. Updates will be posted on their Facebook page, find them by searching ‘Harbour Grace Come Home Year 2020 & 75th Anniversary of Incorporation’.
