MERCER, Wis. -- Mercer will celebrate its centennial over nine days packed with activities, historical or not, beginning Saturday and running through July 6.
"We wanted to get the whole community involved," said Margie Ervin, a centennial organizer.
There's a trivia and scavenger hunt; dedication of old and new buildings, a street and the Pocket Park; an all-school reunion; and a 100 canoe-and-kayak float down the Turtle River.
With the centennial celebration encompassing the Fourth of July weekend, there are all the usual Independence Day festivities as well, from morning parade to fireworks at dusk.
The parade theme is "Mercer Centennial." Ervin said she expects the parade to be bigger than usual, with lake associations and other groups planning "now and then" sequence floats.
The trivia and scavenger hunt goes on throughout the nine days, with clues directing competitors to sites all over the town and nearby parks.
Participants will "expore the whole area historically. It's going to be a blast to do," Ervin said.
It wouldn't be a celebration without fundraisers for a variety of good causes.
The fundraising Run for Veterans, new last summer, will be held on the morning of the Fourth. It includes a 5-Kilometer run or 1-mile walk.
The Mercer Historical Society can boast a unique twist for its popular jail-and-bail fundraiser -- the society's vintage complex at the old railroad depot site includes Mercer's first jail, with thick walls of 2-by-4 lumber laid flat.
The Heart of the Community Gala on July 5, which raises money for the Mercer Education Foundation, will add some foreign brews to its samples this year, Ervin said. The gala features silent auctions and raffles of donated original artworks and other items.
Mercer alum Mark Lacek and his band, The Issues, will entertain under a tent on the lawn at the community center. Admission is free to those who paid to attend the gala or registered as alumni on the Fourth; $5 for others.
All of the fundraising food groups will be part of the centennial fun, from spaghetti dinner on opening night Saturday to pancake breakfast on closing morning July 6. The wild edibles nature walk with Zack Wilson on Sunday may offer the most unusual fare.
The all-school reunion begins on the Fourth, with registration at the ballfield across from Carow Park, where a class message board will make communication easier.
There's an alumni volleyball tournament at Mercer K-12 School on Saturday, as well as tours of the school with photos and yearbook displays.
MERCER, Wis. -- The town of Mercer is celebrating its centennial June 28 through July 6. Below is a list of all the events taking place.
June 28-July 6
Trivia/scavenger hunt sponsored by the Mercer Chamber of Commerce. $10 entry fee and all correctly completed sheets will be entered into a 50/50 raffle drawing. Sheets and list of rules will be available at the chamber beginning June 28.
June 28
Woods & Blooms Garden Club Tea, 2 to 4 p.m., Century Pines Pocket Park, downtown; Park dedication, 1:30 to 2 p.m.
Learn to trap shoot at the Northwoods Shooting Range, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., free.
History of mining with historian Bruce Cox of Wakefield, noon, pasties for sale, Mercer Public Library.
Lions Spaghetti Dinner, 4 to 7 p.m., Mercer Senior Center.
Street dance with Johnny Trash, 6 to 10 p.m. downtown in front of Around the Corner Pub, food, raffles, prizes.
Pie sale, after 6 p.m. Mass, St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church.
Mercer Lions Flea Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Railroad Street near the town hall.
June 29
Pie sale, after 9 a.m. Mass, St. Isaac Jogues Church.
MECCA ski club open house, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., bird banding with Bruce Bacon, 6 to 9 a.m., and a wild edibles nature walk with Zack Wilson, 10 a.m. to noon.
NW Wildlife and Wetlands Club Turkey Shoot, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., shooting range 5 miles south of Mercer.
July 1
Family entertainer Tom Pease, 6:30 p.m., Mercer Public Library.
Dedication of Harper Street (currently Clinic Street) for Charlie Harper, 8 p.m.
July 2
Mercer Lioness bingo, 6 p.m., Community Center.
Barbershop quartet, 7 p.m., Mercer Depot; dedication of the Barbershop and School House.
July 3
Turtle River Canoe/Kayak trip, 2.5 hour trip down Turtle River. Put in at Oxbow Lake boat landing at 10 a.m. Take out: Echo Lake landing by Faith Lutheran Church with light lunch to follow in the parking lot. Shuttle service to return to vehicles at end.
July 4
2nd Annual Run for Veterans 5K run or 1 mile walk, 8 a.m. sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary.
Mercer's 4th of July celebration. Parade through downtown Mercer at 11 a.m. (theme: Mercer Centennial), Carow Park after with food, live music, arts and craft show and fireworks at dusk.
Mercer Sno-Goers snowmobile water-cross demos, 2 to 3 p.m., Grand Portage Lake at Carow Park.
Alumni registration, noon to 3 p.m., ball field across from Carow Park. Registrants get free admission into the alumni dance that evening. All-school reunion T-shirts, $15.
July 5
Jail & Bail fundraiser sponsored by the Mercer Historical Society. "Prisoners" will be housed in the old authentic jail house building at the Depot in Mercer.
Alumni volleyball tournament at school. For more info or to participate, contact Mary Engler at the_sampler_chat@yahoo.com. Students will give school tours from 9 a.m. to noon. Pictures and yearbooks will be on display.
Heart of the Community Gala, 5 to 8 p.m., Community Center. Music by area musicians, great food, vintage wines and beers, silent auctions and raffles and Mercer School Hall of Fame inductees. Tickets, $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
Alumni/Centennial Dance, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., at the community center. Tickets $5.
Mercer Lions Flea Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., railroad street near the town hall.
July 6
Pancake breakfast, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Mercer Senior Center. Cost is $6, kids under 6 free.
Multi-denominational church service, 10 a.m., at Carow Park. Potluck picnic to follow.
For information, call the Mercer Chamber of Commerce at 715-476-2389; e-mail info@mercercc.com; or go to www.mercercc.com.
