Residents gathered at Pegram Park to celebrate the city’s 50th birthday with food trucks and fireworks, Saturday, September 17, 2022.
The weekend celebration entertained families for hours with live music from local band Livin’ the Dream, bounce houses, food trucks and fireworks.
Several community leaders were in attendance, including Pegram Mayor John Louallen, who addressed the importance of the event.
“It’s really cool that this is our 50th anniversary, I was able to be a part of it,” Louallen said.
“We decided to do this event not knowing what to expect and we have a great turnout and I’m seeing some faces I haven’t seen in a while,” he said.
“It’s a very big honor … this city was built on volunteers and that’s still the spirit (today).”
Families arrived hungry and enjoyed food and treats from ML Rose Craft Beer & Burgers, Lady Dawgs, Chocolate Wasted and Kona Ice food trucks.
Attendees heard Pegram Mayor Aubrey Chambers share the town’s history over the past five decades.
And throughout that time, if there’s one thing that makes the town of Pegram so unique, it’s the spirit of volunteerism, Louallen said.
“Anytime from the beginning of the city’s incorporation of the volunteers who make it possible, to every year before the Vol season starts, there are volunteers everywhere, here working,” Louallen said.
When projects involving trash pickup, parks and more are brought into the community, there’s never a shortage of volunteers and community involvement, he added.
“Obviously it helps to get things done in the community, but there’s just real involvement in the community and people care … everyone just pitches in and gets involved,” he said.
Looking to the next 50 years, Louallen hopes residents will maintain that spirit of volunteerism.
“(I hope we don’t lose our core values and spirit, and again, the sweat equity, the volunteerism, the camaraderie, to not lose that as we grow a little bit over the next 50 years and to stay true to who we are,” he said.
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com or (615) 517-1285.
