Ashwaubenon celebrates its sesquicentennial this year in the only way to mark a milestone as big as 150 years, with a week-long party.
Here are 10 highlights from the festivities that start today and run through Sunday, and because nostalgia is fun, here’s a look at 10 highlights of how the town celebrated its centennial in 1972.
10 ways Ashwaubenon is celebrating its 150th week this week
1. Opening ceremonies: 4:30-8:30pm today at Goelz Field at Ashwaubenon High School. Lumberjack Band, Oneida Nation Dancers, flag ceremony and ice cream. Sesquicentennial T-shirts and pins available for purchase.
2. Scavenger hunt: Today until Thursday The Green Bay Elks Lodge 259 is hosting a village-wide scavenger hunt. The list will be posted on the Village of Ashwaubenon website at ashwaubenon.gov Monday. After completing 10 or more tasks, participants can come to the lobby of the Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center, 2391 S. Ridge Road, from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday to claim prizes that include #150 lapel pins and vouchers for food/beverage and wristbands for Saturday’s Ashwaubenon Blast.
3. Ashwaubenon Night at Capital Credit Union Park: 18:35 Tuesday. Buy a reserved main box seat ticket for $5 to the Green Bay Rockers vs. Madison Mallards game and get the second one free. Festival Foods is offering all ticket holders a free brat at the game. Doors open at 5:30pm with a pregame concert by Brian James. Tickets available at the stadium box office, 920-497-7225 or northwoodsleague.com/green-bay-rockers with promo code “Ashwaubenon”.
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4. Free screening of “The Queen of Basketball”: Thursday at 6:15pm at Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center. The 2022 Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short tells the story of Lucia “Lucy” Harris, pioneer of women’s basketball, who scored the first basket in women’s Olympic history, was the first and only woman drafted into the NBA and was one of the first two women inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Ashwaubenon High School senior Josh Rosenberg, head of production at Breakwater Studios, won an Oscar for his work on the project.
The screening of the 22-minute film is free and will be followed by a short showcase of local talent at 6 p.m.
5. Ashwaubenon Historical Society Open House: 4:30-6:00 p.m. Thursday at his museum at 936 Anderson Drive. The non-profit organization celebrates 50 years
6. Sam Llanas concert: 6:30pm doors, 7:30pm show Thursday at EPIC Event Center, 2351 Holmgren Way. Free show from former member of The BoDeans.
7. Demonstration of food trucks: 4:30-8:30pm Friday at Ashwaubomay Park, 2881 S. Broadway. Drink shops and bounce houses also on site. Music by Boogie & The Yo-Yo’z 18:30-21:30
8. Ashwaubenon Blast: Saturday 9am to 10pm at Ashwaubomay Park. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Ashwaubenon Alumni Association’s annual summer fundraiser returns with a full day of events and, for the first time, fireworks.
• Car show, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m
• Climbing wall, carnival games and inflatables, from 10.30 to 19.00 h.
• Free swimming in Lake Ashwaubomay, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m
• NEW Piano Guys, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m
• Balloon animals, 1-4 p.m
• Doo Wop Daddies, 3 to 6 p.m
• Face painting, 4-7 p.m
• Johnny Wad, 6:30-9:30 p.m
• Fireworks, 9:35-10 p.m
Entry is free. A $5 wristband is required for the climbing wall, carnival games, inflatables, balloon animals and face painting.
Community service organizations will have food and drink tents on site to raise funds. No transportation Profits go to student scholarships; more information at ashwaubenonalumni.org.
9. Breakfast of pancakes and pork: Sunday 9am-1pm at Ashwaubenon Community Center, 900 Anderson Drive. Cost: “family price”.
10. Vendors and crafts fair: Sunday 9am to 3pm at Ashwaubenon Community Center. Jerry Voelker and the Jolly Gentswho performed at an antique barn dance and box lunch auction at Ashwaubenon’s centennial celebration 50 years ago, will entertain from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information on the Ashwaubenon Sesquicentennial, visit ashwaubenon.gov/150.
flashback! 10 ways Ashwaubenon celebrated its centennial in 1972
1. Pony Express Ride: The celebration of a week in June began on a Monday morning with Doug De Caster on horseback as he left Dilweg Post Station. He was stopped by “bandits” along the way, before sheriff’s deputies came to the rescue as part of the reenactment.
2. A visit from the Apollo 16 crew: The three astronauts from the Apollo 16 lunar mission, John Young, Thomas Mattingly and Charles Duke, met with business and civic leaders from greater Green Bay for a luncheon at The Forum and also addressed children at the Brown County Veterans Arena , among other appearances.
3. Miss Ashwaubenon Centennial Queen: Ashwaubenon High School senior Bonnie Olsen was crowned out of a field of 15 contestants in front of a capacity crowd at the school. He sang “One Tin Soldier” for the pageant’s talent contest.
4. Centennial Parade: The centennial grand finale featured more than 50 floats, various high school bands (including two from Minnesota), the United States Naval Band, rifle squads, twirlers, drill teams, drum and bugle units. There were over 100 units in total. Cousins Marguerite Ernst and Elizabeth Griffiths, whose parents were among the first residents when Ashwaubenon became a city in 1872, were the grand marshals.
Fun Fact: The roughly 2-mile parade route, which included Ridge Road, Morris Avenue and Oneida Street, was originally supposed to pass through the Lambeau Field parking lot immediately south of the stadium, but was changed from last minute because the lot needed repairs due to potholes.
5. Centenary Ball: The Glenn Miller Orchestra performed for the semi-formal affair Saturday night at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena. Guests danced around a large fountain in the middle of the arena, which was decorated in an antique garden theme with 8,000 paper flowers, potted roses and park benches. A $6 advance ticket included admission for two, a bouquet and a color photograph of the couple.
6. A letter from President Richard Nixon: Dated March 21, 1972, from the White House, it is addressed “to the people of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin” and signed by Nixon. It begins thus: “The observation of your centenary is an occasion of deep pride both for you and for the nation.”
7. Neighborhood Olympics: Residents took to the Ashwaubenon High School football field for some friendly competition for a couple’s three-legged race, a couple’s wheelbarrow race, a women’s nail push, pull-up and drag for in teams of 10, catch a fattened pig, fast walk, youth bike race, wheel. and pole vault and pastry eating contest.
8. Special section in the Green Bay Press-Gazette: Among the many advertisers who congratulated the town on 100 years: Ridge Road Liquor, Montgomery Ward, Guido’s Supper Club, First Northern Savings & Loan Association, Little Buddha’s Meat Market, Broadway Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Satellite Supper Club, Kmart, Marlin’s Men’s Hair Styling , Quigley Marine, Fox River Lanes, WLUK TV 11, Gerczak’s Discount Liquor and Schneider Transport Inc.
9. Sadie Hawkins Square Dance for Teens: The afternoon dance on the tennis courts of the Community Center. There were prizes for the best centenary dress. Girls were asked to bring a picnic lunch to share with their date at the end of the night.
10. Donkey Baseball: It happened at Ashwaubenon High School, but sorry, no further details were given.
Contact Kendra Meinert at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.
