WALNUT’S SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

BY KAREN HANSEN

Walnut celebrated 150 years of history July 30, July 31, and August 1, 2021. The event was a tremendous success thanks to the planning of the 150th Committee of Brett Simpson, Amanda Lebeck, Gwen & Rick Blum, Lisa Holtz, Christie Matthies, Cheyenne Mertz, Tuesday McDonald, Felicia Petersen, Amy Krueger, Darren Stokes, Zoea Warnick, Shannon Wood, Brett & Fran Petersen.

Activities included a community dinner, Brothers of the Brush beard contest, opening of the Centennial time capsule, donkey baseball, a polka dance, Murphy’s Law band, Walnut Museum and School house tours and tours of historical sites, a parade, dedication of a Civil War vet’s tombstone, slow pitch tournament, volleyball, water fights, bags tournament, bed races, kid’s games, fireman’s pancake breakfast, 5K run/walk, Optimist’s car show, community church service, and a 1971 fashion show.

Commemorative items were for sale, including sesquicentennial cookbooks, cutting boards, bags, mugs, t-shirts and hoodies. The 150th Committee commissioned Speltz Studio of Wildlife to create a painting of the historic Walnut Depot and have been selling the prints.