By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
MANSFIELD — Columbus is gearing up for its 70th annual Field Day this Saturday, with a new parade course, more children’s games and a numerically appropriate theme.
“The theme is the ’70s, spinning off from the 70th year,” said Barbara Crammer, Field Day chairwoman of the township’s Special Events Committee.
The day’s grand marshal will be former Mayor Wilmer Carty, who served on the Township Committee throughout the 1970s and beyond.
The day will begin with a 5K run/walk at 9 a.m., and a parade will follow at 1 p.m. This year, the route will be from West Main Street to East Main Street, finishing at the exit of Mansfield Community Park. The park’s pedestrian exits will be changed for the day.
Ms. Crammer said the parade route was changed because former itineraries caused problems for the parade. One went in the opposite direction and overlapped on itself, which confused those marching, while another went around Railroad Avenue and across Route 206.
“They found it too unsafe and it just wasn’t a good idea to block traffic on 206, so we had to come to a different idea,” Ms. Crammer said.
Four marching bands will participate in the parade, the Trenton Bagpipe Band, First Class Brass Band, the Pemberton Township High School Marching Band, and the Northern Burlington Regional High School Band, as well as a steel band. In addition, there will be floats, antique cars, and a few antique tractors.
After the parade, there will be games and events at the park for both children and adults. “We tried to go back to what we did in the beginning and have a different type of games for the children,” Ms. Crammer said. Events will include a burlap sack race, pie-eating contest, water balloon toss, dunk tank, hula-hoop contest, face painter, volleyball matches, pony rides, and a moon bounce.
One fun addition is a greased pole with an envelope at the top holding money for the first child to climb all the way up. Ms. Crammer said the game can be rather dirty, but children enjoy it, and adults help them a little bit with such a difficult task. “They cheat a little bit,” she admitted.
Wristbands granting admission to the day’s events will cost $5 per person. Participation in games will afford players the opportunity to win prizes and tickets to purchase food.
Refreshments will be homemade this year, a big change from previous years. “In the past we’ve had vendors come in and provide refreshments,” Ms. Crammer said, “but we have a recreation building now so we have the resources to have our own food.” She said the committee would rent a large barbecue and cook grill fare such as hot dogs and hamburgers. There will also be an Alex’s Lemonade stand, the proceeds from which will benefit cancer research.
Helicopter rides will be offered from 2 to 4 p.m., leaving from a flat area in the park and going for short rides. She said the cost had not yet been determined.
There will also be a number of demonstrations throughout the day, such as a car extrication demonstration by the Franklin Fire Company and the Mansfield Township Ambulance Squad at 3 p.m. in the municipal parking lot. The Police Department and county Sheriff’s Department will present a free bike safety information session and helmet-fitting immediately after the parade.
Local band “Outta Context” will also perform, and include many songs from the ’70s in its set, and there will be a youth baseball game at 3 p.m.
A 30-inch flat screen television will be given away at 4 p.m. Donations will be accepted for tickets, and ticket holders will have to be present at the drawing to win.
When asked what she was most anticipating about Field Day, Ms. Crammer replied, “I think the whole day is going to be neat.
“I’m looking forward to the parade with all the bands, and hopefully children will have fun in the park. The committee has worked hard for children to enjoy these games.”
