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Connie Burcham Watonga Republican
Watonga, like many other towns across the state and the country is ready to throw off the shackles of Covid-19, get out and celebrate. Within reason, of course. So the Watonga Community Theatre and Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to make the streets come to life.
The event will get underway at 6:30 p.m. June 5. Stores uptown in Watonga will stay open later to accommodate browsers and shoppers alike. The participating shops include Rustic Furniture, Petals & Pearls, Watonga Nutrition, Grace CBD, El Rancho Grande, Medley Market, Watonga Floral, Watonga Lanes, TGC, The Hotdog Joint and What Dispensary? In addition to the shops, ex
In addition to the shops, expect to see food trucks including Sugar Bee’s Sweets & Snow Cones, Sugar Rush and Grace Hideaway Barbecue. Graduating seniors may come by Hideaway Barbecue for a free dinner compliments of Travis Daugherty, a candidate for sheriff, as well as free snow cones.
Everyone in town is encouraged to gather up at the parking lot at Watonga High School about 8:15 p.m. for a parade and cruise around town. The cruise will drag Noble, Main and proceed to Cornerstone Bank and Jim’s IGA parking lots as turnarounds, just like back in the day. The cruise will be accompanied by classic music from the early days of rock n’ roll, brought to the participants courtesy of Bill and Lisa Seitter who arranged to have it broadcast.
As evening approaches, the cruise will make room for the graduating class of 2020, who may wish to wait at the senior portraits of themselves displayed around town. When the parade line reaches those placards, it will pause and allow the seniors to enter the line. It will then continue to Main Street, pausing in front of the new marquee at the Liberty Theater. There about 8:30 the new lighting and sign board will be unveiled, scrolling the names of the graduating class across the LED screen.
About 9 p.m., the parade will cruise set on Main Street, lead by Watonga’s Finest, to the parking lots at Hutch’s and Tractor Supply. There, the occupants of the cars and trucks can find a great viewing spot so they can watch the Senior 2020 slide show projected on the side of the Wheeler Bros. grain elevators.
The city and the members of the community theatre group have worked for more than a year to have the marquee repaired. Each group has contributed significant funding to the cost of the repair and upgrade.
“It just seemed like the right time to do this, to honor these students with some of the traditions they have seen in the past, but in a new way,” said Patt Curtin, one of the original members of the WCT. “It has been such a dull time for everyone. It’s time this town had a party and celebrated #OneWatonga” she said.
Connie Burcham can be reached at Editor@WatongaRepublican.com