Midway officially became a town on June 1, 1891. This year’s annual celebration is Saturday, June 3, and includes a beautification project and community lunch.
Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson is asking volunteers to bring garden tools to the Town Square at 10 a.m.
“Founders Day celebrates Midway becoming a city,” she said. “So, we use the first Saturday in June to commemorate that, as well as an opportunity for citizens to come together and plant in our little flower beds around the city, in the parks."
After the planting and weeding comes what some might call the fun part — especially for the children.
“The city provides a barbecue lunch,” Johnson said. “We have activities for kids, especially face painting and a bounce house and crafts."
There’ll also be live music, an ice cream truck from Midway-local Bees Knees and a farmer’s market. And anyone who helps in the gardens can enter a raffle for prizes.
Johnson said everything is free, from the food to the activities to the ice cream.
It’s also a celebration of Arbor Day. Midway will honor its Tree City USA certification by planting an honorary tree.
Midway is known for bringing in visitors, whether for luxury resorts, hot springs or Swiss Days, one of the largest events statewide with crowds of more than 100,000.
But Founders Day, according to the mayor, is for the locals.
“This event — as well as our tree lighting event, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving — both events are geared for our community and for the coming together and celebrating together as citizens of Midway,” she said.
The meeting spot Saturday morning is the Town Square at 75 100 West in downtown Midway.
More about Midway’s founding and history is available on the city website.
