HANCOCK COUNTY — Hoo-boy, it’s summertime! Warm weather, the swimming pool is open, and many events have moved outdoors. Here is just a sampling of all the fun things that summer in Hancock County has to offer.
The rummage sale to
end all rummage salesThe Historic National Road Sale kicks off this weekend with more than 800 miles of sales along the Historic National Road — U.S. 40 — from Baltimore, Maryland; to St. Louis, Missouri. As if the length and breadth of five days of sales (May 29 through June 2) all along a single stretch of highway weren’t statistic enough, a visit to the Facebook page for the event — Historic National Road Yard Sale — US 40 Sales — reveals more than 17,000 followers and countless anecdotes of interesting encounters with other shoppers and bargains and treasures found “for a song.” In many small towns along the route, merchants will get together and participate with sidewalk sales, food trucks and other special events. Church sales are another common find as congregations and community members pitch in to create multi-vendor sales often with baked goods, hot dogs or steak sandwiches and a place to sit down and rest before going on to the next sale. To learn more about the Historic National Road visit fhwa.dot.gov/byways/byways/2278. And be careful driving out there. Drivers may be distracted by looking out for sales.
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Entertainment on the Plaza every Friday night in summer
Entertainment on the Plaza, sponsored by Greenfield Banking Company, opens its season on June 7 with perennial favorites The Wright Brothers. The series, held on the Courthouse Plaza, runs eight Fridays through July 26 with a variety of returning and new performers. Each free performance begins at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. There will be no rain site or rain dates. Portable restrooms will be provided. For a complete line-up of the summer’s concert series, visit gbcbank.com/connect/sponsored-events.
Free Family Film Festival at Legacy Cinema is fabulous
Legacy Cinema’s Free Family Film Festival returns on June 5 with “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies!” The films, which are a favorite activity not only for families but local summer camp programs and day-care centers as well, are rated G or PG. The film festival, sponsored by NineStar Connect; the Daily Reporter; American Health Network; Greenfield Banking Company; Leo’s Market & Eatery; and Cornerstone Marble & Granite, shows each Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Legacy Cinema, 2347 W. Main Street. Visit legacycinema.com for the film festival’s schedule, which runs weekly through July 24.
4-H Fair provides good
old-fashioned summer funThe Hancock County 4-H Fair sets up shop at the Hancock County Fairgrounds, 620 Apple St., June 21 through 28. In addition to the traditional carnival rides, fair food, 4-H project exhibits and farm animal shows, this year’s fair is chocked full of special events. On June 22, the Multi-Purpose Area will be home to Donkey Baseball and Donkey Races as local law enforcement squares off against firefighters. Tickets are $5. June 23 and 24, the arena goes old west for “Bulls, Broncs and Barrels” — two nights of rodeo. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the competition starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. On June 27, the Peru Amateur Circus rolls into the Multi-Purpose Arena for shows at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $5. For a complete rundown of the fair schedule, visit yourhancock fairgrounds.com/4-h-fair/.
July and August bring
theater to the RicksGreenfield’s two community theater troupes are deep in rehearsals now for what has become an annual tradition — the summer musical. July 12, 13, 14, 20, 21 and 22 the CrazyLake Acting Company will present “Mamma Mia!” the jukebox musical based on the works of 70s Swedish pop phenomenon ABBA. Later in the summer — Aug. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 — the Ricks-Weil Theatre Company will present Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Both productions will be performed at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St. Tickets for “Mamma Mia!” are available now online at crazylakeacting.com; for ticket information for “Joseph,” call 317-477-8689.
Still more fun
There’s so much more fun to be had in Hancock County this summer. The annual Superhero 5K & Fitness Festival takes place from 8 a.m. to noon on June 15 at the American Legion Plaza in downtown Greenfield. The Superhero 5K runs along the Pennsy Trail, and following the race, attendees can wander through vendor booths and watch fitness demonstrations throughout the day. The event will be hosted by Hancock Health, Hancock 4 Kids and Greenfield Main Street. For more information, search “3rd Annual Hancock Superhero 5K & Fitness Demos” on Facebook.
July 27, the Pennsy Trail Art Fair and Music Festival takes over the Courthouse Plaza from 11 a.m. to 5. p.m. Highlights of the events are the MHP Grand Prix — an adult Big Wheel race, entertainment from the Rizer Project and Occasional Blues, Hearts Ablaze Cloggers and Wilkerson Dance. For more information, visit mentalhealthpartnershc.com/events.
To keep up with happening in Hancock County, visit the community calendar at hellohancock.com.
