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Show 1884 by Nan Chalat It won't happen again for another 100 years so let's do it in style. That's the philosophy behind Park City's centennial celebration which begins this Saturday. The week-long party will include everything from a snow sculpture contest and ski races to historic ' movies and a gala black tie ball. "We've tried to plan something for everyone because it is really for all of us," said Marty Melcher of the ChamberBureau. "It is a chance to look at ourselves, whether we've been here a month or all our lives, and to feel like we belong." The celebration revolves around that fateful day on March 8, 1884 when Parkites incorporated their mining camp as a full-fledged town. "It is like the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We weren't actually a town until March 15 but the 8th is the day the papers were signed and ratified," said Sue McKinnon of the ChamberBureau. In honor of that event, March 3-11 has been named Founders Week and March 8 from now on will be known in Park City as Incorporation Incor-poration Day. Saturday This Founders Week carnival will kick off Saturday morning with the Coca Cola Snow Sculpture contest on the Park City Municipal Golf Course. There is no fee to enter but-the but-the participants must register at the golf course at 9 a.m. While the sculptors are at work, the Recreation Department and the Park City Men's Coalition will be busy organizing ski dashes and races for the family dog near the snowsculptures. The sculptors should be finished with their masterpieces by 3 p.m.' and the winners will be announced at 4 p.m. Saturday evening there will be a high school dance at the Memorial Building with live New Wave music from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission will be $1 per person. Sunday Sunday's activities begin at 10 a.m. with a five-kilometer nordic biathlon race organized by White Pine Ski Touring Center. But instead of shooting rifles the contestants con-testants will test their snowball throwing abilities. The entry fee is $4 per skier. At noon the Men's Coalition will sponsor a three-legged three-legged ski race. After the races everyone is invited to throw their weight into a traditional tug-o-war competition. Monday Monday, Town Races will be held at the Park City Ski Area at 9 a.m. A victory party will be held at the Rusty Nail at 4 p.m. Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. the Park City Library will begin a nightly series of historic presentations about Park City. The TV documentary, "The Park City Story," which was filmed in 1954, will be shown the first night. Tuesday Tuesday a group of 1,500 visitors from New Orleans will bring Mardi Gras to Park City with a parade down the Claimjumper run at the Park City Ski Area at 3 p.m. The evening film at the library will cover the history of St. Mary's parish church which was established in 1881. There will also be an early evening Soda Pop Slalom Race for children 12 years old and younger at the Park City Ski Area. The entry fee will be $5 per skier. At 7 p.m. the Utah Heritage Foundation and the Park City Planning Department will present a slide show and lecture about "the city that refused to become a ghost town." The presentation will be given free of charge at the Treasure Mountain Middle School. Wednesday Wednesday night the library history series will continue with a slide show by Park City historian Bea Kummer. And at 7 p.m. the Baker family will give a figure skating demonstration at the Park City Resort Center. Thursday Thursday is the big day. Main Street will be closed to through traffic traf-fic at 1 p.m. to prepare for the rededication of the newly-restored City Hall. The official ceremonies will begin at 3 p.m. with all of Park City's school children on hand to celebrate. Park City author and Historical Society President Raye Ringholz, City Councilman Bill Coleman and Utah Governor Scott Matheson will lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony after which a 12 foot-long foot-long birthday cake baked by Park City's best chefs will be served to the town at large. The release of 1,000 balloons will signal the beginning begin-ning of Park City's second century. At 5 p.m. there will be a broom-ball broom-ball tournament at the Park City Resort Center. The library movie will be a 30-minute film about the last ten years of skiing at the Park City Ski Area. The grand opening of the musical revue, "Park City This is The Place," will be held Thursday night at the Egyptan Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person with performances per-formances again on Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday The broomball tournament will continue at the skating rink at 5 p.m. on Friday. There will also be a square dance at the Treasure Mountain Middle School sponsored i by the Community Education Network Net-work of Park City. Admission will be $2.50 per person and includes refreshments. Saturday On Saturday morning, Park City's best women nordic skiers will take to the skies in hot air balloons. Weather permitting, the balloons will land at Deer Valley and the racers will disembark to make a mad dash for the finish line. At ParkWest another group of aerial daredevils is expected to parachute toward a target near the Tumbleweed chairlift and then through a NASTAR course. The paraski competitors will race again on Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday there will be two unconventional winter competitions at the Park City Golf Course. The first will be an Over-the-Line Baseball Tournament at the Park City Golf Course at 11 a.m. on Saturday and the second will be a Nordic Golf competition at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Preregistration for the Over-the-Line Tournament is suggested (649-9491). Saturday night Parkites will be donning black ties and long gowns for the Centennial Ball at the YarrowHoliday Inn. The ball has been organized by the Historic Main Street Merchants Association and will include music, dinner an dancing. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at seven Main Street locations including the Family Jewels and the Park City ChamberBureau on the second floor of City Hall. Tables c n be reserved until March 6. Cal. 549-6100 549-6100 for more information. Throughout the centennial celebration, Founders Week buttons will be available for $1. In addition to being memorable souvenirs, the buttons will help to raise money for a Park City High School college scholarship. City gets set for the party of the centu ry |