OROVILLE – It’s ‘Let’s get this party started’ with the kick-off to Oroville’s Centennial Incorporation Week beginning Friday, July 25 and culminating in the big event, Incorporation Day, on Saturday, Aug. 2.

At the beginning of the week the Kick-off Party will be held on Friday, July 2 starting at 4 p.m. at the Oroville Public Library. The party features sloppy Joes, corndogs and a pie and ice cream social. Young local musician Brock Hires will perform some old-time music.

A week later, Incorporation Day, Saturday, Aug. 2, starts early with a Volkswalk around town. People are encouraged to go to the Old Depot between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to check in and pick up a map of the route. The walk promises to take participants past historical buildings and into buildings where they can enter drawings for prizes and to restaurants for food tasting. While on the walk there will be time to watch the parade, shop or visit. It’s not a timed event, but participants are asked to finish before 12:30 p.m.

There is a small entry fee of $5 and people can pre-register or register the day of the Volkswalk. Walkers will each receive a pin for completion of the walk.

At 10 a.m. there will be a Centennial Celebration parade down Main St. and businesses, organizations and individuals are encouraged to come up with a parade entry to celebrate the occasion.

“It will be a lot like our parade on May Day, but new entries are highly encouraged,” said Councilman Walt Hart, who serves as the chairman of Oroville’s Centennial Committee.

For additional information on the parade call Peggy Shaw at (509) 476-3603 or Shay Shaw at (509) 476-2281.

A ribbon cutting ceremony along with speeches to dedicate Oroville’s new Centennial Park on Main Street will be at the park starting at 11:30 p.m. Centennial Park, a joint effort between the city, Streetscape and many community volunteers, is located between Sun Lakes Realty and the Peerless Restaurant.

At 12:30 p.m. everyone will get a chance to celebrate with a birthday cake, which Chairman Hart promises will be “huge,” sheet cake where the sheet is the size of an 8′ x 4′ piece of plywood. The cake cutting and Volkswalk drawings are at Madeline Wells Park behind the library.

Hank Cramer of Twisp, a cowboy poet and singer of mining songs, will be part of the entertainment starting at 1 p.m. Cramer is being sponsored by Humanities Washington.

From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. a car show is on tap at Max’s Service Center located at 2002 Main St. To register a vehicle call Forrest at (509) 476-2529.

Although Incorporation Day is Saturday, there are lots of events planned for the entire week beforehand with Airport Day at Dorothy Scott Municipal Airport on Saturday, July 26 being one of the biggest. The excitement begins at 9 a.m. with a pancake breakfast. Throughout the day there will be static displays of old airplanes, as well as some vendors on site. A hanger dance to 1940’s music will start at 8 p.m. Period outfits are encouraged.

Also that day will be a golf tournament at Oroville Municipal Golf Course. The tournament, sponsored by Economic Alliance, is a four-person scramble with a shotgun tee time at 9 a.m. For more information call (509) 826-5107.

Many of the week’s activities will be held at the public library, each beginning at 4 p.m. Jerry Johnson will give a talk on “Indians of the area, pre-1840’s on Saturday, July 26 and on Sunday, July 27, the Oroville Masons will sponsor the 100 year-old kid’s games. On Monday, July 28, Rob Stone will discuss the history of mining in Oroville and Nighthawk.

The next day, Tuesday, July 29, Betty Roberts will demonstrate spinning on her handmade spinning wheels, Dave Hockett will discuss hunting with a bow and Mary Louise Loe will demonstrate her churn. On Wednesday, July 30, Betty Steg discusses honey and the life of a bee and Mark Rabenold will show off some of his handmade saddles.

On the final two days before the birthday bash, starting Thursday, July 31 Mountain Man George Penner will talk about life in this area after the 1840s. On Friday, Aug. 1, Priya Shellenbarger will give a hands-on spinning and weaving demonstration. Friday’s festivities continue with a Street Dance on Ironwood. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the dancers can two-step to the country sounds of Tupelo and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. the rockers can come out and dance to the old rock tunes of Keller’s Lighthouse.