MOLSON – The 19th Annual Molson Midsummer Festival is planned for this Saturday, June 21 in and around the Molson School Museum and the Molson Grange Hall.

This year the event is honoring David, Silvie and Sandra Hilstad as Grand Marshals for all the family does for the community. It is also a preview of the 100th anniversary of the Molson School House, which now is a museum and houses many exhibits of early day life in Molson, as well as items from Molson’s school days.

The day starts out with a pancake breakfast at the Grange Hall beginning at 8 a.m. and going to 10 a.m. The Fun Run/Walk also takes place in the morning and is a good time to gather wildflowers to decorate the May Pole at 10:30 a.m., followed by the May Pole dance where everyone is encouraged to join hands and dance around the May Pole. Meanwhile the classic car show will be taking place on the lawn next to the school house. At 11 a.m. the parade, featuring the Grand Marshals and everyone else who would like to participate, will make it’s way down Main Street. The food concessions, put on by the Sitzmark Ski Club, also begin at 11 a.m. and go through 3 p.m. in the Grange Hall.

At 11:30 festival goers are invited to participate in several events on the school house lawn, including a horseshoe tournament, kids’ games, and new for this year, the Amazing Molson Challenge. The Challenge includes the traditional scavenger hunt and much more, say organizers. The Ed Forthun Memorial Frizbee Golf Tournament begins at 12:30 p.m. and goes through 3:30 p.m. The car awards are announced at 2 p.m., so voters on their favorite cars must have their votes in by 1:45 p.m.

While all the outdoor events are going on there will also be much besides food taking place inside the Hall. There will be arts and crafts tables, as well as music going on all day long at the Grange. And of course folks are invited to step inside the School House Museum and look at the many displays or take a short trip to the Molson Ghost Town Museum and have a look at the early day buildings, farm equipment and vestiges of pioneer living in the highlands.

All proceeds from the day go to the museums and maintenance of the Grange Hall. Organizers also invite people to come back on July 26 to help them celebrate the school house’s centennial anniversary.