Catlettsburg Labor Day Celebration to feature The Easters, Joe Nichols
Aug. 22—CATLETTSBURG — England Hill Free Will Baptist Church can list consistent participation in the Catlettsburg Labor Day Celebration as an accomplishment.
The church has had its Sunday church services at the Boyd County Courthouse lawn every Labor Day weekend since 1998.
This year, the service will consist of a concert by southern gospel recording artists Jeff and Sheri Easter. The service will be at 4 p.m. Sept. 4.
Pastor Willie May said usually the service includes preaching, but this year the Easters will perform for the entire service.
"We try to do things for the community and that's why we're bringing them in," he said, noting his son, Justin May, who also is assistant pastor at the church, arranged for the Easters to perform.
"They have performed at our church a couple of times and are familiar with us and we had seen they would be in Pennsylvania the night before, so I called Jeff," Justin May said.
He said the congregation has always enjoyed The Easters, who have won Dove Awards and have been nominated twice for Grammy Awards, among other honors throughout their careers.
"We've never done something like this before, to bring in a major group (for Labor Day)," he said, noting since the church building has been paid off, the congregation has been trying to reach out to the community more.
He also said he's grateful for the city of Catlettsburg allow them to be part of the celebration.
"Catlettsburg has always been so kind to us," he said. "It's a kind of small-town feel. You couldn't do this in a big city. That's why we thought, 'Let's do something big.'"
The first Labor Day event will be the Miss Flame Pageant. The theme is "Celebrating 50 years." The pageant will begin at 3 p.m. at the Boyd County Senior Center with the Baby and Mister Fire Chief, followed by Teeny, Tiny and Little Miss at 4 p.m. and Little Junior, Junior Miss and Miss Flame at 6 p.m.
The fourth annual Gate City 5K will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 1, starting at the Boyd County Courthouse.
The rest of the schedule:
Sept. 2
6 p.m. — CHS Junior High Reunion, Port of Catlettsburg. Robot Charlie will perform.
8 p.m. — Memorial Ceremony, in memory of Jacob Moore, middle of town.
9 p.m. — Fireworks.
Sept. 3
5 to 7 p.m. — Mayor's reception, Boyd County Senior Center; music by Chatteroi.
6:30 p.m. — Ice Cream social, Boyd County Courthouse.
8 p.m. — Outdoor movie: "The Goonies," Boyd County Courthouse; bring seating.
Sept. 4
2 p.m. — Thomas R. Brown/CHS Class Reunion, Catlettsburg Elementary School; dinner at 4 p.m.
4 p.m. — Gospel Music: Jeff and Sheri Easter, Boyd County Courthouse (in case of rain, concert will move to England Hill Free Will Baptist Church).
7 p.m. — Bash in the Burg: FTC Pro Wrestling, riverfront.
Sept. 5
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Crafts and vendors, Boyd County Courthouse.
8:30 a.m. — Parade lineup, Oakland Avenue Baptist Church.
10 a.m. — Parade: "Saluting America's Armed Forces, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," grand marshal: family of Jacob Moore, USMC; Honorees are Thomas R. Brown/CHS Class of 1972; announcer is Andrew Greene; Invocation by the Rev. Bruce Lee, Catlettsburg United Methodist Church; Pledge of Allegiance by Mike Wurts; National Anthem and "My Old Kentucky Home" by Aaron Bowling, Boyd County High School choir director.
11 a.m. — Courthouse stage: Don Rigsby Band, Mattox Hale, Render the Heart, Chatteroi.
11 a.m. — Carnival and concessions, 26th Street.
6:30 p.m. — Main stage: The Grascals, Mo Pitney and Joe Nichols, 26th Street and George Jones Way.
7 p.m. — Jamie Fitzgerald's 49th birthday memorial celebration.
(606) 326-2661 — lward@dailyindependent.com
