WALTON _ An all-day "Kickoff to Summer" celebration is taking place in Walton this Saturday.
The Walton Chamber of Commerce is leading the event, which includes town-wide yard sales, special offers at participating merchants and entertainment for all age groups.
"We have been working for months to plan this event," Maureen Wacha, Chamber president, said Friday. "We hope we have hordes of people in town and fortunately, the weather is going to be cooperative."
Wacha said this is the first time the Chamber has held a spring event.
"There will be so much to do, people will find it difficult to squeeze it all in," Wacha said.
Chamber member Courtney Hannan said the event was planned to bring new people to Walton and to encourage local residents to shop locally.
"We want people to enjoy our beautiful little village and, of course, we are interested in promoting local businesses," Hannan said.
Highlights are expected to include the scavenger hunt puzzle. An almost-complete jigsaw puzzle will be on display at McDonald's with one piece missing. Shoppers can pick up puzzle pieces at each participating business, and the person with the missing piece will win a gift certificate to the Walton Theatre.
At stores, brochures with a map will be available to direct people to 51 lawn sales, free events throughout the village and town, and special offers featured by merchants. Those include special discounts, drawings and a tasting featuring Walton's Delaware Phoenix Distillery handmade absinthe.
Other highlights include:
ä The Walton Theatre will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with live entertainment, free popcorn and tours.
ä The Walton Cruisers are holding a car show at 10 a.m. with '50s music and dance lessons. The cars will cruise the village at 5 p.m.
ä A karaoke contest with $500 in cash prizes will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the corner of Delaware Street and Gardiner Place.
ä The Walton bus garage is likely be a hub of activity. There will be a clown, children's games, a display of police and fire department equipment, a dunk tank featuring local celebrities and a watermelon-eating contest.
Hannan said people with good pitching arms will have an opportunity to dunk Walton School Superintendent Tom Austin, Walton dean of students Mark Lamorauz, Walton trustees Denise Church and George Ostrowski, and Walton police officer John Demeo.
ä The William B. Ogden Free Library will host a book sale.
ä There will be a concert in Bassett Park, where people can bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy the music from 7 to 9 p.m.
ä The day will conclude with a dance and social from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Walton Grange.
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