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Haymarket, Ruritans Plan Coinciding Festival Days

Submitted by Webmaster on Tue, 07/25/2006 - 11:30pm. Manassas Journal Messenger

Haymarket, Ruritans plan coinciding festival days
(Click above link to read full article.)

Bennie Scarton Jr.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Nearly everyone has heard about the dueling banjoes. How about the dueling Haymarket Days.

After the Haymarket Town Council and the Gainesville Ruritan Club failed to come up with a compromise on hosting the event, both groups have decided to hold their own -- on the same day at the same time.

The two Haymarket Days will be conducted Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The town will conduct its festivities in the town while the Ruritan Club will host its event at Battlefield High School where the event was moved and staged last year due to ongoing construction in the town.

Bart Colandene, a member of the club handling advertising in the Haymarket Day Gazette, said the club decided that due to the continuing construction and lack of viewing space and parking in town the Ruritans would rather stay at Battlefield where there is plenty of parking.

"We were very pleased with the turnout last year -- an estimated 8,000 spectators came out," said Colandene.

Both of the organizations plan a full day of activities, including a parade, entertainment, crafts, food and non-profit booths. Colandene said, noting that bands from Battlefield and Liberty High Schools have already signed up to be in the parade.

Haymarket Town and Country Garden club will host a flower show in the school and will sell plants.

In the Town of Haymarket newsletter, Mayor Pam Stutz said "We've had many requests for Haymarket Day to return to Haymarket. In compliance with your requests, we have diligently approached the Ruritans to return the festival to the town, without success. Therefore, there will be two activities on the....

Haymarket, Ruritans plan coinciding festival days
(Click above link to read full article.)

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Town let us down!

Submitted by Citizen on Mon, 07/31/2006 - 10:40pm.

I was at the meeting when the Ruritan spokesperson showed up. He basically said that no one from the town communicated with the Ruritans in a timely fashion. He said that this council hadn't been helpful in setting up this Haymarket Day and that they had to make a decision early.

So much for all the election promises of bringing Haymarket Day back to the town. I don't think much will happen on the new Harrover Property. Seems odd to break away from the Ruitans after ALL these years. One has to wonder why the Ruritans don't want to have anything to do with the town anymore?

Maybe it is all the "bad publicity" as the Mayor likes to say.

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Haymarket Day

Submitted by Ef U on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 4:11pm.

it's back in Town - just on a minimal scale to last year or the year's past. Smaller is better! Must be the new philosophy of the Council.

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Way to go!

Submitted by Ef U on Fri, 07/28/2006 - 2:40pm.

Gotta love a Town that puts up a fight against a civic organization that has done nothing but help the local community.

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