VINCENT - This weekend the little town of Vincent will celebrate its quasquicentennial.
One of the highlights of the celebration will be opening a time capsule, said event committee Chair Jean Gallogly.
"Twenty-five years ago at our centennial, they buried a time capsule," Gallogly said. "We can't come up with anybody who remembers what's in it."
There will be a small ceremony at 11:45 a.m. Sunday to look inside the capsule, which will then be re-buried with some new "modern memories."
Gallogly said the committee was aiming for a small, entertaining celebration with a lot of old-fashioned fun - but with a modern twist.
"For example, as far as carnival games, they're old-fashioned, yet some of the festivities will be modernized like the street dance."
There will be events focused on celebrating the town, such as the memorabilia room which will open Saturday morning at city hall.
"People can come and look at the old-time things, and some new pictures and memorabilia," Gallogly said.
Heather Armstead has been helping collect the memorabilia and gather historical research about the town. She said the room will include some photos of the town from 1916 provided by Tom Hoyt, whose family has been in the area since the town was founded.
"I think what stands out to me most is, this town in the 1910s, 1920s era was really quite booming," Armstead said. "There was a fairly large business district for as small as the town is. They had a couple of stores, a livery stable, it sounds like two blacksmith shops, a creamery, a restaurant, the elevator, a theater, a drug store, hardware store and telephone company."
There will be free rolls, coffee and juice at city hall starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Other events include a family magic show at 10 a.m. in the park, and a carnival starting at 10:45 a.m. There will be games and crafts for the kids, bingo for the adults, and a dunk tank featuring Mayor John Fransen.
"The Martin Brothers, a couple brothers from the Vincent area, are going to provide music in the park from 4 to 6 p.m.," she said. "That evening will be a street dance with a band provided by Mandi's Bar and Grill."
Although the weekend promises lots of memories for long-time residents of Vincent, Gallogly has only lived there for 12 years.
"We moved from Des Moines; it was like going home to my roots. I was raised on a farm up near Mason City," she said. "This is great place to live. It's quiet. It's like a small family. People help each other out. People know each other."
"The people here are very friendly, very welcoming to newcomers," Armstead said. "For me growing up, being a city person, then coming out here to a town of 173 is quite a shock to the system. But once you get used to it, it's really quite nice.
"I'm a single parent raising three kids, and I think it's a really good atmosphere to raise kids in."