Last Friday, officials from across the county came together to announce “Celebrate Shelby,” an observation of Shelby County’s 200th anniversary.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Shelby County Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley were joined by the seven municipal mayors of Shelby County: Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo, Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald, Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner, Arlington Mayor Mike Wissman, Millington Mayor Terry Jones (represented by City Manager Ed Haley) and Lakeland Mayor Mike Cunningham.
Celebrate Shelby will take place on Nov. 24 at Shelby Farms Park. Each municipality and Shelby County will welcome all residents to come together for a day-long celebration. The event will honor Memphis, Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville, Arlington, Millington and Lakeland.
This will be a free public birthday party for Shelby County. The theme for Celebrate Shelby is “A New Century of Possibilities.” It will be a “family-oriented event that bookends the year-long bicentennial celebration of the community.”
“I encourage all to join us as we honor our 200-year history and embrace the possibilities of our next century,” said Mayor Lee Harris. “What began as a rural farming center with about 300 residents has grown to encompass seven municipalities and serve over 900,000 residents. That is worthy of a celebration.”
More than a birthday party, the event will be a moment to reflect on what the past 200 years have brought in Shelby County and what the next 200 years will bring. Produced by the Memphis In May International Festival, the event will feature live music on the T-Mobile Stage, fireworks, food trucks, family activities and more, honoring the unique spirit each municipality brings to our diverse community.
“The County Commission has gladly worked with all seven municipalities. We have seen great growth and development throughout our community over the past 200 years. We are excited about how far we’ve come and even more, how far we can go,” said Shelby County Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland added, “From music to food, civil rights to science, Memphis has proudly changed the world and we’re not done yet. We are proud to stand with all our partners across Shelby County as we honor this powerful moment and support a new generation of change-makers embracing our great legacy of innovation, culture and service. It is the unique soul of our community and what inspires us to change the world yet again.”
Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo also endorsed the celebration.
“The City of Germantown is looking forward to celebrating the bicentennial of Shelby County. Germantown is a community that brings innovation and creativity to Shelby County,” he noted. “Shelby County is a very special county and we are excited to play our part for the next 200 years.”
Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner said the town is “honored to be one of seven great municipalities in Shelby County celebrating our region’s rich history and bright future together.”
“Shelby County grew and developed significantly over the past 200 years, and we are looking forward to discovering what the new century will bring to our communities,” he added.
Mayor Keith McDonald noted that Bartlett is the geographical center of Shelby County.
“Bartlett is happy to be a part of the celebration recognizing the 200th anniversary of our county,” he said.
Mayor Mike Wissman said that Arlington has seen “significant growth for the past 100 years and plans to continue moving forward making Arlington a great place to live.”
Millington Mayor Terry Jones said that the city is “honored to be one of the municipalities to share in the celebration of Shelby County’s Bicentennial.”
“Maintaining that small town feeling with baseball, goats and the opportunity to host an active duty military base for over 100 years,” he added, “we are excited about what the future holds for every community in Shelby County.”
For more information on the event, visit CelebrateShelby.com.
JENNIFER CASEY wrote this article for West 10 Media/Magic Valley Publishing.
