Altamont Sesquicentennial Celebration Begins Thursday

Months of preparation will begin to pay off Thursday as the City of Altamont begins its sesquicentennial celebration.

A series of activities are planned through Sunday as Altamont joins Montrose as an Effingham County community celebrating its 150th birthday this year.

Thursday evening activities will run from 6 to 10pm at the Triangle in downtown Altamont. The events will include a performance by the high school band, performances by the dance and cheer teams, an ice cream social, a DJ, an exhibit hall, and recognition of Altamont's oldest citizen, placement of a time capsule, and an Altamont Masonic Lodge porkburger and hot dog sale.

Friday events will take in Schmidt Park from 5pm to midnight. Activities will include a beer garden, food trucks and other concessions, a pie eating contest at 5pm, the Mr. Altamont Pageant at 6pm, and music from the band "Backyard Boogie" from 8pm to midnight.

A full day of activities are planned on Saturday. The first round of Saturday events will take place at the Triangle from 8am to 3pm. Those will include a 5K run and walk at 8am, a parade with lineup at 9am and step off at 10am, a tractor and car show following the parade until 2pm, a pedal tractor pull at noon, a cake walk from noon to 1pm, recliner races at 2pm, and butterfly pork chops prepared by the Altamont Masonic Lodge. The second half of the day will run from 5pm to midnight at Schmidt Park. Activities will include a beer garden, food trucks and concessions, a mechanical bull, inflatables from 5 to 9pm, music by Mustang Sally from 5 to 8pm and by Josh Holland Band from 9pm to midnight.

Sunday in Altamont will include a church service at 9:30am followed by a breakfast. From noon to midnight, activities will include a beer garden, food trucks and other concessions, inflatables from noon to 9pm, cornhole and volleyball tournaments starting at 1pm, a dunk tank from 2 to 5pm, a mechanical bull, old time games and a tug of war from 3 to 4pm, beard and pigtail contest judging at 4:30pm, and music by Surviving Members from 5 to 8pm and by Superbad from 9pm to midnight.