A traditional Labor Day Weekend picnic on the Hope College campus, the college’s first home football game on the new artificial turf at Holland Municipal Stadium and the sights of Windmill Island gardens will all be among the features of the 47th annual Hope/Holland Community Day on Saturday, Sept. 1.
The picnic, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be held on the front lawn of the DeVos Fieldhouse. Tickets include the picnic and admission to the Hope College football game at 1:30 p.m. with North Park University at Holland Municipal Stadium, which had artificial turf installed during the summer. Tickets also include admission to Windmill Island Gardens from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day.
The picnic will consist of bratwurst, hamburger, sliced turkey breast, vegetarian croissants, salads, chips, cookies, beverages and other picnic fare. The picnic will also feature inflatable fun for kids, door prizes and live music provided throughout by the Holland American Legion Band.
The Holland High School marching band will be playing at the game.
Community Day celebrates the long-standing relationship between Holland residents and the faculty, students and staff of Hope College. The event debuted in October 1966 as a Community Ox Roast, held in conjunction with the Hope College centennial celebration. Like the first event, which was the idea of former mayor Nelson Bosman, subsequent Community Days have provided an opportunity for Holland and Hope to come together.
Tickets for Community Day cost $9 for regular admission and $4 for children age five to 11, with admission free for children under five. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse, which is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Tickets will also be sold at the picnic site on the day of the event. Tickets are not available at Windmill Island Gardens.
Throughout the day during Community Day, the gallery of the De Pree Art Center will be featuring an exhibition of sculpture by Anne Weber. The exhibition is running Friday, Aug. 24, through Friday, Sept. 28. The gallery is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free.
At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1, the college’s men’s and women’s cross country teams will host the Bill Vanderbilt Invitational at Ridge Point Community Church. Admission is free.
The De Pree Art Center is located is located at 160 E. 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue. The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets. Holland Municipal Stadium is located at 313 E. Fairbanks Ave., near 13th Street. Ridge Point Community Church is located at 340 104th Ave., near 24th (Mason) Street. Windmill Island Gardens are located at 1 Lincoln Ave., north of Seventh Street.
Additional information about Community Day may be obtained by calling the college’s Office of Public and Community Relations at (616) 395-7860 or online at the college’s website at www.hope.edu.
In the event of rain, the picnic will be moved to the dining room of Phelps Hall, located on the Hope campus at 154 E. 10th St., along Columbia Avenue. If the picnic is moved inside, announcements will be made online at www.hope.edu and on area radio stations.