By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

Florence’s Labor Day party will return with an even bigger bang this weekend.

The city will mark the 100-year anniversary of Grandview Park during its annual holiday celebration.

The committee whittled the party from three days to two this year but added a car show.

The parade has been moved to 6 p.m. Saturday. Dale Miller will be grand marshal.

Fireworks organizer Randy Dallke said he scored a few special items from his suppliers this year because he hit them up at the right time.

“Oh, there will be just a little bit of extra fireworks at the end,” said Dallke, who has put on the show for the past five years. “You’ll just have to wait and see. I think it will be a good show.”

The fireworks he uses at Florence’s ballpark are not professional grade but still put on a colorful display.

Fountains are popular with youngsters, so volunteers will light those first.

“We start of small and get a little bigger as we go,” he said.

Committee member Carol Ryan learned a lot about cars these past three months as she organized Florence’s first-ever Labor Day weekend show.

She suggested the event even though she doesn’t show cars.

“I tried to think about events that would draw people in,” she said. “Well, car shows do.”

Registration will be 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Trophies donated by Prairie Oaks Designs will be awarded for first place in each class as well as best in show, best paint, best interior, and best engine.

Travis Parmley, Josh Inlow, Stan Williams, Phil Baldwin, and Terry Britton have volunteered to judge.

“We have picked people with real knowledge about cars and it has worked out well,” she said. “They are a good group.”

She expects to have at least 30 cars registered.

“I am looking forward to it,” she said. “It will be small to begin with because it is the first one, but I hope it grows.”

Bob Gayle is looking forward to celebrating 100 years of Grandview Park. He will present a short talk Saturday on its history before volunteers serve cake and ice cream.

“It’s a nice thing to focus on this year,” he said. “We are celebrating on its birthday.”

Also planned on Saturday are garage sales, a kids’ pedal tractor pull will be 10:30 a.m., and games and turtle races at 4:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. Sam Unruh will play live at Fuzzy’s Place, and a street dance with the Matt Engels Band will be at 9 a.m.

A softball tournament will be 8 a.m. Sunday, a community church service is set for 11 a.m. at Veteran’s Park, a vintage baseball game is set for 6 p.m., ice cream will be served at 8 p.m., and the fireworks show will begin at dusk at the ballfield.