Come Saturday one of Marion County’s annual parties will be hosted by the city of Florence. The three-day Labor Day celebration will have a little something for everyone. You should make it a point to go visit our neighbors down the road and take part in whatever strikes your fancy.

This is their 71st annual event. I bet they have it down to a fine art by now and you will have a wonderful time.

The flyers highlight a large number of children’s events, a community worship service, street dance, barbecue cook-off, concerts, art show, car show, parade, community-wide garage sales, drawings, cow chip bingo, a poker run, horseshoe pitching contest, and the famed Mountain Man Rendezvous. And that is only a partial listing. There will be many more activities taking place. Surely something on that list piqued your curiosity.

The headliner for the weekend is Michael Martin Murphey in concert at 8 p.m. Sunday night, preceded by the Diamond W Wranglers. Nice drawing card, neighbors! Woo-hoo!

I heard this week that several individuals and community groups have painted building facades and filled empty storefront windows with displays to make the downtown more attractive and welcoming for visitors, performers, and participants. On top of all the work required just to pull off a three-day extravaganza, they rallied their volunteers and got the backdrop for the event gussied up as well. Outstanding.

Be sure to get over there and check it out.

—Susan Marshall