Two of Covington’s favorite things, parties and old buildings, collide for a festive weekend celebrating the city’s 200th birthday.
On Friday, February 6, there will be a party inside the Hellmann Lumber Building on Martin Luther King Boulevard. The Newport Ragtime Band, an 11-member group affiliated with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, will perform from 7 to 8 p.m. The evening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. with small bites and drinks offered and catering by Four Seasons, the business that just relocated to Pike Street.
The historic Hellman Lumber Building was acquired by the Center for Great Neighborhoods (CGN) at auction in October 2013. Since then it has received a small grant from the Duke Energy Foundation and a whopping $1.45 million grant from the Kresge Foundation, the same organization whose funding helped the Center develop Shotgun Row. The building is also being considered for a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Plans for the building once the Center completes its renovation have not yet been announced, but February’s part in celebration of the City of Covington, hosted by CGN, is one of a handful of entertainment options brought to town by ArtsWave in Cincinnati. Previously, a scaled-down production of Pirates of Penzance was put on at Linden Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, and in May there will be a Block Party featuring Elementz dancers followed by a production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
If you plan to attend the Ragtime Band event, dress for a cooler indoor event, the Center suggests.
Gala hopes to have hundreds in attendance, after-party now FREE
The following night, Saturday, Februay 7, COV200, the city’s bicentennial committee, will put on the COV200 Bicentennial Gala at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
“Our goal was to create a weekend that would commemorate and celebrate everything Covington has accomplished so far—and everything we have to look forward to in the future,” said Amanda Greenwell, COV200 Vice Chair.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., attendees of the COV200 Bicentennial Gala will enjoy a cocktail hour accompanied by the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and the Red Cat Jazz Band, and dinner with music by The Chuck Taylors.
The gala program will center on honoring Covington’s past, present and future and will include the recognition of Covington’s longstanding businesses, oldest resident, upcoming special events, the announcement of the COV200 Bicentennial legacy project, and more.
The Gala will conclude with guests moving to the COV200 Bicentennial Birthday Bash. The entire evening will run from 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, Covington’s actual birthday. Tickets for the COV200 Bicentennial Gala are $125, with a portion of ticket proceeds benefiting Covington Partners, the coalition to promote positive youth development through collaboration.
Individuals can also choose to ‘toast the town that won’t slow down’ by attending the COV200 Bicentennial Birthday Bash, also hosted at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, from 9:30pm to 12:30am that same evening. Free to attend, guests will celebrate at the stroke of 12, which marks Covington’s official step into its third century.
While free, advanced registration for the COV200 Birthday Bash is required. Open to individuals 21 and up, the COV200 Bicentennial Birthday Bash will include a cash bar, entertainment by DJ Jon Curl (Jon Jon), palm readers, magicians, and plenty of dancing.
Covington documentary to debut
The birthday weekend will conclude with the premier of the Covington documentary, “Points of view: Covington at 200.” Produced by Battery Row Productions, free screenings of the documentary will be hosted throughout the city, at venues including the Behringer-Crawford Museum (2 p.m.), Baker Hunt (12 p.m.), Prince of Peace Montessori (6 p.m.), Madison Avenue Church (7 p.m.), the Covington branch of the Kenton County Library (1 p.m.), and the Arlinghaus House (4 p.m.).
The screenings of the 75-minute documentary, which will include a brief opening by documentary producer, Steve Oldfield, will be open to the public. Copies of the film will also be available for purchase.
“We want the residents of Covington to know that this weekend will be one to remember,” said Greenwell. “Our hope is that everyone who attends one of these events will have lasting memories of Covington’s 200th birthday.”
Opportunities to host COV200 parties
For those who want to host their own COV200 bicentennial celebration, COV200 is also creating a free, downloadable COV200 Birthday Party Kit so individuals can ring in the city’s third century from the comfort of their own homes or businesses. The Birthday Party Kit includes everything needed to host a COV200 birthday party, such as music playlists, banners and posters you can print at home, cocktail recipes, games and more. Kits will be available later this month at cov200.org/events/cov200-
For more information on The COV200 Bicentennial Birthday Celebration Weekend, visit www.cov200.com or contact Kate Esarey, COV200 Coordinator, at kate@greatneighborhoods.org. A variety of volunteer opportunities for the COV200 Bicentennial Gala are available. Individuals interested in volunteering should visit the COV200 website’s ‘Get Involved’ page for details. Support for Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Ragtime Party comes from Artwave, sponsored by The Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trusts, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee.
Staff report