The Command and General Staff College’s most recent class of students has already arrived and members of the 705th Military Police Battalion are scheduled to arrive on Fort Leavenworth soon.
But before they get completely settled in, they are due for a welcome.
The Leavenworth Main Street Program, in conjunction with Fort Leavenworth’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation office and the city of Leavenworth, will be welcoming those military personnel and their families who recently arrived in the area at the first-ever Hometown Welcome, from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Haymarket Square in Leavenworth.
But those organizations can’t do all the welcoming on their own, according to the event’s organizers — that’s where area residents come in.
“Come help us celebrate our whole community,” said Stephen Tennant, the chairman of the committee for the event.
Tennant said he has always seen the Leavenworth and fort communities as two parts of the same whole. He said he hopes a lot of people show up to celebrate the unique and historic relationship between the civilian and military components of the Leavenworth community at the welcome, which is free and open to the public.
Festivities include children’s games and activities including face-painting, balloon animals and a bean bag toss sponsored by area Girl Scout troops and a “touch a truck” sponsored by the Leavenworth Fire Department, both beginning at 5 p.m.; opening remarks by some of the community’s leaders, including a proclamation by Leavenworth Mayor Larry Dedeke, at 6 p.m.; an anniversary cake-cutting for the Leavenworth Main Street’s 15th anniversary, the 25th anniversary of Kansas Main Street and the 50th anniversary of the Tune Shop at 6:15 p.m.; a performance by the Roger Wilder Quartet starting at 6:30 p.m.; a concert from the Right Clique Blues Band at 8 p.m.; and a 9:30 p.m. show from the John Joiner Band.
Throughout the night, area restaurants and civic organizations like Leavenworth Baptist Church, the Leavenworth Rotary Club and the American Legion will be selling food and beverages for those in attendance.
Tennant said the preparations have come together smoothly and even the aspect of the event that the organizers have no control over — the weather — looks as though it will cooperate.
“Don’t miss it,” he said.
