Town of Randolph Celebrates 200 Years with Bicentennial Parade, Fireworks & Family Fun
Town of Randolph Celebrates 200 Years with Bicentennial Parade, Fireworks & Family Fun
Randolph's bicentennial weekend features a themed parade, period dress and beard contests, live entertainment, fireworks, children's activities, and a community hymn sing celebrating 200 years of local history.
2026 marks the 200th birthday of the Town of Randolph, and all are invited to celebrate a special weekend with a full slate of family-friendly fun! The town will commemorate its bicentennial by recalling the past, celebrating all that makes Randolph special today, and anticipating a bright future through a parade, contests, chicken barbecue, and more!
The festivities begin on Saturday, August 15th with a parade that starts at 10:30am from the Randolph Highway Barn on Wadsworth Street. The parade’s theme is a moving timeline of sorts, as parade floats, cars, and walking groups are encouraged to highlight a decade or era in Randolph’s history in their style, dress, and décor - from the pioneer days of the 19th century to the 1920s jazz era, to the disco era of the 1970s, to modern times and everything in between! Prizes will be awarded in different categories including “Best Use of Theme,” “Most Creative Float,” and “Crowd Favorite.”
The fun continues down Main Street and over to Weeden Park, which will host multiple contests, a chicken barbecue, children’s activities, and live music on Saturday. Bakers are invited to participate in the pie and baked goods contest: enter 9-inch pies, cakes, cupcakes or cookies by 3:00pm on Saturday at Weeden Park. All entries will be auctioned off at 4:30pm with proceeds benefiting the Randolph bicentennial celebration.
Echoing a similar event held in 1967 for the village of Randolph’s centennial celebration, the bicentennial will include a Period Dress Contest, where participants can model their best vintage fashions that celebrate any era from the 1980s or earlier. Outfits can be assembled from closet or attic treasures, handmade, or purchased. Judging begins at 1:30pm and no pre-registration is required. At 2:00pm, prizes will be awarded for best and second-best homemade outfit and best and second-best representation of a time period.
Another celebration of the past that will be reprised during the weekend involves the Bearded Brothers of Randolph: 25 men who assembled in 1967 to commemorate the village’s centennial celebration. If facial hair is your preferred expression of fashion and personality, then the bicentennial’s Beard Contest is a must! Also held at Weeden Park on Saturday, the Beard Contest begins at 1:30pm, followed by prizes at 2:00pm in the following categories: longest beard, most creative, best historical look-alike, and best mustache. No pre-registration is required.
While in Weeden Park, be sure to enjoy the chicken barbecue, which starts at 2:00pm. Dinners are made by Bubba’s Food Wagon and are $15 for a half chicken, choice of two sides, and a dinner roll. (Sides include cowboy baked beans, macaroni salad, potato salad, and coleslaw.) There are plenty of activities in the park for children, including a bounce house and carnival games, as well as a petting zoo and pony rides (free rides from 2:00-6:00pm). Live music in the park runs from 2:30-9:30pm and includes Hanna’s, JB Martin and the Smokin' Dog, and the Porcelain Bus Drivers. The night will conclude with a dazzling fireworks display you won’t want to miss!
Close out the bicentennial weekend on Sunday with the Community Hymn Sing, also at Weeden Park, at 6:00pm. Enjoy music from the Community Hymn Sing Choir, which represents multiple Randolph-area churches. The hymn sing will be followed by a free ice cream social, which is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends or get to know some new faces!
Bicentennial merchandise, including shirts and ornaments, is available now in the Randolph Town Clerk’s office, 72 Main St. Be sure to check out the custom sand sculpture, which Eric Jones will be creating in the “triangle” at the intersection of Main St. and Jamestown St. from August 12-14. For more information, check out Enjoy Randolph’s Facebook page.