Celebrate Milford

Kendall Dexter, Staff Writer

This past weekend, our town held an event called Celebrate Milford. The event took place on Saturday, May 14, 2022 and involved many small businesses, organizations, activities, sports, and more. Celebrate Milford was developed in 2016 and has truly brought the town together. All proceeds of this event are used to support community youth initiatives, beautification projects, and the Milford Public Schools. Over the years, Celebrate Milford has been able to distribute over $8,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors and almost  $75,000 to area not-for-profits. There is something for everyone at this event, and after being postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19, the return of Celebrate Milford was a true privilege.

As explained by the Celebrate Milford website, this year’s event was dedicated to the Milford Public Schools and Milford Regional Medical Center. The employees of these workplaces have made significant differences in our town during unprecedented times of difficulty throughout the pandemic. This year’s event intended to celebrate the commitment and courage of these employees who deserve our appreciation and gratitude. This year, all Milford Public Schools and Milford Regional Medical Center employees who attended Celebrate Milford were entered into a raffle to win a $500 prize. With a total of four prizes, two were awarded to Milford Public School employees and the other two were awarded to Milford Regional Medical Center employees. In addition to this, the first 600 employees who attended the event received a $10 food voucher to be used at the event. 

Not only does Celebrate Milford recognize important members of our community, but the event is a whole lot of fun for anyone who attends. Celebrate Milford of 2022 started out at 10AM with a youth parade, starting at Stacy Middle School. After the parade ended, the Kidz Zone was opened and small businesses welcomed visitors to their tents. Upon arriving at the event, there was a lot going on. From the large crowd to the bouncy houses surrounding the town park, there were endless activities for all people to enjoy. The event included many opportunities for socialization, food, and entertainment. Celebrate Milford is a great place for small businesses to interact with customers and advertise their products. While at the event, we encountered multiple businesses that we had previously interacted with at Milford’s craft fair this past winter. The gathering of people during this event was truly a sight to see after the impact of the pandemic on our community. 

Celebrate Milford is an event that has brought our town and community together. This is something that has not been possible

considering the severity of COVID-19 for the past year or so. After such a long time apart, having the privilege of gathering together as a community was truly one of a kind. People young and old attended the event and were able to enjoy food, vendors, and live music. The pandemic has made people all over the world recognize the importance of community and togetherness that we have all been lacking for a decently long period of time. If you didn’t make it to Celebrate Milford this year, I encourage you to keep your eye out next year and attend this wonderful celebration of Milford’s community.