The members of the Browning Progressive Civic League are preparing for another fun-filled Labor Day Festival at Browning Community Park.
“We are going to have fun. We’re going to have good food, good entertainment and good games for the children to play,” said Leroy Ware, a member of the league. “It’s a wholesome family atmosphere.”
The community began celebrating Saturday with an opening ceremony at the historic Browning Community Artesian Well, built in 1921 and located across from the park on Browning Road.
Today, community members will gather for a Founder’s Day Program, which will be held at Mount Zion Church of God in Christ at 4 p.m. and is sponsored by Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church.
Although the festival is in its 23rd year, a Labor Day gathering has been held at the community park since 1960, the year the Browning Progressive Civic League was established. The event became official when it was turned into a public festival in 1990.
The club was formed to keep the community together and thriving after Browning’s epicenter, the Browning Community School, was closed, and students began attending Amanda Elzy schools.
“When the school was moved, to keep from losing our community, we organized this club to maintain Browning’s identity,” said Claudine Brown, president of the Browning Progressive Civic League. “We just wanted to keep our community alive.”
The Browning community, extending from Mississippi 7 to the edge of Carroll County, was established after the Civil War and is one of the oldest black communities in the state. Ninety percent of the first occupants of the Browning community were landowners. Most of its residents now are descendants of the community’s founders.
The community park has held as many as 500 people for the holiday festival.
“We always have a big crowd,” said Brown. “It’s never under 300 people.”
The festival will begin Monday morning and will open with a parade that will feature Constable Andrew McQueen, members of the Browning Progressive Civic League and community leaders and will be capped by the Cobras Motorcycle Club. Following the parade, there will be a live broadcast by WGNL radio station from the stage in the park.
Those attending may participate in basketball and baseball games or a tennis match.
There will be inflatables in the park, and a cash raffle and a car raffle will be held. Tickets for the cash raffle will be $1, and prizes start at $25 and go up to $100. The car raffle tickets will be $20 each.
Vendors can set up in the park. Last year, some of the vendors sold ice cream, nachos and face painting. To be a vendor, there is a $35 fee to set up and $40 fee for those requiring an electricity hook-up.
Refreshments will be sold at the concession stand in the park.
Later in the evening, the James Wood and Red Band will entertain the crowd with two shows. During the intermission, the winners of the car and money raffles will be announced.
The event is alcohol-free. There is no charge for admission or parking, and those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
“We want to encourage everyone to come out, bring the entire family and have a wonderful time,” said Ware.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
