Indian River County recently ended its Centennial Celebration with a final weekend of festivities to commemorate 100 years of community, history, and the pioneering spirit that helped shape the vibrant county we enjoy today. The final events included a Centennial Parade, an invitational Pioneer Certificate program, a History Fair and a Time Capsule Ceremony. Partnering with Main Street Vero Beach, the Centennial Parade took place at the start of the Downtown Friday Street Party, June 27, which also featured street vendors, food trucks and live music. As the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office helicopter flew overhead to kick off the parade, which traveled down 14th Avenue, co-emcees Tamara Darress and Richard Giessert began their running dialogue, describing each of the Century in Paradise-themed floats as they passed by. The pair chronicled events over the past century and peppered the crowd with fun facts about the county’s history. The floats ran the gamut from our famed citrus, beaches and baseball to classic cars and even those dreaded mosquitoes. While the typical summer storms Florida is known for didn’t interfere with the parade, it did shorten the evening a bit. As a result, the planned ball drop to ring in the new century was a washout. On Saturday, June 28, nearly 600 people gathered in the Expo Center at the Indian River County Fairgrounds for an invitational celebration. The event boasted 137 Pioneer Families in attendance, representing their families’ legacy of longevity in the community. An additional 254 Pioneer applicants had applied on behalf of their families, according to Michelle Wagner, Centennial committee chair. Indian River County Poet Laureate Pat Draper shared the Centennial Poem she wrote in the abecedarian form. Lines followed alphabetical order, which allowed her to highlight a great many of the county’s unique historic places and special qualities, from the Atlantic shores and Bethel Creek House to Yeehaw Junction and Zora Neale Hurston. “You all contributed. Your ancestors, your mother, your father, and everybody contributed over the past hundred years,” said County Commissioner Joe Earman, thanking everyone for helping to make the county what it is today. Earman spoke of the formation of the Indian River Farms Drainage District in 1919, relating the role of his great-grandfather in helping to make that happen. He noted that Vero was part of St. Lucie County at the time and, as such, had limited influence on local government decisions. Only a few years later, the enforcement of the Blue Laws, which restricted the showing of movies and the sale of goods on Sundays, served as the catalyst for the creation of Indian River County, officially established on June 29, 1925. On Sunday, June 29, the Vero Beach Heritage Center and Citrus Museum hosted a Centennial History Fair that showcased historical exhibits, photographs, and stories chronicling the past 100 years. The 100-year jubilee concluded on Monday, June 30, with the burial of a Time Capsule containing a variety of items of significance outside the County Administration Building, with plans to open the metal box in 50 years. [gallery ids="221136,221135,221134,221133,221132,221131,221130,221129,221128,221127,221126,221125,221124,221123,221122,221121,221120,221119,221118,221117,221116,221115,221113,221112,221111,221109,221108,221107,221106,221105,221104,221103,221102,221101,221100,221099,221098,221097,221096,221095,221094,221093,221092,221091,221090,221089,221085,221084,221083,221082,221081,221080,221079,221078,221077,221076,221075,221074,221073,221072,221071,221070"]