CENTRE -- City officials and a group of volunteers gathered at City Hall last week to discuss a unique idea for this year's Fall Festival, set for Oct. 3 along Main Street.

“We're going to have a reunion-type theme that we hope will become an annual reunion event for the people of Centre during the Fall Festival,” said Kurt Duryea, who is heading the effort. “Hopefully people will use the event to renew old friendships and spend time together.”

Duryea said this year's focus will on sports championship teams from Centre over the years, specifically Cherokee County High School and the former Hatcher High School, and any youth teams affiliated with the city, such as Dixie Youth.

“We're going to start off the day with the Fun Run, and the parade after that,” Duryea said. “In the parade we're going to distinguish by decade, and have captains for each decade that will be able to organize the theme for that decade.”

Duryea said he envisions each decade being represented by a float, or flatbed trailer, which will carry the representatives from the various decades.

“And we will hang signs on either side that note the decade and list all the accomplishments of the teams from that decade,” he said. “We could even use cars, clothes and music from the particular time periods in the parade to distinguish them from each other.”

After the opening presentation, Duryea opened up the discussion for ideas and suggestions.

“If you know someone in a particular decade, let's get in touch with them and get the word out about the parade,” he said. “It doesn't have to be limited to the high school teams, either.”

Someone suggested the Warriors' girls basketball and tennis championships from the 1990s; in the '80s, the football team finished as the Class 4A runners-up in 1984 and the baseball team won back-to-back championships; in the 1970s, members of the CCHS track team won state titles; there were also several undefeated football teams in previous decades that city officials hope will come out and be represented. Tommy Moon, representing the Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame, provided a wealth of information to the group that has been collected over time. Legendary football coach Bobby Joe Johnson and others in attendance shared stories and reminisced about past teams and athletes.

Duryea also discussed the possibility of having a large sign near the entrance to the old football stadium across from the fire department where participants can disembark from their floats or trailers for group pictures.

For more information about the reunion theme or to contact the captain for a particular decade from either Cherokee County or Hatcher, call City Hall at 256-927-5222 or send email to centreal@tds.net.