Bicentennial Year in Walton County ends with community celebration Saturday

There was music, there was cake, there was even Santa and snow – and there were fireworks to cap of a year of celebrations Saturday as the community joined in wishing Walton County a Happy 200-year Birthday.

The historic Walton County Courthouse was the place to be for photos with Santa, a piece of the cake shaped just like that historic courthouse and for tours and photographs in the halls of the historic building. The streets of downtown Monroe were filled with revelers enjoying carriage rides while waiting to see the fireworks display that began as the clock struck the final bell at 7 p.m. And with that, Walton County’s Bicentennial celebrations came to an end on Dec. 15, 2018 – exactly 200 years after the county was founded in 1818.

Shane Short, who headed up the Bicentennial committee that arranged the events from beginning to end, said Saturday’s final celebration honoring the County’s 200 years of existence was for the people in the community.

“We wanted it to be just for the people,” he said. Student winners of the Essay Contest on “Why I Love Walton County” were recognized and presentations of quilts were made. The quilts will now hang in the historic courthouse. Due to the weather, the time capsule, to be opened in 100 years, will be buried in a couple of week’s time, according to officials.

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The Bicentennial celebratory year kicked off in January at the State Capital when a Proclamation was signed by Gov. Nathan Deal before being delivered, with the Bicentennial Flag, to each community in the County. Events throughout the year remembered and honored the 200 years of Walton County’s existence, including an Interfaith Service, Fourth of July celebrations, the opening of the Veterans Memorial and many more. Click or tap on this link to read about all the events during 2018 that celebrated the County’s Bicentennial year, including Walton Living’s Bicentennial issue giving some of the history that made its mark on Walton County during its formative years.