In 1973, Williamston celebrated its bicentennial. Because the Red Cedar River that flows through the city played such a big part in its development, organizers honored the river by naming the celebration Red Cedar Jubilee. As longtime Williamston resident Sandy Whelton tells it, “They had such a good time, they decided to make it a yearly thing.” Little did she know what a huge role she would come to play in future fests, and little did anyone know what a tremendous success the succeeding years had in store for the fest in the little city by the river.

Whelton moved to Williamston in the mid-1970s from the West Bloomfield area. In a journalism class she was taking, she met a lady who was in charge of the kids’ parade in the Red Cedar Jubilee (RCJ). After talking to her for a bit, Whelton decided to help. And she’s not only been helping ever since, but also has been president of the organization for over 20 years. In fact, the event “consumes my whole year,” she said. During the weeks leading up to the event, “they have to separate my husband and me,” because things “get a little crazy,” she added with a smile.

Early on, the City of Williamston was kind enough to make available the RCJ Deer Creek Park, regionally renowned as the sledding hill and site of the Demolition Derby (more on that later). There was only one small problem. “It was a swamp and a dump at that time,” Whelton explained. “We had to go in with muck boots and clean it, fence it and put down tons of dirt.” That mission accomplished, the park became central to the RCJ’s success.

Mind you, the RCJ is not the place to come if your taste in the arts tends toward the highbrow. This is not the Louvre we’re talking about here. Year after year, the three biggest draws are the Tractor Pull, the Duck Drop and the aforementioned derby, the last of which is the only money maker for the RCJ. All the other events are organized by local non- profits, such at the Sunrise Rotary Club (Duck Drop), United Methodist Church (Chicken BBQ), the Kiwanis Club’s Habitat For Humanity tent, and the Lion’s Club Beverage Tent (please note: not “beer,” “beverage”).

Of course, there’s the obligatory parade, which in its own quaint way puts the Rose Parade to shame, along with the ever-popular ugly dog contest, a car show sponsored by the local CarQuest store, and many other events. Whelton said they’re very proud of the fact that they allow no outside vendors in. Every year they get “hundreds and hundreds of calls, but we don’t let them in,” and that includes food vendors. Everything and everyone is homegrown.

Disaster nearly struck in 2007. “The city took the park away from us and sold it to the school. We had to take the pit (where the derby is held) apart and get rid of all of it.” For a couple of months in late 2007, Whelton was on the phone trying to get portable barriers. Now, if this doesn’t sound like a big deal, remember that the derby is the RCJ’s sole moneymaker, and this is small-town America. The happy ending is that Whelton found portable barriers, the school let the group sell tickets for parking at home football games, and they raised enough money to pay for half of the barriers. So the derby will go on!

The RCJ is always held the third full week of June, meaning that 2008’s spectacular runs from the 16th through the 22nd. The Friday night derby, watched by a crowd of over 2,000 people, is definitely the highlight of the six days. Whelton said it’s hard to gauge the fest’s total attendance, but 3,000-4,000 is a conservative estimate. She said that starting in late winter she gets calls from people checking dates in order to plan vacations around the RCJ. One year, a couple getting married came to town, and while the bride and her entourage spent their Friday doing things such people do, the groom, best men and ushers enjoyed a stroll through the outdoor classic car exhibit.

Whelton said it’s very hard to measure the economic impact of the annual fest, although she’s heard from several local storeowners, such as Theresa Grossman at Tuesday’s Books, that the RCJ week is their busiest time of the year. The local grocery does well, as does the Dollar Store, which calls Whelton to see what the year’s theme is, so they can stock up on the appropriate supplies.

The overwhelming majority of the attendees live in Williamston, and that’s just fine with Whelton and her committee of about 12 “tried and true” volunteers. Why? Because although Williamston is a small town, its residents are as busy as other people, and the RCJ gives neighbors a chance to stroll the exhibits and chat in a relaxed atmosphere.

That being said, over the years more and more people have discovered the charms of Williamston, and the RCJ, mostly via word-of-mouth, or because they happened to be passing through town, have run into traffic and stopped to see what all the fuss was about. And certainly, all are warmly welcomed as only small-town U.S.A. can welcome you. Think about it: a chicken leg slathered in barbeque sauce, a stroll down the Red Cedar River’s boardwalk watching thousands of plastic ducks braving the white water, a few quality hours spent watching cars rear-end each other—who wouldn’t want to plan a visit to this year’s Red Cedar Jubilee?