Lilac Days to celebrate semi quincentennial June 5-6

Basin’s annual Lilac Days celebration is June 5 and 6. To help celebrate the United States Semi Quincentennial, attendees are asked to wear red, white and blue.  Also added to honor the 250^th birthday, children first through fifth grade are invited to come give a one or two sentence speech about why they love America at 10:15 am on June 6 in Washington Park. 

This year the Friday night events will be at the Basin Heritage Commons (southeast corner of Fourth and C Streets).  At 5:30 p.m. Up in Smoke BBQ will be available for purchase along with EJD’s Creative Sips. At 6 p.m. the ribbon cutting for the Basin Mural will take place. At 6:15 p.m. a time capsule will be buried, followed by a concert by the Man in Tan

Attendees will also see the conceptional plans for the commons area and will be able to purchase a legacy memorial brick or paver. Bring a lawn chair and stay for a while. 

Saturday’s events will be at Washington Park. They start at 9 a.m. with the Gottsche 5K Run/Walk. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Prizes will be awarded in several categories. 

The annual free breakfast sponsored by Basin First Baptist is at 9:30 a.m. Fill your bellies with pancakes and ham. At 10 a.m. Mayor CJ Duncan will say a quick welcome followed by the national anthem by Merrita Powell and music by Bret Savage. Also starting at 10 a.m. are the games sponsored by Club Dauntless and The Shack, kids sidewalk art sponsored by Friends of the Basin Library and vendors. The Basin PD Bike Rodeo starts at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the former clinic. On the north end of the park, on Murphy Street is the American Legion Post 29 car show. Parents should register babies 0-2 years in the Lilac Baby Contest at 10 a.m.  The baby contest is at 10:45 a.m. 

 There is no pre-registration for the Why I Love America contest at 10:15 a.m., but it is suggested parents have their kids there by 10 a.m. The Lilac Princess contest is at 11:15 a.m. this year. It is opened to girls grades five through 12 from Burlington, Basin, Greybull and home schooled. Registration is Friday night 5:30 p.m. at the Basin Heritage Commons. The contestants will be asked to read a short essay about Wyoming giving women the right to vote before any other state. They will also be asked to answer a question after pulling a random question from a basket that day. 

Voting for the 2026 Lilac Queen is open now. Voting boxes are at the Town of Basin, Security State Bank, Basin Pharmacy and Basin’s Market. Voting closes May 22. Please vote for a woman who has made a difference in the community for years. Former queens are Helen Russell, Willa Jackson Ellison, Barbara Ellison Greene, Ellen Cummings, June Hill, Lorraine Getzfreid, Margaret Brown, Helen Crane, Kay Mowery, Becky Allred, Jennifer Miller, Cindy Schlattmann, Lauriena Curtiss, Pat Brown, Juanita Dellos, Shelley King, Charlene Anderson, Barbara Anne Greene, Marie Dutton, Lori Thon, Carmen Olson, Viki Davis, and Jan Gammill. 

 Concessions will be provided by Mama Z’s Pizza and Haley’s Concessions. The Lilac Day Sponsors are Big Horn REA, TCT, Queen Bee Gardens, Basin Heritage Initiative, Security State Bank, Three Rivers Health and the Basin Area Chamber.