The Heritage Association is responsible for the sign in downtown Hillsdale. Courtesy | Facebook
The Hillsdale Heritage Association is hosting a Great Gatsby raffle fundraiser to raise money for a new mural in downtown Hillsdale.
The event is from 6 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 30 at The Dawn Theater.
Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at Fetched Dog Grooming located at 31 N. Broad St.
The event is Roaring ’20s themed and people are encouraged to dress with the time period. Connie Sexton, a heritage association board member, said there will be awards for the best dressed flapper for women and best dressed “gangsta” for men.
“The attire is 1920s, so think flapper dresses and pinstripe suits but realistically, it’s a fun night to get dressed up in whatever you’ve got and come support our community,” said Gianna Green, general manager at The Dawn Theater.
The money raised at the event will help fund a new three-panel mural in downtown Hillsdale, painted by local artist David Youngman, Sexton said. The mural will be painted on aluminum panels and located behind Hillsdale City Hall.
The first place raffle prize winner will receive $1,000, second place $500, and third place $250, according to Sexton.
Starting at 7:45 p.m., local singer and owner of Fetched Dog Grooming Heather “Elaine” Hemingway will sing 1920s music. At 9 p.m., she will sing 1950s and ’60s music. Hemingway won first place in singing at the Hillsdale County Fair two years in a row.
“The first set is going to be authentic to the time period,” Hemingway said. “There’s going to be dancing, so it’d be a good idea to practice and look up some things on YouTube like how to do the Charleston.”
Green said the space is perfect for this event since the theater was built in 1919.
“I really think the community will enjoy this event,” she said.
Hemingway said the type of music she will be singing is from the time period where music first started to be recorded.
“I really get to ham it up for everybody,” she said.
Sexton said the mural, which will depict trains coming to Hillsdale, will cost about $15,000. She said she expects the mural to be complete by summer 2024. The heritage association was also responsible for the “Welcome to Historic Hillsdale” sign in downtown Hillsdale, according to Sexton.
