The Hawthorne Homecoming is the most anticipated annual event held in the city east of Gainesville.
First held 90 years ago in 1932, Hawthorne Homecoming began as a church-related one-day event that brought together local citizens and a circle of family and friends who had left the city that was first incorporated in 1881.
“There are several stories about how it started, but the most reliable one I discovered is that it was first arranged through two cousins who moved from Hawthorne to Daytona,” said Lenton “Pop” Herring Sr. , 75, a retired former Hawthorne resident. educator and history buff who made extensive studies on local history.
According to Herring, the two cousins organized the house back as a devoted service that was organized in its early years through what was then known as New Hope Episcopal Church (now New Hope United Methodist Church) and Mount Zion AME Church. As the return house grew in popularity, day service finally began to take place on the site of the existing Shell Primary School in Hawthorne.
All homecoming activities will take place again at Shell, 21633 SE 65th Ave. in Hawthorne, and highlights of this year’s homecoming will include:
• June 30: at 2 p. m. , opening rite with a speech through Herring and a dinner hosted by the Hawthorne Homecoming Committee and Hope for Hawthorne.
• July 1: At five p. m. , balloon honoring the deceased citizens of Hawthorne, followed by a dance for students under the age of 12 starting at 6 p. m. at 20 h and from 13 to 18 years from 20:15 h to 22 h
• July 2: 3 p. m. to 5 p. m. m. , gospel exhibit organized by Julius Gordon, followed by the 4 p. Homecoming Parade. m. a 5 p. m. , dance for 12 and 6 p. m. to 8 p. m. Old
•July 3: The festivities will end with a kickball game starting at noon.
Although the return home has gone from being a one-day event to a usually three-day event, the only thing that remains constant is that there is a chance that the other people of Hawthorne will return home and celebrate and honor the position. where they were born and raised, Herring said, adding that the church and the devoted side of the origins of the return to roots are still at the center of the case.
“Church service is a mandate as a component of homecoming,” Herring said.
The return to the roots is described through the song “Family Reunion” recorded by the mythical group R.
The lyrics to this song can be seen on Hawthorne Homecoming, Herring said.
Still taking place on the fourth Thursday weekend in June, the return home to Hawthorne coincides with many family gatherings, weddings and other family events, said Patricia Humphrey, 63, who has lived in Hawthorne most of her life. .
“I only missed one lap home, and that’s because my oldest daughter was born on a Wednesday, the day before she got home that year,” Humphrey said. “Everyone is looking for the way home. “
Like Humphrey, Herring said he only missed one return home, and that’s because he was in the U. S. military. U. S. fighting in Vietnam.
The home back to Hawthorne, like many other homes back in black communities in the South, featured baseball tournaments that attracted baseball groups from near and far, Herring said, adding that the home’s baseball component returned from Hawthorne until about 25 years ago. .
“These tournaments would attract groups from as far away as St. Pete, Sarasota and other places,” Herring said.
The return home has gained momentum recently under the leadership of Lewis Scott, outgoing chairman of the Hawthorne Homecoming Committee, Herring said.
The festival now includes plenty of out-of-town food and other vendors thanks to Scott’s efforts, Herring said.
Tim Rainer is the chair of the Hawthorne Homecoming Committee.
Hawthorne natives from across the country will be in town for the homecoming, and Herring said the occasion is a good time to introduce younger generations to other people who grew up in the city and have been successful in all facets of life.
“It’s a possibility for us to show children that they can succeed, just as others in Hawthorne have done,” Herring said, adding that not enough is done to recognize those who are from Hawthorne and who have succeeded.
Herring said his keynote address will detail the story of Hawthorne’s homecoming and give him a chance to communicate what blacks want to do as a people.
“I’m a preacher, so I scream and continue, but I’m going to make it clear what we want to do as a people,” Herring said.