Kenosha County Suffrage Celebration set for Wednesday

Kenosha County’s celebration of 101 years of the women’s right to vote, delayed by inclement weather last month, is taking place tonight (Sept. 8).

The festivities will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on the lawn outside the Anderson Arts Center, 6603 Third Ave. Admission is free.

Grounds will open at 6 p.m., followed by a performance by blues artist Ivy Ford and her band at 7 p.m. During an intermission at 7:45, there will be a “March to Vote” parade, remarks by retired Kenosha County Circuit Judge Mary K. Wagner and the announcement of the winner of the Susan B. Anthony-Women of Influence essay contest winner.

The evening will conclude with fireworks around 9 p.m.

Informational booths featuring local organizations that serve women and children will be open throughout the evening.

This celebration is an outgrowth of the Kenosha County Suffrage 100 Committee that County Executive Jim Kreuser formed in 2019, to organize and promote events honoring the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in August 2020. It was later rescheduled for this year due to COVID-19.

Chicago jazz singer Elaine Dame, who was to have performed during the evening that was rained out, is not able to appear at the rescheduled event.

For more information about the Kenosha County Suffrage 100 Committee, including biographies of Kenosha County women who were involved in the suffrage movement, please visit https://www.kenoshacounty.org/suffrage.

T-shirts and other merchandise displaying the Kenosha County Suffrage 100 logo are available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting the Susan B. Anthony-Women of Influence Awards scholarship fund and grants programs. Orders may be placed at https://kenoshaspiritwear.com/collections/kenosha-county-suffrage.