Cosmopolis will commemorate its 125th birthday on Sunday with a free celebration and festival from noon to 5 p.m. at Lions Club Park, located at 1st and C streets.

“We’re hoping we’re going to get hundreds and hundreds of people here,” said Cosmopolis City Council Member Kyle Pauley. “We’re blocking off some streets — the roads around Lions Club Park — but there will be plenty of parking because it’s a short walk to the park from anywhere in town.”

Festival in the Park is the name of the event held at this time of year in Cosmopolis. The celebration used to be held in Mill Creek Park but had to be moved because the Mill Creek Dam was breached.

The festival was staged at the local school for a few years but people who have spent years in the community with a current population of about 1,600 happily remember the celebrations at Mill Creek.

“It was a tradition people planned for, something they knew and grew up with,” Pauley said.

Organizers wanted to have this year’s celebration back at Mill Creek but the city couldn’t obtain approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in time.

“We’re hoping to have it there next year,” he said optimistically. “That’ll be fantastic! Mill Creek is a such a great location. So many fond memories made there. It’s a part of Cosmopolis history.”

The city of Cosmopolis and its volunteer Parks and Recreation Committee have organized an event that features a car show with historic Cosmopolis fire engines, children’s games, and an array of food and product vendors. The Lions Club will serve burgers and SusieMarie’s lemonade will raise funds for the city’s fire department. Live entertainment scheduled is music from the Bruce Hughes Band and Stone Soup artists Outta Monte.

There will also be a raffle and the winner will be allowed to name a city park. Tickets will be $5 each and the name chosen by the winner will be used for a year.