Gwinnett Daily Post

Photo by kristen

LILBURN -- Lilburn residents celebrated the 100th anniversary of the city's incorporation Saturday during the Centennial Heritage Celebration.

Festival attendees had the opportunity to take a mule-drawn wagon ride around Old Town Lilburn, participate in an ice cream social in City Park and view historic artifacts in City Hall.

"I'm really interested in the history of Lilburn, since I grew up here and went to school here," said Carolyn Flowers Pursell, who has lived in the city since she was 18 months old.

Bethany Nash, the city's marketing and events manager, said the Centennial Heritage Celebration is one of two events planned to honor Lilburn's 100th anniversary. The city will have a "birthday party" in September, she said.

Several members of a committee who helped plan the centennial events have lived in Lilburn a long time, and it was important to the group to celebrate the city's heritage, Nash said.

"It was very clear that there were some deep roots," she said.

In fact, Lilburn's roots date back to 1820, said Hugh Wilkerson, a resident and owner of Antiques in Old Town.

Wilkerson said he hopes the heritage celebration becomes an annual event.

"It's hard to appreciate where you are when you have no idea where you've been," he said.