TURBOTVILLE — A three-day celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Turbotville is set for July 10-12.

According to festival organizer June Kline, the first building in the town was a blacksmith shop at the corner of what is now Main and Paradise streets, built by a man named Snyder. Naturally enough, the area became known as Snydertown. Snyder later built a hotel for travellers, and before long a second hotel sprang up nearby.

By 1890, Kline said, the village boasted 440 residents.

“The name was changed to Turbotville because there was already a Snydertown in the area,” she said.

During the week leading up to the big celebration, walking tours of the borough will be offered, guided by local historians Leon Hagenbuch and Bob Swope. The July 5 tours meet at the cemetery behind Ber-He Garden Center at 2 and 6 p.m. The July 7 tour meets at the dollar barn on Paradise Street a 6:30 p.m. The July 8 tour meets at the community hall at 6:30. On July 9 and 10, tours will meet at the community hall and the dollar barn at 6:30 p.m.

The sesquicentennial celebration open Friday evening with an open-air movie, “Bedtime Stories,” in the park at dusk.

On Saturday, the day’s events gets started with a breakfast at Zion Lutheran Church at 7 a.m. A car and tractor show begins at 9 a.m. The sesquicentennial parade begins at 2 p.m. Games and food stands will be set up in the park, and a quilt raffle will also take place. Later in the afternoon, there will be a chicken barbecue from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and Covert Action will entertain from 7-10 p.m.

Sunday events include a community picnic in the park at noon, followed by a community church service at 2 p.m. The Chinese auction is at 4 p.m., and a cemetery walk at 6 p.m. will wrap up the weekend events.