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BOTTINEAU The quasquicentennial celebration of Bottineau city and county will be a homecoming for many who attend, and local residents want to make it a memorable one.

The 125th anniversary celebration June 18-21 is expected to draw many former residents and others with ties to the county. Marlene Marquardt, who is co-chairing the event with Joan Mortensen, said festivities are being planned that will show off the area and entertain visitors coming from as far away as Germany.

Among the guests will be descendants of Pierre Bottineau, the French settler for whom the city and county were named. Family members who have indicated they will be coming include Robert Bottineau and his wife, Debra, of Barrie, Ontario, Glen Bottineau of Sangudo, Alberta, and his daughter and husband, Ann and Dave Landsiedel of Calgary, Alberta, as well as other relatives from Minnesota.

The Canadian family members will be guests at the opening ceremony June 20 at 9 a.m. in Thatcher Hall on the Minot State University-Bottineau campus. College president Ken Grosz will emcee the program, which will feature Tom Gibson, a re-enactor who portrays Pierre Bottineau.

Betty Monkman, a native of Souris, will speak. Monkman was curator of the White House from 1997 until retiring in 2002. She began her museum career as registrar in the Office of the Curator in 1967. Her responsibilities included advising presidents and first ladies on White House history and art, managing the White House state rooms and the White House collections, interpreting the White House and its collections through lectures, publications and exhibits as well as working on other historical and preservation projects.

Her book published in 2000, "The White House: Its Historic Furnishing and First Families," was the first publication on the White House decorative arts collection. It received the American Association of State and Local History Certificate of Commendation and the Certificate of Merit in the 2001 Premier Print Awards of the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

The Bottineau County Centennial Choir also will perform at the program. Other special guests will include Tessie Jones, the 2009 Miss North Dakota. The North Dakota Forest Service will conduct a ceremonial tree planting at the close of the program.

Pierre Bottineau, as played by Gibson, will be grand marshal of the parade that follows the tree planting at 10:30 a.m. The parade committee had registered more than 100 parade entries as of early June and will continue to accept entrants until parade time, Marquardt said.

Details about any of the celebration events can be found on Bottineau's quasquicentennial Web site at (www.bottineau.info).

The celebration runs in conjunction with the Bottineau County Fair. The fair will feature amateur night on June 18, Williams and Ree on June 19 and the Johnny Holm Band on June 20.

A highlight of the celebration is "Trip of a Lifetime Tours" that will take people on scenic bus trips through the county. A tour will run through west Bottineau County on June 18 and through east Bottineau County on June 19.

The western tour includes stops at MoJo Roast, Ward Williston, Gateway Hotel and DEVA Lifewear in Westhope, Schepps' Dakota Deli in Lansford for lunch and Sund Manufacturing in Newburg. The western tour stops at the rural, historic Salem Lutheran Church, Metigoshe Ministries, Lake Metigoshe State Park, Mystical Horizons for lunch, Swedish Lutheran Stone Church near the Canadian border and Turtle Mountain Pork Farm.

Several Bottineau businesses and public offices also will be opening their doors to the public. Holding open houses are Pride Dairy, June 18, 2 to 4 p.m.; the Bottineau County Courthouse, July 19, 2 to 4 p.m.; Bottineau Community Ambulance, June 19, 2 to 4 p.m.; St. Andrew's Health Center, June 19, 2 to 4 p.m.; Good Samaritan Center, every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Bottineau Public Schools, in conjunction with class reunions.

A Bottineau County Fine Art and Quilt Show is scheduled for June 19 and 20 from noon to 4 p.m. in Minot State University-Bottineau's Thatcher Hall. Anyone who is or has been a Bottineau County resident is welcome to display in the show.

An arts, crafts and bake sale will be held June 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bottineau Armory. This event is open to home-based businesses, organizations and fund-raising groups.

Scheduled sporting events are a three-mile walk/run and basketball and golf tournaments.

Proceeds from the walk/run go to Turtle Mountain Cancer Support Inc. The event is June 19 at 10 a.m. near the Bottineau County Sheriff's Department.

The three-on-three basketball tournament takes place June 20 at 2 p.m. in the Bottineau High School gymnasium. The 9-hole golf tournament will be June 21, starting at 11 a.m. Registration information and forms are available on-line for each of the events.

Other events include:

Bottineau County Museum open each day from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Bottineau City Arbor Day tree planting at Forestry Field, west of Bennett Street, June 19, noon.

Children swim events at Bottineau Pool, June 19, 2 p.m.

Bingo at Bottineau Senior Center, June 19 and 20, 2 to 4 p.m.

Picnic in park, June 20, 11:30 a.m.

Car, truck and tractor show, June 20, 1 to 4 p.m. in Tommy Turtle Park.

Local musical entertainment, June 20, 1 to 5 p.m. on Main Street

Children games at Tommy Turtle Park, June 20, 2 p.m.

Ecumenical church service, Bottineau High, June 21, 10 a.m.

Demolition derby at fairgrounds, June 21, 3 p.m.

The quasquicentennial committee is selling buttons for $10 that will admit wearers for free into many of the events, including a breakfast on June 19 and the picnic on June 20.