By Hub City Times staff

SPENCER — After a 16-year hiatus, Spencerama Days made a comeback June 9-11. The Marathon County village of Spencer brought back the event that dates to the mid-1960s but had not been held since 2001.

Organizer Deb Schafer got the idea for the Spencerama revival, and it paid off.

“When we started this, it was going to be a small community event, and it kept growing and growing, and it is amazing,” Schafer said. “I am thrilled with the response. Over 40 units in our parade for the first year, it’s so exciting.”

The Spencer High School Band performs during the June 10 parade of Spencerama Days.

The parade was the main attraction on Saturday afternoon.

The Tri-County Antique Car Club was there as was Mark Anderson from Anderson Electric.

“We’re supposed to show something about our history, so we were established in 1995,” Anderson said. “We’re showing the way we used to do things and the way we do things today, so we (tried to) display a little of that on our float.

“I remember as a little kid just loving the parade. It’s great to see so many entries today and all of the lawn chairs along the route.”

Spencerama served as a reunion of sorts for many, including Vicki Strey Zenner, Miss Spencerama 1985.

“Six of us got together,” said Strey Zenner. “There were actually eight (Miss Spencerama queens) that were going to be here, but two of them had illnesses and couldn’t be here, so we just got together and rode on a float.

“I’ve got my (original) crown, which actually still sparkles; and my sash, which has yellowed and looks kind of brown in spots, and the stickies are falling off, but, hey, it’s still intact; and the original pin that held it together. … I just threw it in my bin, and there it sat.”

The Spencer Jaycees held the inaugural Spencerama Days in 1965.