The grand marshal of the Mexico bicentennial parade Saturday was Boston Post Cane recipient Myrtle Milledge, 102, who greeted onlookers by waving the American flag. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

Tammy Schmersal of Ta-Dah Hair Studio rides with “customer” Jack Weeks in Mexico’s bicentennial parade Saturday. Schmersal created the float to mark 70 years of the business in Mexico, which was started by her father, Henry Schmersal, as Henry’s Barber Shop. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

Pageant contestants from Mexico’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1968, Miss Mexico Judy Breau Kennedy, Charlene McKenna Robinson and Ginger Naples Patterson, ride in the bicentennial parade Saturday. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

The First Baptist Church of Mexico, sharing the good news of Christ in this community for 110 years, sponsored this float in Saturday’s Mexico bicentennial parade.

MEXICO — The town celebrated its 200th birthday in grand style Saturday morning with a parade.

Highlighting the event were its oldest resident as grand marshal and three Miss Mexico contestants from the town’s sesquicentennial in 1968.

Boston Post Cane recipient Myrtle Milledge, 102, greeted onlookers by waving the American flag.

The three pageant contestants from 1968 shared a ride in a convertible in the parade: Miss Mexico Judy Breau Kennedy, Charlene McKenna Robinson and Ginger Naples Patterson.

Tammy Schmersal of Ta-Dah Hair Studio created a float to mark 70 years of the business in Mexico, which was started by her father, Henry Schmersal, as Henry’s Barber Shop.

Another float was sponsoed by the First Baptist Church of Mexico, sharing the good news of Christ in this community for 110 years.

The parade also included 2017 Mexico Citizen of the Year George Byam; a vehicle with past Mexico Historical Society presidents, including Calvin Lyons; and members of the Hope Association’s Special Olympics team, the Leaping Lizards.

Following the parade, people gathered behind the town hall for a variety of food and craft vendors and entertainers, including musicians Chad Haines and Jeff Arbor, Debbie and Norm Pelletier and Jim Gallant.

Children’s activities included a clown making balloon animals, face-painting, sidewalk chalk drawing, coloring, hula hoops, and a treasure hunt and penny hunt.

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