Following last summer's successful Sesqui Sunday celebration, the city has planned a Westerville Coming Home Celebration, a daylong festival celebrating all things Westerville.

The festival, which will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 23 in Alum Creek Park North, compiles elements of past festivals, including Fall Fest, Sesqui Sunday and the city's last summer concert of the year, said Westerville recreation administrator Phyllis Self.

"We kind of combined several different programs and festivals and put them into one," Self said.

The celebration will begin with the 5K and 10K Heritage Classic Race at 8 a.m. The race will be followed by a pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Another batch of activities begins at 1 p.m., with a Taste of Westerville, showcasing local restaurants, running from 1 to 8 p.m., and arts and crafts activities planned from 1 to 4 p.m.

The celebration also will mark the 100th anniversary of the Anti-Saloon League and its printing operation in Westerville, with walking tours of Temperance Row every half-hour from 1 to 4 p.m. and a Temperance Tea Party from 2 to 4 p.m.

The city's annual tricycle race and ice cream social will be at 2 p.m., and the Central Ohio Plein Air Society, a group of outdoor painters, will demonstrate their works from 2 to 4 p.m.

The city's annual duck race that raises money for the Westerville Parks Foundation, the Westerville Symphony Fund, the Westerville Education Fund and other local charities, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Ducks are on sale for $10 each at the Visitors' Bureau and the Community Center.

The celebration will wrap up with performances by the Westerville Community Band and the Westerville Symphony.

The community band will perform at 4 p.m. The show will include marches and patriotic music as well as a performance of "In the Presence of Heroes," an original piece commissioned by the symphony for its 20th anniversary last fall.

The symphony will perform works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and others at 6:30 p.m.

"Everybody's going to be delighted by the musical presentation," Self said.

In between the two concerts, at 6 p.m., Westerville Mayor Anne Gonzales will lead a recognition ceremony for the city's hometown heroes.

With a full day of food, music, races, art and history scheduled for the Coming Home Celebration, Self said she's sure all of Westerville's residents will find something to enjoy.

"This way, we have something for everyone," Self said.

jnesbitt@thisweeknews.com