ZELIENOPLE — In 1990 the borough had a celebration to honor its 150th anniversary. In 2015, it will reach another milestone: 175 years.

To celebrate, Zelienople is planning a celebration to mark its history and heritage.

Mayor Tom Oliverio said he is organizing a committee and several subcommittees that are planning events for the week of Memorial Day.

The committees include individuals from organizations such as the borough council, the Strand Theater, the Lions Club, the Rotary Club, the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, the Zelienople Historical Society, and the Zelienople Friends of the Park.

They have been meeting every two weeks, with the next meeting at 1 p.m. Dec. 1 in the borough council meeting room.

May 29, the Friday following Memorial Day, will mark the exact anniversary date of the borough’s incorporation in 1840.

Events the committee is planning include a concert at the Strand Theater, a fireworks display, a parade, a dinner and ceremony at the St. Gregory school auditorium.

The committee also is working on a scholarship fund and creating a book with pictures chronicling the history of the borough.

Oliverio said he is urging donations to help pay for the events — estimated to be about $40,000. Some of the events will charge an admission to cover expenses, while others will need sponsorships or donations.

He recently asked borough council to approve $5,000 in the 2015 borough budget, mostly to pay for the fireworks.

Oliverio also helped organize the borough’s 150th celebration. The borough’s flag that hangs in the council meeting room was created for that celebration as well as its official letterhead, he said.

As plans for the 2015 celebration move along, more people have shown enthusiasm and volunteered to help.

“Everyone in town is looking forward to it. Every time I turn around there’s more and more people coming to the meetings,” Oliverio said.

Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said the bureau is helping to organize the parade and is handling the money for the event through its foundation.

The parade will focus on history, and the organizers hope to include historical re-enactors from different eras leading up to current military and community groups.

Cohen said, “It will let the community know how wonderful it is to live there and to shop there. It’s a perfect tourism event.”

It also could serve as a homecoming event, he said.

“It’ll bring a lot of families back in. It’s a great time to do family reunions around this,” he said.

The borough’s settlement goes back to 1802 when Baron Dettmar Basse, a German, bought 10,000 acres. He named the town after his eldest daughter, Zelie, who later married Philipp Louis Passavant in 1807, according to Zelienople’s website.

The community was incorporated as a borough in 1840 and today has 3,812 residents, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

Anyone interested in donating money or getting involved with the celebration can contact the tourism bureau at 724-234-4619.