Happy birthday to Valley Grande.

This Saturday, the city will hold its seventh annual Founder’s Day at the Valley Grande walking trail from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

“There is two significant activities that we have as a city for the public,” said Valley Grande Mayor Tom Lee. “One of them is obviously the Fourth of July which I think every Southern town is real proud of. The other one that sets us apart is that we are real proud of the fact that several cities came together, and we celebrate that event with Founder’s Day.”

Lee said Valley Grande sees Founder’s Day as a way to celebrate its own independence.

“Most people still remember the effort that we made to come together and form a city,” said Lee. “We are young enough to be able to look back and see the beginning and not be so far ahead that we are worried about the end. So we are proud of this city and what has happened”

This years Founder’s Day will hold even more meaning as it will take place in conjunction with the Alabama Tourism Department’s celebration of small towns and downtowns.

“For the past few years the Alabama Tourism Department has held ‘the year of’ celebrations,” said Councilwoman Libby Ezelle. “In 2010, it is the year of small towns and downtowns.”

More than 215 cities in Alabama are participating in the event and because Valley Grande is taking part, they state donated a historical marker with the founding information of Summerfield on one side and Valley Grande on the other which will be dedicated during the Founder’s Day festivities.