I remember vividly the night my high school basketball team faced our archrival in a long awaited district championship match-up of two of the top 10 rated teams in the state.

I can almost feel the adrenaline rush that flowed through my veins as we ran out of the locker room to the thunderous chants of what seemed to be our entire small town community standing on the bleachers. Not a seat was left in the house, as hundreds of devoted fans of both our team and our opponent's had traveled to the neutral site to support their squads in our intense quests for a state championship.

Today, as I look back on that night, I realize that it doesn't matter anymore that we lost that game. The sting of seeing the regional bid that should have been ours taken away by our bitter rivals has worn away, and I can't even recall the score that seemed to be imprinted on my mind many long months later.

Just one memory from that special night remains deep-seated in my heart, and that's the rallying spirit of our tiny community, standing together behind a singular aspiration. The feeling of unity that emanated from that rare solidarity was something too special to be dismissed, and far too powerful to be forgotten. I learned that night that community, in it's truest sense, is one of the most valuable gems this world has to offer.

Webster would define community as a group of people who live in the same area, but I have to believe that the real heart of the word means much more than that. It is a kinship, a bond, and an unbreakable connection of camaraderie and team spirit.

This weekend, Princetonians will gather downtown to celebrate that very essence of community. On Mercer Street, in the soul of the historic area that made their hometown the thriving city that is today, local residents will come together for Celebrate Princeton, an annual celebration of all that Princeton was, is and could someday become.

On Saturday, Mercer Street will be taken over by food and craft vendors, scavenger hunts, a best breakfast in town contest, yard sales, giant puppets and more, all in recognition of this little Appalachian town that still lives strong today, an entire century after its foundation.

You can be sure that old-fashioned street fair's attendees will include some of Princeton's lifelong natives, those elders whose memories remain rich with stories from the city's earliest days.

Undoubtedly, there will be members of Princeton's younger generation, too, those children just now discovering what their hometown means to them.

And, there will probably be some of those former residents, as well, the friends who at one point or another moved away in search of brighter lights and greener pastures. They'll be back to visit the home that still lives in their hearts, the place that somewhere along the way began to seem much more special to them than it was when they left.

And, maybe there will be a few newcomers like me, hoping to learn more about the city that has captured their hearts with its unique Southern charm and exceptionally welcoming atmosphere.

There will be business suits and overalls, toddlers and grandpas, artists and lawyers, all standing side by side in celebration of the place that, in one way or another, helps to define each and every one of us. I had a professor in college who was fascinated by the idea of place and its nearly tangible power over us.

“The place we stand creates us;” he used to say, “It makes us into the people we are.”

A true revelation, but don't we create our place, just the same? Isn't Princeton what it is today, and what it is not, because of what each of us contributes to our community? I think it is, and I think that is something of which we can all be proud.

Princeton is a place where people still give that friendly wave at passers by. It is a community where neighbors trust their neighbors, and know they can depend on each other in time of need. It's a place where you can walk into the library, the downtown diner, the grocery store, and always find a friend. And, most of all, it's a place where natives and transplants, strangers and visitors can all feel equally at home, no matter how long they've been in the city or how long they plan to stay.

Princeton is a special place, and that's because of you, and because of me. Each of us has a stake in this little mountain town.

So, this weekend, when we stand on Mercer Street and cheer on the local performers, gush over the delicious homespun meals, or simply sit back and enjoy the fellowship, we won't only be celebrating Princeton; we'll also be celebrating ourselves, and the fantastic things that can happen when a group of people truly come together as a community.

And that, I believe, is worthy of one very grand celebration.