Lanesville Heritage Weekend was first celebrated in 1976 and originally founded as the Lanesville Bicentennial Celebration for our great nation’s Bicentennial year. The first festival was called Lanesville Bicentennial Weekend. The Committee received two $500 federal grants to start the festival.

The Lanesville High School Chapter of FHA decided that they wanted to organize a Bicentennial Celebration.  FHA Advisor, Linda Steder and Student Council Advisor, John Richert,  sat down to begin discussion plans.  It was immediately evident that the it would take a lot of resources to successfully put on a festival with all the activities on their wish list.  LHW founding President Richert, met with community leaders, churches and civic organizations to    discuss how Lanesville could start a festival.