A momentous occasion such as a 275th anniversary would be nothing without an equally as momentous party, and that's just what the Summer of Celebration had in store for Thursday evening.

Complete with a giant cake and an entire concert dedicated to the town, Wareham celebrated the anniversary of its incorporation at Spillane Field in a big way, with over five hours-worth of entertainment.

"I'm just so happy they're doing this," said Wareham musician Grace Morrison, who performed at the event. "I'm just so proud of being from Wareham."

Morrison says that she is ecstatic with how the Summer of Celebration has gotten more residents into and interested in the town's history. Morrison herself is a town history buff, having worked in the historical Fearing Tavern for 10 years.

She also payed tribute to her high school classmate Ryan Levangie, 29, who died in a motorcycle accident last night, by singing a cover of Sarah Mclachlan's "I Will Remember You" in his honor.

Morrison performed her mix of traditional, modern, and bluegrass tunes with fiddle accompaniment courtesy of David Delaney of the Boston-based bluegrass group Whiskey Boys.

Partygoers were also treated to performances by Bomba Ashé, a Cuban and South and Central American drum and dance group, a dance set by Kaleidoscope of Dance and Gymnastics, and performances by the Wareham High School Chorus, Buddy Monteiro and Friends, and many more artists.

Besides enjoying the musical acts, attendees also had the opportunity to grab food from local vendors and snack on birthday cupcakes.

Master of Ceremonies Jim Bruce, who also made the enormous, five-foot-tall, five-layer cake that will appear in Saturday's Incorporation Parade, said the event and its location bring back a lot of memories.

"It's marvelous. Whenever I stand on this field I'm so proud to have come from here,” said Bruce, adding that he played football on the field as a youngster. "It's always fun to be here.”

"We're just glad to be a part of [this] and glad to help the town celebrate," said event committee member Eleanor Martin.

"It's wonderful," said event attendee Cheri Lindsey.

What she said next was echoed by Martin, Bruce, and Morrison, and was undoubtedly the theme of the night's festivities.

"I love this town."