WORCESTER, Mass. — The smiley face is more than just two eyes and a mouth. It's a legacy left behind by creator Harvey Ball.

"Smiley is the grandfather of the emoji," said Worcester Historical Museum's Operating Office Barbara Guertin. "So, we feel very strongly here in Worcester and at the Worcester Historical Museum, we need to own this for the entire world. To know that smiley face was created right here in our wonderful city."

Ball, born in Worcester, drew the now famous design in 1963, which he hoped to be a symbol of good will and good cheer. He would declare the first Friday of October every year would be World Smile Day, devoting a day to random acts of kindness and of course, plenty of smiles. And in 1999, he kicked off what is now an unofficial holiday in Worcester.

"Sometimes the world seems big and filled with problems that are too hard to understand, much less solve," Ball said at the inaugural celebration. "We start to believe that we are too small to make a difference. But that's not true. The truth is that everyone of us has the ability to make a difference every day. And world smile day can can help us remember that."

Ball died in 2001, but the smiles are still very much with us.

In downtown Worcester Friday, a celebration commemorated World Smile Day with food, crafts and entertainment — a chance to simply celebrate and smile.

"If you don't smile, you're not happy," said one person enjoying the festivities. "That's it."

What would World Smile Day be without the annual Harvey Ball, honoring not only the man who created the smiley face, but those who give back to the local community. This year's honorees: the Coghlin family.