News Release
Alaska 50th Anniversary of Statehood Day
Anchorage, Alaska - Dec. 19, 2008 – Downtown Anchorage will burst with excitement on Jan. 3, 2009, in celebration of 50 years of Alaska statehood with a free community event from 3:30 – 8 p.m. full of fun family activities, incredible entertainment and amazing fireworks.
The celebration begins about 3:30 p.m. with a procession of delegates representing towns and villages from across Alaska followed by the ceremonial lighting of the Light of the North, a Beacon to the Future, at the corner of 7th Avenue and E Street. Delegates were chosen by their communities as representatives in the statewide celebration in Anchorage. Each will carry a sign identifying the community he/she is representing as well as a torch.
“The focus of this symbolic event is to honor the people of Alaska and carry a message of unity to all Alaskans,” said Tennys Owens, co- planner and coordinator of the Alaska Statehood Celebration.
Following the lighting, a variety of musical, dance and theatre performances will take place at the Dena’ina and Egan Centers, as well as the Anchorage Center for the Performing Arts.
Alaskans will take a step back in time to 1959 at the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center as they count down the top hits of the 1950’s and learn popular dances of the era with American Bandstand. Kids can sing along with the Mickey Mouse Club and the Alaska Theatre of Youth Mouseketeers while they play with vintage toys like hula hoops and silly putty. A must-see attraction will be the 1950’s “Kitchen of the Future” and the wall of vintage television shows.
The Alaska Center for Performing Arts and the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center will feature musical entertainment by local groups such as BearFoot, Stray Dogma, Chill Factor, The Whipsaws, Well Strung, Sweating Honey, Mellissa Mitchell and many more.
The evening celebration will culminate with an amazing fireworks display over downtown Anchorage at approximately 8 p.m.
“You won’t want to miss this celebration,” said Darl Schaaff, co-planner and coordinator of the Anchorage Statehood Celebration. “With 18 music and performance groups on eight stages, dancers and interactive displays at three premier locations plus a huge fireworks show, this truly is the party of the century.”
Beginning as early as the 1920’s, Alaska’s struggle to become a state was challenging. From 1867 to 1884 Alaska was considered a military district of the United States. In 1884, Alaska became a judicial and civil district, during this time more than 30,000 people travelled north in search of gold. In 1912, Congress passed an Organic Act allowing Alaska to become a U.S. Territory with an elect legislature. On July 7, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed The Alaska Statehood Act and Alaska became the 49th U.S. state on Jan. 3, 1959.
For a complete list of Statehood Day events and times please explore www.anchorage.net/50.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by lodging associations. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund, a contribution established in 1978, and one-third goes to the construction and annual maintenance costs of the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center and the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.
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Media Contacts:
Jeanette Anderson Moores
Public Relations
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
jmoores@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net
