Libby and Paul Carr, Co-Chairs of the Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project, and Seattle Parks and Recreation announced today that the unveiling of the new Statue of Liberty Plaza on Seattle's Alki Beach will take place at an all-day celebration on Saturday, September 6.
Art, crafts, and food vendors; the Uptown Jazz Band; and a celebration cake will kick off the festivities at 11 a.m. at the Seattle landmark at 61st Ave. SW and Alki Ave. SW.
At 1:30, a dedication ceremony will feature Seattle Boy, Girl, and Sea Scouts presenting colors and unveiling the newly recast statue atop the new pedestal and plaza surround. Speakers will include Mike Gregoire, husband of Gov. Christine Gregoire; City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen; and Tim Gallagher, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation.
At 6:30, Girl Scouts will set out and light 200 luminaria candles in sand-filled paper bags around the plaza for a 7:30 p.m. sunset concert by Jeanette Alexander on keyboard and electric violin.
* Recording of a Liberty CD. Audience members and special guests will be invited to be interviewed for a Liberty CD for inclusion in the time capsule. The interview questions may include: ?What Does Liberty Mean to Me?? and "What are my special memories of the Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach?" A playing device will be included in the time capsule.
* Showing of Ken Burns? ?Statue of Liberty? documentary, which will play continuously for free in the Painting Room of the Alki Bathhouse. The documentary is a retelling of the story of the gifting of the original Statue of Liberty from France during the country's 100th birthday celebration.
* Demonstrations by the Boy Scouts on various badge and survival activities.
* Children's Statue art table as well as Rusty the Clown providing balloon art.
* Entertainment throughout the day by the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band, Mood Swing, and Jeanette Alexander.
* Art, crafts, and food vendors set up between the Bathhouse and Plaza areas.
The Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project is a community-based group formed in 2007 and chaired by Libby and Paul Carr to replace the 55-year-old damaged Statue, outdated pedestal, and buckled-asphalt plaza. Corporate and individual contributions and city funding supported the effort and Seattle Parks and Recreation oversaw construction. The pro-bono design team, CAST Architecture and eWorkshop, contributed hundreds of hours to develop and execute the design.
"We all will be celebrating the community involvement and ownership of this project, which made the statue and plaza renovation a reality," said Libby Carr. "The entire Seattle community was dedicated to saving and properly honoring this most-beloved of American icons."
