N.C. State Capitol plans free family celebration on Independence Day

June 14, 2011 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. – Pack a picnic, bring your lawn chairs and your blankets, and enjoy the Independence Day holiday weekend by attending this annual patriotic celebration on Monday, July 4.  

The North Carolina State Capitol will sponsor this free, fun-filled family event that has become a downtown Raleigh tradition. For the second year, an outdoor naturalization ceremony for approximately 30 new citizens will take place at noon on the Capitol steps.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the state historic site will offer the public a variety of musical performances, historical and military displays, carriage rides, and several hands-on and play activities for children to enjoy. Visitors will have the chance to listen to patriotic tunes performed by the Raleigh Concert Band and instrumentalists Gail Leonard and Chris Anderson. Food vendors will be located on the Capitol grounds. Visitors can depart from the festivities on the square to take a narrated trolley ride throughout the historic downtown area to view Raleigh’s landmarks.

After the naturalization ceremony, the traditional “Salute to Independence” will feature a reading of Thomas Jefferson’s most noble achievement, “The Declaration of Independence.”  This will be followed by the placement of floral tributes to mark the 1775-1781 War for Independence and the successive wars that have preserved America’s freedoms and have continued to spread America’s democracy and freedoms globally.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and functions of the 1840 building and Union Square.  The State Capitol is at One Edenton St., Raleigh, N.C. 27601.  Visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/default.htm or call (919) 733-4994 for more information.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. www.ncculture.com