National Park Service Director Leads Centennial Celebration

Posted by Jeff on Aug 25, 2016 @ 12:05 am in Conservation | 0 comments | Last modified: August 24, 2016

National Park Service (NPS) supporters, visitors and staff are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service this week at 413 parks nationwide. The NPS is inviting everyone to join the celebration by visiting a national park this week.

To help everyone find a park to explore, the National Park Service is offering free admission to all 413 national parks from August 25th-August 28th, 2016.

There are hundreds of events taking place around the country to celebrate the Centennial in unique, fun and engaging ways. From enjoying a concert, to having “Lattes with Lincoln” in Washington D.C., to taking nature hikes or attending historical presentations, to joining NPS staff in forming a living version of the National Park Service’s iconic arrowhead emblem, visitors can be a part of the commemoration wherever they may be.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis is celebrating the Centennial at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Yellowstone, our nation’s first national park, is hosting “An Evening at the Arch” on August 25th at 7 p.m. MDT. Director Jarvis will join Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, and other distinguished guests and performers as they kick off the second century of the National Park Service, highlight the importance of the partnerships, and recognize the completion of the first phase of restoring the park’s iconic Gardiner Gateway.

Here are just a few of the centennial events taking place in our national parks this week:

Living National Park Service Emblem: More than 1,000 participants will be assembled into a living arrowhead at the base of the Washington Monument onAugust 25th between 9 and 11 a.m. using brown, green and white umbrellas. This event is expected to create the world’s largest National Park Service arrowhead.

Naturalization Ceremonies: Today, National Park Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will hold naturalization ceremonies in seven national parks: Biscayne National Park, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trial, Grand Canyon National Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Women’s Rights National Historical Park.

Explorer to Explorer with International Space Station: Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park will speak with Astronaut Kate Rubins, a crewmember onboard the International Space Station. This event is scheduled to take place on September 3rd at approximately 11:20 a.m. PST.

Find Your Park on Fremont Street in Las Vegas: Videos and digital displays highlighting national parks will play throughout tomorrow evening on a 1500’x90′ digital display as part of the Fremont Street Experience, in partnership with Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Grand Canyon National Park Founders Day Celebration: Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona will host a park-wide celebration throughout the weekend with food, special programs, a train exhibit, a naturalization ceremony, and a concert.