ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Godspeed arrived today at Alexandria's historic Old Town Waterfront for the first stop in the 17th- century replica ship's 80-day tour of six East Coast cities. America's 400th Anniversary's 2006 Godspeed Sail will bring the story of the "journey that changed the world" and the nation's birthplace, Jamestown, VA, to hundreds of thousands of visitors, providing a glimpse into early 17th-century America and the legacies on which our nation was founded.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGO )
Docking in Alexandria from May 27 - June 3, the Godspeed is accompanied by a "Landing Party Festival," a unique combination of education, entertainment and interactive experiences that is free to the public. Live music, family entertainment, and historical and cultural displays will bring to life the American legacies that first took root at Jamestown.
The 2006 Godspeed Sail event officially opens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 27. Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille will be joined by U. S. Senator John Warner (R-VA), U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-VA-8th District), Virginia Delegate and Jamestown 2007 Steering Committee member Vincent F. Callahan, Jr., and Jamestown 2007 Executive Director Jeanne Zeidler in an opening ceremony highlighted by the presentation of an America's 400th Anniversary flag to the City of Alexandria as the 2006 Godspeed Sail's first host city.
"Yesterday's arrival of the Godspeed brings 400 years of history to the shores of Old Town Alexandria. We wholeheartedly welcome the Godspeed as an opportunity to share in our nation's culture and heritage," said U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-VA-8th District).
"The City of Alexandria is excited about being the first stop for the Godspeed on this historic voyage," said Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille. "Alexandria's rich history complements this 400th anniversary commemoration and we invite everyone to be part of this history-making event."
Visitors can board the Godspeed for dockside tours with historical guides in period costume, then take a "virtual" voyage in an on-shore motion simulator. Interactive exhibits will give visitors the sense of what life was like in early Jamestown and America, while a gallery-in-the-round called "American People, American Progress" takes them on a journey through 400 years of contributions made by the European, Native American and African-American cultures that converged at Jamestown in the early 1600s.
Entertainment will include "Anniversary Voices," a live contemporary musical and dance production themed around America's 400th Anniversary. An original children's show, "Ba-baaah and the Windigo" features a cast of whimsical characters in a Jamestown story from the point-of-view of a young Indian girl and some of the indigenous animals present when the ships first arrived.
Local Alexandria and regional performers include Scott Miller & the Commonwealth Band; Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums, Williamsburg, VA; Red Crooked Sky Dance Troupe, Virginia Beach, VA; Robbin Thompson, Richmond, VA; Fairfax Choral Society Youth Chorus, Annandale, VA; Rockville Concert Band, Rockville, MD; Edsall Road Band, Fredericksburg, VA; Alexandria Harmonizers Chorus, Alexandria, VA; Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, Washington DC; Legacy of Weyanoke, Charles City, VA; and Richmond School of Ballet's Team XXL Dancers, Richmond, VA.
The Godspeed Sail will progress to the following ports this summer: Baltimore Inner Harbor from June 9 - June 12; The Great Plaza at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia from June 16 - June 19; South Street Seaport Museum in New York City from June 27 - July 6; the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse and Fan Pier in Boston from July 14 - July 19, and the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, RI, from July 25 - July 30.
The 2006 Godspeed Sail is one of 10 signature events and hundreds of other community projects commemorating America's 400th Anniversary. America's 400th Anniversary will feature 18 months of special events, symposia and educational opportunities. The centerpiece event will be America's 400th Anniversary weekend, hosted in America's Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, VA, on May 11-13, 2007. Please visit http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/ to learn more about the Godspeed Sail and other America's 400th Anniversary events and schedules.
Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Jamestown is also the site of the nation's first representative government, free enterprise and multi-cultural society. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies begin in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America's 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation , Verizon and Colonial Williamsburg. More information about the commemoration is available at http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/.
Contact: Kevin Crossett
757.253.4534
757.508.4469 cell
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk,
