Pensacola Times

The 200th Anniversary Commission invites the public to the closing event for Florida’s Bicentennial Celebration on Sunday, July 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Museum Plaza, located at 120 Church St. behind the Pensacola Museum of History.

This community celebration will close out the commemoration of Florida’s Territorial Bicentennial, when Florida officially became a territory of the United States on July 17, 1821. The event is free and open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and picnic down to Museum Plaza for an evening of fun. The Reunion Band will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. with a high-energy show to kick off the evening and entertain the crowd, followed by special presentations and a documentary reel highlighting the Bicentennial Celebration.

University of West Florida’s President Emeritus and Bicentennial Co-Chair, Dr. Judy Bense, will welcome and invite Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson and Santa Rosa Creek Tribe Chief Dan Helms to help close out the yearlong celebration. To wrap up the evening, the 200th Anniversary Commission will present a short documentary reel, highlighting all of the events that occurred over the past year in conjunction with the Bicentennial Celebration.

In 2020, Mayor Grover Robinson appointed Dr. Judy Bense and Margo Stringfield as co-chairs of Florida’s Territorial Bicentennial Celebration, when Florida officially became a territory of the United States, receiving from Spain on July 17, 1821. They, along with their 200th Anniversary Commission and community organizations, presented hundreds of programs and events throughout the year highlighting this special occasion. The main celebration took place on Saturday, July 17, 2021, exactly 200 years after the exchange for the Spanish and American flags, in Museum Plaza. The event featured a formal program, historical reenactments, a plaque dedication and more.

For more information about the Bicentennial Celebration closing event, please contact Anna Lochas at historicevents@uwf.edu.

_{Source: https://myescambia.com/news/news-article/2022/06/30/florida-s-territorial-bicentennial-celebration-closing-event-july-17}