ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg leaders and community members gathered outside City Hall on Wednesday morning for a special flag raising ceremony to kick off Independence Day festivities early.
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St. Petersburg holiday kickoff
What we know:
The City of St. Petersburg started celebrating America’s 250th birthday early on Wednesday morning with a holiday ceremony at a decorated City Hall. The event featured a performance of the national anthem and a pledge of allegiance led by young children as officials hoisted a special America 250 flag.
“For 250 years, the American story has been one of ideals about what we can become, about persevering in our quest to form a more perfect union, to learn from the lessons of history and to build a brighter future for us all,” St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said. “It’s a story that continues to be written not only in our nation’s capital, but in cities like St. Pete, where the ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity come to life every day.”
Leadership holiday messages
What they’re saying:
“Like America itself, our community has continued to grow by learning from our past, not hiding it, but learning from our past,” Mayor Welch said.
“Two-hundred and fifty years ago, our nation’s founders declared that all people are created equal,” Terri Lipsey Scott, Executive Director of The Woodson African American Museum of Florida, said. “Yet, while those words inspired a new democracy, they did not include everyone. As liberty was proclaimed, generations of African-American men, women, and children remained enslaved, denied the very freedoms being celebrated.”
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“African-American history is not separate from American history. It is American history,” she said.
Upcoming weekend schedule
What’s next:
The festivities continue Saturday starting at 6:15 a.m. at the Pier with the sold-out Four Miles on the Fourth walk or run. A free Independence Day Celebration will follow at the Pier from 4-10 p.m., offering live music, food, a market, a beer garden, a family fun zone and water ski shows.
The night will conclude with a 9 p.m. fireworks show at the Pier that city officials promise will be larger than previous years to honor America’s 250th. While the display is free to watch, attendees can buy tickets for a private bar, bathroom access and a reserved seating area with an unobstructed view.
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