The Sesquicentennial Debut
Iowa City, Iowa
Celebrate Our State
1846 - 1996
Iowa began a year-long 150th birthday celebration at this grand
event in
Iowa's first state capital, Iowa City, on December 28, 1995
Old Capitol Open House |
Children and Family Entertainment |
Fireworks
THE ALL IOWA BIRTHDAY DEBUT
SCHEDULE of EVENTS (all events are FREE)
Old Capitol Open House, East Entrance
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Take a walk into the past. Watch the Old Capitol come to life as
state officials reenact a typical day of government business in 1846.
Vignettes will last
for short periods of time so the public can have the pleasure of
watching a variety of scenes and a variety of participants acting.
Star participants include Governor Terry E. Branstad,
Governor Robert D. Ray -- Chairman of the Iowa Sesquicentennial Commission
and President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Governor Norman
A. Erbe, Lt. Governor Joy Corning,
Richard D. Johnson, State Auditor, Michael L. Fitzgerald, State
Treasurer, and Justice James H. Carter from the Iowa Supreme Court.
Period music provided by the City High School Quartet (11am - 1 pm)
and the Boland Dowdall Duo (3pm - 4 pm).
Old Capital, West Hill
5:00 pm
Spectacular winter fireworks show organized by J &
M Displays Inc., a Sesquicentennial Milestone Partner.
CHILDREN and FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
Organized by the Iowa Arts Festival
Emceed by Rip Russell, resident actor, and 7 year-old Benjamin Grosse
Iowa Memorial Union, Ballroom
1:00 - 4:30 pm
2nd Floor
1:00 - 4:30 pm
Throughout the day, hands-on art activities take
place, in addition to demonstrations by Caricature Artist Kritsa
Lageshulte and traditional glass blowing by Dawn Hartig.
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Acoustic Mayhem. This popular group presents
children's favorites of traditional American Folk music.
2:00 - 2:30 pm
"Mouse's Wedding" by Eulenspiegel Puppet
Theater Company. Macy Malarazzo performs a mixed media show of
a gypsy folk tale about a mouse who is transformed into a young
girl and faces extraordinary challenges.
2:30 - 3:00 pm
Musical Storytelling Duet, Wortman &
Nothangle. As "Wayfarers of the Imagination", Tom
Nothnagle and Deanne Wortman lead children through magical
realms with music and storytelling.
3:00 - 3:30 pm
Storyteller Dave Panther. Switching roles from
Babaloon the clown, Dave Panther the storyteller, recounts
childhood memories of growing up in Iowa.
3:30 - 4:30 pm
Dave Moore. As a popular and well-known
Folk-singer, Dave Moore Touches on the roots of American folk
music as he highlights hilarious songs written by and about
Iowan children while serving as artist-in-residence in Iowa's
community school system.
4:00 pm
Festive Sesquicentennial Birthday Cake!
5:00 pm
Experience an Iowa rarity -- a spectacular winter fireworks show
organized by J & M Displays Inc., a Sesquicentennial
Milestone Partner.
THE ALL IOWA BIRTHDAY DEBUT
Iowa Memorial Union, Main Lounge
Reservations Required, $10 per person. Children 12 and under free.
6:00 - 10:00 pm
Enjoy an array of food and refreshments celebrating the
culinary history of Iowa. Four food stations will be set-up,
each one representing a 50-year period in Iowa history:
- 1846-1896 Native Iowan & Early Settlers
- 1896-1946 Turn of the Century and War Years
- 1946-1996 Iowa Today
- 2046 Iowa Tomorrow (the dessert station!)
Special remarks by Terry E. Branstad, Governor of Iowa, and former
Governor Robert D. Ray, Chairman, Iowa Sesquicentennial Commission and
Chairman and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield and C.J. Niles, Co-Chair
and Executive Director of the Carrol Chamber of Commerce. Entertainment
featuring the Kuhlmann Sisters. Special prize drawings throughout
the evening. Festive Iowa birthday cake.
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