Celebrate Pensacola

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Celebrate Pensacola

CelebratePensacolaLogo-hires.png

Established November 17, 2006[1]
Executive co-chairs Coy Irvin, Jr.
Maria Davis
Website CelebratePensacola.com

Celebrate Pensacola, Inc. is a non-profit organization that organized a festival commemorating the 450th anniversary of Don Tristan de Luna's 1559 expedition that established Pensacola as the first European settlement in the United States. The celebration ran for a total of for 450 days, from May 23, 2008 to August 15, 2009. Among other events, Pensacola received a visit by Spanish royalty on February 19, 2009.

The organization was set to reconvene in 2014 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Naval aviation in Pensacola.

Events[edit]

Bishop John Ricard leads a prayer at the Celebrate Pensacola kick-off party.

Plaza de Luna statue[edit]

Among the initiatives planned by Celebrate Pensacola was a proposed statue of Tristan de Luna to be erected in the City's recently finished Plaza de Luna park at the southern terminus of Palafox Street. The statue would feature a 9-foot sculpture of de Luna atop a 44-foot pedestal. (The idea had first been proposed by the Fiesta of Five Flags organization in 2002.[2]) Event planners initially hoped the City of Pensacola would contribute $150,000 of the $700,000 cost, but the City Council demurred by a 5-4 vote, citing budget restraints.[3]

Leadership[edit]

Executive committee[edit]

Education Committee[edit]

Fundraising Committee[edit]

Heritage Committee[edit]

Marketing Committee[edit]

Military Committee[edit]

New Events Committee[edit]

Religious History Committee[edit]

Special Projects Committee[edit]

VIP Committee[edit]

Other images[edit]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. SunBiz.org entry
  2. "De Luna statue proposed for Bayfront park." Pensacola News Journal, March 11, 2002.
  3. Mark O'Brien. "Fortunately, some council members stand tall against bad statue idea." Pensacola News Journal, November 16, 2007.