JFK Centennial Weekend Celebration
Events Announced JFK Library to host special exhibit opening, Peace Corps and Space activities,
Red Sox pre-game ceremony, free museum admission and more.
BOSTON??? The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum today announced that it will host a five-day celebration over Memorial Day weekend to commemorate the centennial of President John F. Kennedy, who was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917. Events and activities include the opening of a new exhibition, JFK100: Milestones & Mementos, and special programs highlighting President Kennedy???s legacy as a champion of peace, inclusion, public service, science and innovation, and the arts. The weekend celebration is part of the JFK Library???s year-long centennial initiative aimed at inspiring new generations to find meaning and inspiration in the enduring values that formed the heart of the Kennedy presidency.
Detailed JFK Centennial Celebration weekend schedule.
Download the centennial press kit with archival material spanning JFK???s life.
Download JFK100: Milestones & Mementos exhibit press kit.
The centennial weekend celebration is sponsored by OMEGA, Martin Richard Foundation, Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Liberty Concepts.
JFK Centennial Weekend Celebration
May 26-29, 2017
??May 25: Kennedy Library Forum with David McCullough
6:00pm ??? 7:30pm.?? Smith Hall, JFK Library
Pulitzer Prize winning historian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, David McCullough, discusses his new collection of speeches, ???The America Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For.????? Former ABC News reporter and anchor Charlie Gibson moderates.??
Note: This forum is currently at capacity. It will be livestreamed at: www.jfklibrary.org/webcast. Members of the media wishing to cover the forum may contact Rachel.Flor@jfklfoundation.org.
May 26: Opening of New Special Exhibit, JFK 100: Milestones & Mementos
10:00am ??? 11:00 am.?? Press Tour with Museum Curator Stacey Bredhoff
11:00am ??? 5:00 pm.?? Exhibit open to the public, JFK Library
The Kennedy Library???s new special exhibit, JFK 100: Milestones & Mementos, features a compelling selection of 100 original artifacts, documents, and photographs, revealing the arc of President Kennedy???s life and political career.?? Historical items like a baby picture from his first formal photo session, notes for his 1956 book, Profiles in Courage, and his Cabinet Room chair, put visitors in touch with the man who occupied the office.?? A selection of his personal belongings ??? his sunglasses, neckties and gifts from his small children ??? are displayed here for the first time.??
??May 26: Red Sox Pre-Game Ceremony Honoring President Kennedy
6:45pm. Fenway Park
Leading into the matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox, in partnership with the JFK Library Foundation, will hold a pre-game ceremony celebrating President Kennedy???s life and the ideals he championed. Special guests that represent key tenets of the Kennedy administration ??? peace, public service, inclusion, innovation, and the arts ??? will be introduced on the field in honor of President Kennedy???s commitment to those values.
Tickets can be purchased through the Red Sox or where Red Sox tickets are sold.
??May 27: JFK 100 Centennial Commemoration for the Peace Corps Community
2:00pm ??? 5:00 pm.?? Smith Hall, JFK Library
The JFK Presidential Library and Museum is proud to partner with the National Peace Corps Association and Boston Area Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to host the Peace Corps community at a centennial commemoration of President Kennedy.
May 28: JFK 100 ??? Space Exploration Discovery Day: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
12:00pm ??? 4:00pm.?? Smith Center, Learning Center, Museum Galleries, JFK Library
To commemorate JFK???s challenge to land a man on the Moon, the Kennedy Library is hosting an afternoon of activities and guest speakers for kids, families and adults focused on Space.?? Featured presentations by NASA astronaut Christopher Cassidy and Spacesuit Engineer Su Curley will highlight space exploration and equipment, including what it???s like to live and work on the International Space Station.??
View detailed schedule and registration.
May 29: JFK Centennial Celebration
9:00am ??? 5:00pm.?? JFK Library
A fun-filled day of celebration on President Kennedy???s 100th birthday, featuring performances by the U.S. Navy Band, the Boston City Singers, a ceremonial cake cutting, and a flyover performed by the U.S. Navy. ??Admission to the JFK Library and Museum will be free and open to the public all day.
Detailed JFK Centennial Celebration weekend schedule.
About the Centennial Celebration
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library???s Centennial Celebration is presented in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration, which administers the presidential library system, and features collaborations with a number of institutions including the U.S. Navy, Peace Corps and National Peace Corps Association, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, United States Postal Service, Smithsonian American Art Museum, White House Historical Association, John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Centennial collaborators across Massachusetts include the Massachusetts State House, City of Boston, Town of Brookline, John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, Boston Red Sox, Massport, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, University of Massachusetts Boston, Brandeis University, Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, and TEDxBeaconStreet.
By the conclusion of the centennial weekend celebration, over 100 events will have been held across the country and the world in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy.
About the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is one of 13 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. It is supported, in part, by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. The Kennedy Presidential Library and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.