Celebrate Pensacola

	Celebrate Pensacola
	;
Established	November 17, 2006
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

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

May 23, 2008: Kick-off party
July 10, 2008: Evenings in Olde Seville concert with Spanish orchestra
February 19, 2009: Spanish royal visit
March 20, 2009: A Night of One Voice
April 4, 2009: Spanish Wine Festival
July 10, 2009: Spanish Band
TBA: Visit of tall ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano
TBA: Heritage Festival
TBA: Lecture series and archaeological digs
TBA: Historical reenactments and plays
August 15, 2009: De Luna Landing Celebration

Plaza de Luna statue

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

Executive committee

Education Committee

Fundraising Committee

Heritage Committee

Marketing Committee

Military Committee

Maj Gen Al Gilley, USA, (Ret.), Co-Chair
CAPT John Pruitt, USN (Ret.), Co-Chair
Miller Caldwell, Jr.
Shirley Cronley
BGen Michael L. Ferguson, USA, (Ret.)
Nancy Halford
Ellis Hodges
CAPT Lee Little, USN (Ret.)
Sheilah Bowman
MAJ Lawrence Powell (Ret.)
CAPT Bob Rasmussen, USN (Ret.)
Col James E. Smith USMC (Ret.)
Joan Engel
Claude F. Rivers
Harry C. White
VADM Tim Wright, USN (Ret.)

New Events Committee

Religious History Committee

Special Projects Committee

VIP Committee

Other images

Mayor John Fogg and Celebrate Pensacola co-chair Maria Davis announce the visit of Spanish King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia to Pensacola

External links

CelebratePensacola.com

References

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

[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.

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Celebrate Pensacola

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