FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PR- 178-08 May 12, 2008 MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARKOWITZ ANNOUNCE THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE 125th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Five-Day Celebration to Feature Special Bridge Lighting, Film Series, Concerts, Lectures, Bike Tour, Children's Readings and other Family-Friendly Cultural Events Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz today announced plans for a five-day celebration in honor of the 125th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge. The celebration, taking place from May 22 through May 26, will feature an array of fun and family-friendly cultural events in Brooklyn and Manhattan, commemorating the historic structure and highlighting the cultural diversity of the boroughs it unites. The Brooklyn Bridge 125th Birthday Celebration will feature a special Bridge lighting, concerts, a film series, lectures, children’s readings, dance performances and a bike tour, as well as several other weekend events. “The Brooklyn Bridge is not only one of the great engineering marvels of all time; it is also a beautiful symbol of New York that is recognized around the world,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The wonderfully diverse events are representative of the iconic bridge that has connected the people of Brooklyn and Manhattan for generations. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this legendary icon that has done so much for our City.” “The Brooklyn Bridge made a big, bold statement right from the start,” said Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz. “In 1883, it was opened with the goal of joining the two largest municipalities in the nation at the time, New York City and the City of Brooklyn—and its glittering span of steel, stone, wood and light continues to symbolize the bond that links our fortunes forever. Today, hundreds of thousands of tourists cross the Brooklyn Bridge each year to get a taste of the ‘Brooklyn Renaissance.’ We wish the Brooklyn Bridge a Happy Birthday—in every one of Brooklyn’s136 languages. At 125 years young, she is as vital and majestic as ever!” In the spirit of “The People’s Day” celebration held on the occasion of the Bridge’s opening in 1883, this fest will kick off with a public birthday party on Thursday, May 22 at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, featuring live music by the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The evening will feature a Grucci Fireworks presentation and an unprecedented light installation featuring a colorful array spanning the length of the Brooklyn Bridge, illuminating the New York City skyline each evening from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm from May 22 through Memorial Day. “As one of the more significant iconic landmarks in this great City, the Brooklyn Bridge connects present-day New York with the beginning days of its modernization,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “This month’s celebrations will pay tribute to the critical role the Bridge has played in NYC’s history, and the timeless appeal that it will continue to hold among New Yorkers and City visitors alike.” A weekend of cultural programs in honor of the Brooklyn Bridge 125th Birthday Celebration continues with a Brooklyn Bridge Film Series, a bicycle Tour de Brooklyn, enlightening lectures, guided tours and more. Some of the featured events include:
Major sponsors of the Brooklyn Bridge 125th Birthday Celebration include General Contractors Association of New York, Inc., National Grid, Forest City Ratner, Target, as well as Empire Blue Cross, Verizon, Astoria Bank, Citi, Warner Bros. and Sovereign Bank. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov or call 311. MEDIA CONTACT: Stu Loeser / Evelyn Erskine (212) 788-2958 Mark Zustovich (Brooklyn BP) (718) 802-3830 Tiffany Townsend (NYC&CO) (212) 484-5404 |
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