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As soon as the Lincoln Sesquicentennial was over, organizers shifted
their focus to another, bigger celebration, Abraham Lincoln's 200th
birthday in 2008-2009. The city's sesquicentennial committee rolled
over and became the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee.
Mayor Beth Davis and local historians recognized that the eyes of
the nation would be on this city and it would be important to
properly celebrate our namesake. That celebration is drawing ever
closer and the entire country is now preparing for it.
The Heritage Days Committee has been working with the Lincoln
Park District and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee to
expand the Heritage Days celebration events each year. This year
features three full days and an evening of events beginning on July
4. Activities are scheduled to take place in various locations, most
in downtown Lincoln and at the Lincoln Park District. (See
schedule
of events.)
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 Mayor Davis writes:
Profits from this annual event will go
towards the City of Lincoln's 200th Birthday Celebration of Abraham
Lincoln in Lincoln, Illinois, the only city in the world named for
and christened by Abraham Lincoln before he was elected President of
the United States. In anticipation of this national year of
celebration in 2008/2009 and with the increased interest in tourism
throughout Central Illinois with its many Lincoln sites and its
Route 66 heritage, the City of Lincoln will be a focus of attention
from tourists, scholars, media and other visitors during these next
two years. With that in mind, our City's Lincoln Heritage Days
Committee plans to continue to accumulate monies from this year's
July 4th weekend celebrations in order to have monies to celebrate
our namesake's 200th birthday in 2008/2009 and to emphasize our role
as the "First City To Live The Legacy."
[Jan
Youngquist] |
