Mayor Ralph Becker Announces First Annual Historic Preservation Celebration Friday, April 24, 2009 SALT LAKE CITY – Mayor Ralph Becker and the Utah Heritage Foundation are hosting “Celebrate the City: 1894” an event to celebrate historic buildings in Salt Lake City and mark the 20th anniversary of the restoration of the Salt Lake City and County Building. Celebrate the City: 1894 will take place on May 2, 2009 from 3:00 – 7:00 pm, at Salt Lake City’s historic Washington Square and will be open to the public. The City and County Building grounds will be transformed into an atmosphere of a late-19th century carnival where children and adults will experience barbershop quartets, brass bands, tethered hot air balloon rides, games and activities, old-time bicycles, ice cream, pop corn, and root beer. Celebrate the City will offer participants a look into the era the City and County Building was completed in 1894. Celebrate the City: 1894 will feature guided tours of the building and its iconic clock tower. The event is the inaugural kickoff for an annual Celebrate the City festival which will educate the public about historic preservation and raise funds to preserve historic structures owned by the City. “Our Capital City has an abundance of historic treasure in its buildings,” said Mayor Becker, a long-time proponent of historic preservation. “The establishment of a Historic Preservation Fund will help the City meet its responsibility to maintain and preserve that treasure for future generations.” In the public’s interest, Salt Lake City Corporation owns, manages, and oversees a number of historic properties within the city. As a leader in historic preservation, Salt Lake City has successfully partnered with the State of Utah, non-profit organizations, businesses, and residents to indentify reuses, secure funding, and rehabilitate buildings and structures throughout the city. MEDIA NOTE: Historic photos of the Salt Lake City and County Building are available upon request.
For more information or to volunteer to help with the festivity, please contact Jill Poe at (801) 535-7787 or jill.poe@slcgov.com
Mayor Ralph Becker Announces First Annual Historic Preservation Celebration