Manhattan Project Park: Commemorate tennis court dances in Jackson Square

Posted at 10:36 am September 23, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Tennis Court Dance NPS — This undated photo shows a tennis court dance in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will commemorate the tennis court dances that occurred in Jackson Square 75 years ago with a dance and costume contest in October.

The Tennis Court Dance and Costume Contest is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 11, in the Jackson Square tennis courts. The free event will feature swing dancing music from the 1940s World War II era.

The National Park Service is partnering with Explore Oak Ridge to host the dance, a press release said.

“All ages are welcome to attend and everyone is encouraged to participate in the costume contest with their best 1940s costume,” the press release said. “One winner will be announced for best individual costume and one for group costumes.”

Food trucks will be on site thanks to Explore Oak Ridge, the press release said.

Public parking is available along Broadway Avenue near Kentucky Avenue and within the public parking in Jackson Square. In the event of bad weather, the dance will be held in the ballroom at DoubleTree by Hilton at 215 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, the press release said.

For more information or directions, call the Manhattan Project National Historical Park at (865) 482-1942.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, Tennessee. The park tells the story of the people, events, science, and engineering that led to the building of the bomb, which was used on Japan twice in August 1945, shortly before Japan surrendered.

You can visit the Manhattan Project National Historical Park website for more information at https://www.nps.gov/mapr/oakridge.htm. Follow the park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Manhattan ProjectNPS, on Twitter at MnhtnProjectNPS, or on Instagram at manhattanprojectnps.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

You can contact John Huotari, owner and publisher of Oak Ridge Today, at (865) 951-9692 or [email protected]

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