Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Secret City Festival under way this week

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Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray, who helped announce the musical entertainment scheduled for Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. June 5.

A reminder: The new weeklong Secret City Festival is under way, and it started Friday, June 2. The festival is free, and it includes two weekends and two weekdays. Most of the events are at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

The first weekend (June 2-4) celebrated Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6, and the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7. Music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

The festival has been organized by Celebrate Oak Ridge. A schedule of events is below, and a schedule for this weekend is also included.

Saturday, June 3, was a big day, organizers said. There were World War II re-enactments at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., speakers throughout the day, the Freedom Belles, USO show, and more at Bissell Park. Historic exhibitions continued at Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival: Seven days of celebration

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Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

 

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge.

The new Secret City Festival, brought to you by Celebrate Oak Ridge, will be bookended by two special weekends. The first weekend will celebrate Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6; the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7; and music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

Celebrate Oak Ridge June 2017 Schedule Web

On Friday, June 2, tours of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shuttles running to and from the American Museum of Science and Energy and New Hope Center. U.S. citizenship and pre-registration are required for tours. Graphite Reactor tours at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will also be held then on a first-come, first-served basis, with departure on buses from AMSE.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch will officially open the festival, and the crew of the U.S.S. Oak Ridge will present and ring the U.S.S. Oak Ridge bell at 8:30 p.m. At 9 p.m., the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” will be shown free of charge.

Overnight, approximately 200 re-enactors will be setting up an overnight encampment with World War II-era tents in Bissell Park. [Read more…]