Atlanta, Ga., January 23, 2013 - Georgia begins the annual commemoration of its founding with the 2013 Georgia History Festival kickoff event in Atlanta at the State Capitol Monday, February 4, 2013 at 11 a.m.
The ceremony will mark the 280th anniversary of the founding of the Georgia colony and will be held in the South Wing. Dr. W. Todd Groce, Georgia Historical Society (GHS) president and CEO, will speak to the tradition of marking Georgia's founding with the annual Georgia History Festival.
“The Georgia Historical Society is pleased to kick off the annual commemoration of our state’s founding in the Capitol in Atlanta,” said Dr. Groce. “We’re excited about the opportunity to bring Georgia’s leaders and hundreds of schoolchildren together for the first event of the Georgia History Festival, our signature educational program.”
General James Oglethorpe will bring greetings and remarks to honor the occasion, and Georgia state lawmakers and other dignitaries will be joined by more than 200 students in attendance at the Capitol, many in colonial costume.
The Georgia Historical Society has organized statewide Georgia Day festivities--held annually on the anniversary of the colony's founding on February 12--since 1997.
The Georgia History Festival is the signature K-12 educational program of the Georgia Historical Society. Held annually around the anniversary of the founding of the colony of Georgia on February 12, 1733, this commemoration brings history to life for students of all ages through a variety of programs including a series of school events and curriculum, the two-day Colonial Faire and Muster living-history program held at Wormsloe State Historic Site, Super Museum Sunday, and the colorful Georgia Day parade. By engaging students in interactive learning experiences, Georgia History Festival sparks the imagination, develops critical thinking processes, and opens the exciting world of the past to exploration, study, and understanding.
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Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.