For Immediate Release
January 9, 2012
‘Year of the Golden Gate Bridge’ Kicked Off as Plans are Unveiled for The Golden Gate Festival, a Memorial Day Weekend Celebration of the Bay Area’s Most Famous Landmark
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Officials from the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust, today announced details for The Golden Gate Festival, the official public celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. The multi-faceted event will be held on May 27, 2012 and span the San Francisco waterfront from Fort Point (below the Golden Gate Bridge) to Pier 39.
Under the theme “Bridging Us All,” The Golden Gate Festival is the center point of the Bridge’s year-long 75th anniversary program. Harkening back to the spirit of the Golden Gate Fiesta when the Bridge opened on May 27, 1937, highlights of the 2012 celebration include an historic watercraft parade, multiple music and dance stages, art installations, history and educational presentations, display of cars from 1937 to the present, and Bridge-related activities on Crissy Field and the Marina Green. These activities will be complemented by Bridge-themed events and performances at waterfront venues including Fort Mason Center, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Pier 39, among others. On Sunday evening, May 27th at approximately 9:30 pm, the weekend celebration will conclude with a spectacular 75th anniversary fireworks display and grand finale.
“The Golden Gate Bridge stands today as a testament of innovation and imagination, a bridge built by the people during the Great Depression,” said Janet Reilly, president of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board of Directors. “In honor of its 75th anniversary, we are reaching out to the people of the Bay Area and beyond to join us in a community-based celebration along the San Francisco waterfront. The Bridge is not the stage this time; rather, the community will come together to celebrate this engineering wonder together in a festival atmosphere.”
The year-long Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary is supported by several corporate partners, including lead underwriters Wells Fargo, a diversified, community-based financial services company founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco; Genentech, the Bay Area-based founder of the biotechnology industry; and Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world’s largest information technology company; and Kaiser Permanente, a health care organization for the 21st century with deep Bay Area roots. Another supporting corporate partner is Odwalla, with additional support provided by Chevron, Hanson Bridgett LLP, Levi Strauss & Co, and PG&E.
To plan and support the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy established a Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Steering Committee composed of local volunteers and civic leaders – and co-chaired by Nancy Hellman Bechtle, also chair of the Presidio Trust, and Larry Baer, president of the San Francisco Giants. “Our Steering Committee sought out corporate partners who we knew would share our goal to honor this beloved Bay Area icon appropriately, and who have a track record of supporting projects that benefit the public at large,” said Bechtle. “All of our corporate partners have a long and distinguished history of giving back to the communities where their employees and customers live and work. Their generous support of the Bridge’s 75th anniversary year will not only bring us all together for a great anniversary weekend, but also ensure lasting improvements to the Golden Gate Bridge visitor experience.”
In addition to The Golden Gate Festival, the year-long 75th anniversary features:
- 75 Tributes to the Bridge, a series of public programs being presented throughout the year by Bay Area museums, cultural centers, universities, arts organizations, children’s groups, and others.
- Construction of a new 3,500-square-foot Bridge Pavilion to serve as a welcome and interpretive center and to provide a museum store featuring a wide range of commemorative and interpretive Bridge merchandise;
- Renovation of the historic Round House into a program staging and visitor education center;
- Upgrades to the Bridge Café, including a new menu with locally sourced and sustainable items;
- A “green screen” photo area where visitors can picture themselves in dramatic and publically inaccessible Bridge locations, such as the top of the tower;
- New personally guided Bridge tours, including the first-ever night tours, utilizing the latest in audio technology; and
- Enhancements to the Bridge Plaza and the adjacent national parklands, trails and overlooks within Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, along with various philanthropic and public agency funders, is supporting these long-term physical improvements to the visitor experience at the Bridge and in adjacent national parklands. “We are incredibly grateful to our individual, foundation, corporate, and public agency donors and partners,” said Greg Moore, executive director of the Conservancy. “They have made it possible for us to make a lasting anniversary gift to the Bridge and connect this beloved landmark to the Presidio and Golden Gate National Parks through a network of trails, bikeways, and scenic overlooks.”
“As the storied entrance to San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate, and its iconic Bridge is the namesake and centerpiece of our national park,” said Frank Dean, GGNRA General Superintendent. “The scenery, history, and extraordinary natural setting inspire millions of visitors a year to come to the area. With the new facilities and education programs being launched at the Bridge this spring, the experience will be even more remarkable.”
For additional information about the Golden Gate Bridge 75th anniversary and downloadable images of original Bridge construction and current day operations, please visit the PRESS ROOM at www.goldengatebridge75.org.
Media Contacts
David Shaw, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
415-561-3064, dshaw@parksconservancy.org
Mary Currie, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
415-317-2222, mcurrie@goldengate.org
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About the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary
The 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge is a project of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in collaboration with the National Park Service and The Presidio Trust. The year-long celebration and visitor services improvements are funded by private contributions, with major underwriting provided by Wells Fargo, Genentech, HP, and Kaiser Permanente. Anniversary events include The Golden Gate Festival along the San Francisco waterfront on May 27, 2012; 75 Tributes to the Bridge, a year-long series of public programs presented throughout the Bay Area; renovation of the historic Round House and construction of a new visitor Pavilion; and enhancements to the Bridge Plaza and Golden Gate National Recreation Area parklands on both sides of the span. For additional information and all public inquiries, please visit www.goldengatebridge75.org.
About the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
The Parks Conservancy is the nonprofit membership organization created to preserve the Golden Gate National Parks, enhance the experiences of park visitors, and build a community dedicated to conserving the parks for the future. The Conservancy is an authorized “cooperating association” of the National Park Service, and is one of more than 70 such nonprofit organizations working with national parks around the country. To learn more, please visit www.parksconservancy.org or call (415) 561-3000.
About the National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior charged with managing the preservation and public use of America’s most significant natural, scenic, historic, and cultural treasures. The NPS manages the Golden Gate National Parks, as well as 394 other park sites across the U.S. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/goga or call (415) 561-4700.
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