New Events Just Added! Celebrate The American Flag And The U.S. Army During Philadelphia's Stripes And Stars Festival On June 14

PHILADELPHIA, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Celebrate the shared birthday of two of our country's greatest institutions—the American flag and the U.S. Army—during Philadelphia's Stripes and Stars Festival on Saturday, June 14, 2014. Events include flag raising ceremonies, giant flag folding demonstrations, a special exhibition on the history of the flag, and a moving naturalization ceremony. In connection with the Army's 239th birthday, the festival will also feature appearances by the Army's elite ceremonial units, including the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own," the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the U.S. Army Drill Team, the Commander-in-Chief's Guard, the Continental Color Guard, the U.S. Army Brass Quintet, and U.S. Army Voices. Festival events will take place at locations throughout the nation's most historic square mile—Independence National Historical Park and Historic Philadelphia, including Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, and the National Constitution Center.

The festival begins with a 13-Star flag raising ceremony at the Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch Street, at 9 a.m. Then, at 10 a.m., the 50-Star flag will be raised on the Constitution Center's front lawn, 525 Arch Street, followed by a patriotic parade of troops—past and present— to Independence Hall. CBS 3's Jessica Dean will emcee a special ceremony during which proclamations will be read for both the American flag and the U.S. Army. Future soldiers will take the oath of enlistment, and a keynote address will be made by Under Secretary of the U.S. Army Brad Carson.

Throughout the day, families can stop by a Stripes and Stars Community Fair on Independence Mall, where organizations including Fort Mifflin on the Delaware and the Pennsylvania National Guard will have special activities at tables for children and families.

Daylong activities at the Betsy Ross House include carnival games and courtyard performances by the Give & Take Jugglers, Bag Lady Theater, the Mummers' String Band Connection, and the Funicular Aerial Circus. At 1:30 p.m., 13 new Americans will take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony.

At the National Constitution Center, guests can view the new The Flag: A History exhibition, which features different flags from the Philadelphia Flag Day Association's collection of historic American flags and banners. The museum's Stripes and Stars Festival programming includes craft activities and flag etiquette workshops.

At 4 p.m. on the Constitution Center front lawn, at the Historic Philadelphia Center, and at the Betsy Ross House, everyone is invited to join the chorus for a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, hosted by the Philadelphia Historical Society. This performance is part of the national "Raise it Up! Anthem for America" initiative in honor of the national anthem's 200th anniversary, organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

At 5:15 p.m., festival participants can join in a flag folding demonstration in front of Independence Hall using the MLS' Philadelphia Union's giant ceremonial flag, which is used for on field presentations. The festival concludes with a patriotic performance by the U.S. Army Brass Quintet in front of Independence Hall at 5:30 p.m.

Most Stripes and Stars Festival programs are free to attend. The National Constitution Center is offering discounted $5 museum admission on June 14, courtesy of The Macy's Foundation, as part of a series of Macy's Family Days. Admission to Betsy Ross House also is $5.

For a full schedule of events and event locations, visit constitutioncenter.org/stripesandstars. Twitter: @StripesStarsPHL. Facebook: facebook.com/StripesStarsPHL. Instagram: @StripesStarsPHL.

Featured Stripes and Stars partner organizations include: Philadelphia Flag Day Association, William Penn Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), City of Philadelphia, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., National Constitution Center, Independence National Historical Park, Fort Mifflin, Independence Visitor Center, Pennsylvania National Guard, Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution (Philadelphia Continental Chapter), Thank-A-Vet, Veterans Multi-Service Center, Red Cross, 3rd United States Colored Troops, Army Corps of Engineers, and Veteran Guard 3rd Regiment Infantry N.G.P.

In the week leading up to the festival, the Betsy Ross House will celebrate National Flag Week with ceremonies, events, and other family-friendly activities as part of Flag Fest 2014. Events begin on Sunday, June 8 and run through Saturday, June 14, 2014. For more information, visit http://historicphiladelphia.org/betsy-ross-house/what-to-see/.

TWEET IT: Celebrate the birthdays of U.S. flag & Army in #PHL, 6/14. For more info about the @StripesStarsPHL Festival, visit http://bit.ly/1qUgh79.

SOURCE Philadelphia’s Stripes and Stars Festival