Liberty Weekend was the celebration of the (then) recent restoration and centennial of the
Statue of Liberty in
New York City, New York. It began on Thursday,
July 3 and ended on
Sunday,
July 6,
1986.
Liberty's Restoration
Opening Ceremonies
The Opening Ceremonies of Liberty Weekend were held on
July 3,
1986 at
Governor's Island in
New York Harbor. Tickets for the occasion cost
5,000 Dollars. French President
François Mitterrand showed up to give his well wishes to the American people.
Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel (The Interior is the Government agency responsible for the statue),
Executive Producer David Wolper, and the Chairman of the
Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation Lee Iacocca spoke with the latter introducing the
President of the United States,
Ronald Reagan.
Reagan spoke of the friendship between France and the United States with an emphasis on the workers conducted the restoration work. He then unveiled the Statue for the first time since its restoration. This was followed by musical performances by
Neil Diamond (who sang
They're Coming to America),
Frank Sinatra (who sang
The House I Live In, and dancer
Mikhail Baryshnikov among others.
Ted Koppel of
ABC News Nightline presented the
Medal of Liberty to outstanding naturalized Americans.
Emil Mosbacher, jr., and
Secretary of the Navy John Lehman spoke of the following days events and President Reagan spoke again, this time symbolically lighting the torch of the Statue of Liberty. This was followed by a fireworks display set to
Stars and Stripes Forever.
Warren Burger,
Chief Justice of the United States swore in emigrants to the United States in a
naturalization ceremony on
Ellis Island.
Operation Sail
On the morning of
July 4,
1986 the battleships and sailing ships of old took part in a naval revue down the Hudson River. The President viewed the ships from the
USS Iowa. He saw the ships as a personification of freedom and liberty:
Perhaps, indeed, these vessels embody our conception of liberty itself: to have before one no impediments, only open spaces; to chart one's own course and take the adventure of life as it comes; to be free as the wind -- as free as the tall ships themselves. It's fitting, then, that this procession should take place in honor of Lady Liberty.
Americana Music Concert and Fireworks
Later on, the
Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by
John Williams conducted a concert of
classic American music at
Liberty State Park in
New Jersey. It also featured musical performances from
John Denver,
Johnny Cash,
Barry Manilow,
Whitney Houston,
Joel Grey and numerous others.
This was followed by an address by Reagan aboard the
USS John F. Kennedy and a 30 or so minute fireworks display, the highlight of the night. At the time it was the largest in American history.
July 5 and closing ceremonies
On Saturday
July 5,
1986 a
New York Philharmonic concert was held in
Central Park. Earlier in the day First Lady
Nancy Reagan had re-opened the Statue to the public accompanied by 100 French and American School children. The following day, the Closing Ceremonies grand finale took place at
Giants Stadium in
New Jersey. The Closing Ceremonies featured a tribute to sports and pop culture.
Broadcast
The entire event was broadcast on
ABC with
Peter Jennings and
Barbara Walters as commentators.
ABC News had paid $10 Million for broadcasting rights.
CBS also broadcast parts of the event, including
Operation Sail 1986.
Pictures
See also
