Southeast Region Activities and Events

National Park Service
2005 Park Visitor Information

Southeast Region

Natchez National Historical Park, Mississippi:
William Johnson House - Formally dedicated the William Johnson House, a unit of the park, on February 26^th. The Johnson House, the historic 1840s home of a free black barber and diarist, had been under restoration for over ten years, and is now fully completed to its historic appearance with furnished rooms and interactive exhibits. William Johnson’s unique view of the antebellum south as a free man of color are documented in his diary of everyday life in Natchez prior to the Civil War. Contact: Keith Whisenant, 601-442-7047.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi:
Natchez Trace Parkway Completion Celebrated -- This spring, 67 years after construction of the Natchez Trace Parkway began; the final 20+ miles of the Parkway will be open to visitors. On Saturday, May 21, 2005, the National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration, and federal, state, and local officials will celebrate the completion of construction for the last two segments of the 444-mile Parkway that travels from Natchez, Mississippi, through the northwest corner of Alabama, to Nashville, Tennessee. The last two segments to be finished, Sections 3P and 3X, are located in the Jackson and Natchez, MS, areas, respectively. Contact: Jerry Pendleton, 662-680-4054.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, Louisiana:
250^th Anniversary of the Acadian Deportation – This year marks the anniversary of the British removal of Nova Scotia’s Acadians from their homeland in Canada. Many of the Acadians would later immigrate to Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns and made major contributions to local history, lifestyles, and culture. The Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve is located in Lafayette, Louisiana, the unofficial capital of Cajun country. The center will remember the deportation this summer with storytelling (July 23), music (July 30), and dance (August 6). On Saturday, August 13, the center will present the Lache pas la Patete Festival, with traditional food, music, crafts, and old-time games. The event will celebrate the Cajun phrase Lache pas la Patete—don’t drop the potato, don’t forget where you came from. Also on August 13-20, at the center, Louisiana playwright Cody Daigle will present the world premiere of his drama about the Acadian Deportation.

New Orleans Jazz NHS
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Louisiana:
New Exhibit – (opened April 5, 2005) New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park will share Stories in Jazz, a new exhibit featuring interviews with musicians who were there when music history was made. The exhibit opened April 5 at the park’s visitor center, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and will run through the summer. The exhibit features a permanent interactive media station where visitors can view video highlights of selected interviews. A temporary photography exhibit courtesy of the Louisiana State Museum’s Jazz Collection will feature 14 of the interviewed musicians, including Milton Batiste of the Olympia Brass Band and Lionel Ferbos.

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Alabama:
Construction is under way with temporary visitor facilities available. Contact: Catherine Farmer: 334-799-0963.

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, South Carolina:
Tenth anniversary celebration – (May 10) The park opened on May 10, 1995. Special programs are scheduled for the day-long celebration.Annual naturalization ceremony – (September 16) Every year on Constitution Day (September 17) over 100 new citizens are sworn at Charles Pinckney NHS in an outdoor naturalization ceremony. This year the ceremony falls on Friday, September 16 (U.S. District Court does not convene on weekends).Christmas at Snee Farm – (December) Charles Pinckney frequently spent the holidays as a youth at the Pinckney's coastal plantation, Snee Farm. The 1820s house will be decorated in period Lowcountry style. Contact Bill Martin, 843-881-5516.

Fort Sumter NM

Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina:
New exhibit on the Civil War – (opened in April 2005) in Charleston with rare artifacts of military and civilian origin on loan from the Charleston Museum. On display indefinitely at the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square.
Remembrance Day at Fort Moultrie – (June 11) The Remembrance Committee holds a solemn ceremony to reflect on the site of the importation of thousands of enslaved Africans to North America through the port of Charleston, and the many who did not survive the "Middle Passage."
Carolina Day - (June 28) The battle of Fort Moultrie, fought on June 28, 1776, was the first defeat of the British Navy during the Revolutionary War. Entrance fees to Fort Moultrie are waived for the day and a special program is scheduled for the evening.
Edgar Allan Poe Festival at Fort Moultrie – (September) Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie from 1827-1828 under the pseudonym Edgar A. Perry, and later wrote The Gold Bug, which is based on Sullivan's Island and features Fort Moultrie. Contact Bill Martin, 843-881-5516.

Virgin Islands National Park (VINP) and Coral Reef National Monument (CRNM), St. John, Virgin Islands:
Carnival Participation – (July 4) VINP and CRNM will once again participate in the annual 4th of July Carnival-Independence Day festivities on St. John, with a parade entry that depicts the natural resources and/or cultural history of the park.
Anniversary Celebration – (August) VINP and CRNM will celebrate its 50^th year anniversary in August 2006. Events will include formal and informal ceremonies, educational outreach programs and activities with public and media participation. The goal is to celebrate and share with the nation, a memorable and momentous 50 years of rich cultural heritage and spectacular natural history. Contact: Art Frederick, 340-776-6201.