Centennial events continue throughout April

Date: March 30, 2016
Contact: John Kelly, 207-288-8703

Throughout April, Acadia Centennial Partners will host many special events to celebrate the park's 100^th anniversary.The events include a book launch for Creating Acadia National Park at the Jesup Library in Bar Harbor from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on April 7, and a youth writing workshop with Island Readers & Writers at the VIS Building in Town Hill during the school vacation week starting April 18. For a complete list of events and activities, please visit the Acadia Centennial website at www.acadiacentennial2016.org.

The National Park Service will host National Junior Ranger Day at Camp Beech Cliff in Mount Desert from 11 am to 3 pm on April 30. Families with children of all ages are invited to this free outdoor event with over a dozen nature and art activities. Kids can earn a special badge at the debut of the Acadia Centennial Junior Ranger program and take part in Friends of Acadia's Centennial Quest, a multi-day experiential scavenger hunt in the park featuring activities designed for families to complete on their own schedule. Please carpool and come prepared for rain or shine.

During school vacation week in April, the park encourages families with 4th graders to take part in the "Every Kid in a Park" program. The program allows 4th graders to register online and take a printed form to the park to receive a free entrance pass for their family. For more information, please visit www.everykidinapark.gov.

In 2016, the NPS is celebrating its 100^th anniversary along with Acadia National Park. There are more than 400 national park sites available to everyone, every day. During National Park Week, April 16 to 24, the NPS is offering free admission to all of our national parks. The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite.

Last week, the United States Mint issued three commemorative coins to celebrate the NPS Centennial. They include $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad coins with designs emblematic of the NPS that feature conservationists, John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, and Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks. Pricing for the coins include surcharges that will go to the National Park Foundation to support the projection of resources under the stewardship of the NPS. The commemorative coins honor the NPS's first century of service and have the potential to raise millions of dollars in support for America's national parks.For more information, please visit www.nationalparks.org/connect/national-park-service-100th-anniversary-commemorative-coins.