Fort Sumter Offers Free Programs to Celebrate Flag Day

Date: June 5, 2013
Contact: Bill Martin, [phone] x 11

Fort Sumter National Monument will celebrate the 97^th anniversary of Flag Day with free activities at the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center in downtown Charleston on Friday, June 14^th from 10:00 AM—3:00 PM. Designed primarily for children and families, the activities will offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the heritage of the United States flag and other historical flags. Activities include coloring historical flags, designing your own flag, learning how to fold a flag, signal flag messages and others. All of the Flag Day activities will take place outdoors in a shaded area.

Although preceded by decades of history on a local and state level, Flag Day was first established nationally via Presidential Proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson on May 30, 1916 following several years of local and state celebrations of the United States Flag's history. Signed into law on August 3, 1949 by President Harry Truman, an act of Congress designated June 14 of each year as National Flag Day.

The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center is administered by the National Park Service as a unit of Fort Sumter National Monument. Located at 340 Concord Street in Charleston, South Carolina, the visitor education center is open daily from 8:30 AM—5:00 PM except for New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Days. For more information call [phone].