News Release

Manhattan Project National Historical Park to Host Days of Peace and Remembrance Events in Richland, WA

Mid-Columbia Mastersingers perform at the annual Lights for Peace program

NPS / Zimmerman

News Release Date: August 4, 2026

Contact: Becky Burghart, 208-848-6098

RICHLAND, Wash. – Manhattan Project National Historical Park will host two “Days of Peace and Remembrance” events in Richland to commemorate and reflect on the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945. 

On Saturday, August 8, the park and the REACH Museum will host Messages of Peace from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community is invited to write or draw messages on the luminaria bags that will be displayed during the Lights for Peace program the following day. Visitors may also fold origami cranes and attend ranger program at 10:30 a.m. about Sadako Sasaki, a young survivor of the Hiroshima bombing. At 11:30 a.m. a second program will be offered about the global effort required to produce the plutonium for the Manhattan Project. This is a family-friendly event included with museum admission and is free for REACH Members. All supplies are provided.

On Sunday, August 9, the park will host a free, one-hour Lights for Peace event at the Fingernail Stage in Howard Amon Park in Richland at 8 p.m. The program will feature music from the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, a guest speaker, and an opportunity to ring a peace bell. Howard Amon Park does not offer seating. It is recommended to bring chairs or blankets for seating. 

During the event, the Richland Rotary will donate a Peace Pole to the park to acknowledge the community’s place in these historic events. The public will also have an opportunity to walk a path lit with luminarias that feature messages of peace written by community members. The program provides a quiet, contemplative experience.
 
“Lights for Peace aims to provide an opportunity to remember and reflect on these world-changing events that happened 81 years ago,” said Hanford Unit Site Manager Becky Burghart. 

The Manhattan Project facilities at Hanford produced the plutonium used in Fat Man, the atomic bomb detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945.

Visit Messages of Peace andLights for Peace for more information about these events.  

Manhattan Project National Historical Park sites at Los Alamos, New Mexico and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, along withPearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii, will host similar community events to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the bombings starting on August 6. Visit Days of Peace and Remembrance and Messages of Peace to learn about park events that mark the atomic bombings of Japan. Articles and other materials inSeeds for Reflection provide information for learning about the complex history and legacies of the Manhattan Project.