Huntsville's America 250 plans get bigger with Space Fest
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Ralph Petroff, a Rocket City Space Fest organizer, called the event "a new annual tradition that will grow bigger, bolder, and more exciting every single year." Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
Huntsville is finalizing its marquee event marking the summer of America's 250th anniversary, and adding to the lineup of events with the city's first Rocket City Space Fest.
Why it matters: The July 4 celebration headlines the summer at Big Spring Park, while Space Fest highlights Huntsville's overlooked but pivotal role in the Apollo Moon landings.
The latest: On Monday, leaders of the Huntsville Salutes America's 250th committee announced that the park festivities will kick off at 4pm with a DJ, vendor market, food trucks, reenactments and educational experiences.
- The American Eras Parade kicks off on Monroe Street at 5pm, followed by live music that starts at 6pm with Groove opening for Jazz McKenzie.
- At 9pm, the Huntsville Concert Band will accompany a 25-minute fireworks show in Big Spring Park.
By the numbers: Sally Warden, who chairs the Huntsville Salutes America's 250th committee, said 1,000 work hours have gone into the parade alone, and there are 17 events planned — not counting ongoing events like 11 performances of the musical "1776" by Theatre Huntsville.
What they're saying: "This year's celebration is unique ... in that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate July 4 in Big Spring Park," said Natasha Parker, chair of the July 4 Celebration Committee.
- Henry Thornton, community development regional manager for Meta, the event's exclusive sponsor, said it is "our largest sponsorship ever."
- The company is putting up $75,000, organizers told Axios earlier this year.
🚀 Space Fest launches
"Historians agree that the single greatest event of the 20th century was the Moon landing," said Ralph Petroff, an entrepreneur and one of the organizers of Space Fest, which is planned for July 16–20.
Yes, but: "When most people think about putting a man on the Moon, they think of Canaveral, they think of Houston ... and that makes sense, because that's what people saw on TV," he said.
- "Houston may have had Mission Control, but Huntsville did the hardest part: building the ride, the amazing Saturn V rocket."
Zoom in: Space Fest's inaugural year kicks off on the anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch July 16 with an event at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center biergarten.
- The five-day celebration will also mark Apollo Day, when astronauts first landed on the Moon, on July 20 in conjunction with Arts Huntsville's Concert in the Park.
The bottom line: Petroff called this year's Space Fest "the first chapter in what we believe will become one of Huntsville's signature celebrations," where people from around the world "come to celebrate humanity's giant leap."