Oak Ridge, Tenn. – (June 15, 2010) –The public is invited to discover Oak Ridge, America’s World War II (WWII) Secret City, June 18 – 19, during the 8th Annual Secret City Festival. This year’s highlights include a Tribute Night concert, a concert by music legend Chubby Checker, a WWII re-enactment, a children’s and toddler’s area, a new youth area, arts & crafts vendors with a juried arts show, antique dealers, and plenty of fun, food and activities for the whole family. The festival site is open to the public, and most of the weekend’s events are free of charge, thanks to the festival’s many sponsors, including Festival Sponsors the City of Oak Ridge and B&W Y-12.
One of the festival’s main events, the WWII D-Day re-enactment, is the largest multi-battle WWII public event in the Southeast. The battle re-enactments, sponsored by Energy Solutions, will feature approximately 200 reenactors representing WWII soldiers, medics and nurses from both sides of the conflict. In addition, there will be over a dozen authentic period vehicles in action on the field including American and German armor.
This year’s Children’s Festival Area, sponsored by KnoxMoms.com and Event Rentals by Rothchild, will feature exciting activities for kids of all ages, from pony rides to the petting zoo to the multiple inflatables. Older kids will enjoy the Rock Climbing Wall, Euro Bungy, and Water Wars, as well as visits by Oscar the Robot. The Oak Ridge Chapter of Credit Unions will be returning once again as one of the Children’s Festival’s main sponsors, sponsoring the children’s arts & crafts area and the free game zone.
A new addition to the festival this year will be a Youth Area, featuring exciting games like a Water Slide, Climbing Wall, Obstacle Course, and the ever-popular Euro-Bungy. This area will be located behind the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE). AMSE will be featuring a special $1 admission the Friday and Saturday of the festival, so visitors can view the newly renovated 1940’s Flat Top house and a traveling exhibit on Snoopy as the WWI Flying Ace.
Other festival highlights include Manhattan Project site tours including K-25 Heritage Trail, Y-12, the X-10 Graphite Reactor, and the Department of Energy’s Manhattan Project Facilities Public Bus Tour. Several of these unique tours will give visitors an opportunity to go “behind the fence” and see some of the original Manhattan Project facilities that are no longer open to the public on a regular basis. Proof of U.S. citizenship is required for some tours. Visit www.SecretCityFestival.com to find out more information and exact departure times.
Festival entertainment will include a Tribute Night concert on Friday evening, sponsored by Pro2Serve and CROET, and a concert by music legend Chubby Checker on Saturday night, sponsored by Wackenhut and NetGain. Tribute Night will feature Daryl Stuermer-Genesis Rewired, Break on Though-A Tribute to the Doors, and Tres Hombres, a ZZ Top Tribute Band.
Concert tickets are still available at $15 each and can be purchased online at SecretCityFestival.com, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center front desk, or by calling 482-4432. Tickets may be purchased until the date of the concert, and at the Festival Information Booth or concert gate during the festival.
Free entertainment will take place throughout the weekend at the Pavilion Stage, sponsored by Pilot Travel Centers, and the Children’s Stage. A full lineup can be viewed at www.SecretCityFestival.com.
Returning for a 4th year is TN Creates, a juried arts show, which will take place in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gymnasium. It will feature 30 of the area’s finest artisans including woodworkers, potters, photographers, soap makers, gourd and glass artists, jewelers, printmakers, painters, and much more. Bill Capshaw will be on-hand once again to give raku firing demonstrations in front of the Civic Center, and other artists will be demonstrating throughout the day in their booths or in the designated demonstration area.
Also inside the Civic Center, the Oak Ridge Heritage & Preservation Association will display their annual history exhibits. This year’s focus will be on commemorating the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII. Famed photographer Ed Westcott will be on hand as well to discuss his role in photographing the events that led to the end of WWII.
The Secret City Scenic Excursion Train will be chugging along during the festival on Saturday at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm, with tickets available in advance for the day’s trips. There will also be a 6 pm dinner train. This is the only train of its kind in the United States, traveling over a mile through the historic and once secret K-25 site. For tickets and additional information, call 241-2140.
Parking will be available at the Oak Ridge City Center parking lot. A free shuttle, sponsored by Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, will be available on both Friday and Saturday. Courtesy carts, sponsored by URS, will be available for those who need them in designated festival areas.
The Secret City Festival is presented by the City of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Arts Council of Oak Ridge. The City of Oak Ridge and B&W Y-12 are Festival Sponsors.
Immediate Release: June 15, 2010