Seattle Center Kicks Off One-Year Countdown to 50th Anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair

• April 21, 2011
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• Seattle World's Fair

From a news release from the Seattle Center Foundation:

Seattle, April 21 – Today begins the one-year countdown to The Next Fifty, six months of events and activities planned in 2012 at Seattle Center that celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the legacy it left to the region, and the opportunities ahead during the next 50 years. Many elements of the celebration are already in place, and many more will take shape during the coming year.

Like the 1962 World’s Fair, the 50th anniversary focuses on the future. The Next Fifty draws attention to eight focus areas highlighting the Pacific Northwest’s leadership and innovation over the past half-century, as it compels participants to help create a vision for our future. Exhibitions, speaking forums, live entertainment, fun family activities, interactive experiences, competitions and community discussions will engage local and global audiences to debate our priorities, embrace our challenges and pursue possibilities for the region’s role in the world.

Seattle Center kicked off the countdown celebration by raising The Next Fifty flag atop the Space Needle this morning. Check out the new Next Fifty website for more info on the celebration and learn about the eight focus areas. Like The Next Fifty on Facebook. Follow The Next Fifty on Twitter.

MAin2 is particularly excited about some activities associated with the celebration. KCTS 9’s one-hour When Seattle Invented the Future documentary tells the story of how the Century 21 Exposition began as a promotional stunt to put Seattle on the map but wound up shaping the future of a city. The documentary is scheduled to air in February 2012.  HistoryLink.org and the Seattle Center Foundation are developing a new book on the history of the World’s Fair and Seattle Center (to be released October 2011). Reserve your copy of The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair and Its Legacy. The Museum of History & Industry and Seattle Center Foundation are collaborating on an on-site exhibit featuring artifacts and memorabilia from the Seattle World’s Fair.

Historic Seattle and Docomomo WEWA are partnering on a lecture series for Spring 2012 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. We’ll focus on the architectural and design legacy of the Seattle World’s Fair and its influence beyond the original fairgrounds. This is just one of the supporting programs that many local organizations are planning for 2012.