BOISE 150: A year-long celebration of the city’s sesquicentennial

By A Basque in Boise December 13, 2012 History, Idaho, Local news, News, USA No Comments

Last month, the BBC ran a wonderful piece about Boise with tons of information and interesting facts, among them, the celebration of the the city’s sesquicentennial this year.

This week’s Boise’s Mayor’s eMemo is loaded with in-depth information about all the events the City has planned for the next 12 months.

The Mayor’s eMemo

One hundred and fifty years ago next summer, a handful of hearty pioneers gathered in a small cabin and platted a community of 20 lots. And the City of Boise was born.

Last week marked the official start of BOISE 150, a year-long celebration of the city’s sesquicentennial. The goal for BOISE 150 is to use this anniversary as an opportunity to explore both the city’s past and its future. Community events and projects will extend throughout 2013 and explore varying perspectives of three principal themes: Community, Environment, and Enterprise.

This truly is a collective effort. In October the City named five local organizations — the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Boise Contemporary Theater, Boise Philharmonic, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Trey McIntyre Project — as recipients of the Arts & History Economic Development Grants. Last week the City announced grants to 32 additional groups and organizations that are also planning BOISE 150 projects in the coming year.

Just as exciting are the signature BOISE 150 events, including:

Feb. 7 through 9: Thinking 150, a series of free presentations and hosted conversations on Boise’s place in the historic and contemporary West. Thinking 150 will culminate with “Placing Boise in the America West,” a presentation at the Boise Centre Summit Auditorium by leading scholars.
July 4 through 7: Anniversary Weekend, free family fun starting with the Independence Day celebration at Ann Morrison Park and ending with the BOISE 150 Anniversary party in Julia Davis Park, when a BOISE 150 Book of essays by local writers and a CD of local music will be unveiled.
Oct. 19: A musical celebration, hosted by the Mayor, bringing the community together to celebrate Boise’s rich musical life.

There’s going to be much more, including the just-opened BOISE 150 Sesqui-Shop at 1008 Main St., the celebration headquarters, offering opportunities to learn more through community displays, projects, workshops and presentations.

For BOISE 150 to be successful, it must be a collaboration among everyone in the community: artists, historians, teachers, students, civic and business leaders — all coming together to celebrate Boise in his or her own unique way. Boise has come a long way in 150 years, and it’s important to honor those first insightful pioneers and open a dialogue about the City’s vision for Boise in the next 150 years.

Mayor Bieter hopes you join him in making this landmark anniversary a memorable one.

For additional news and information on the Mayor’s whereabouts, visit the online version of the Mayor’s eMemo.