Everyone loves a good birthday celebration, and the state of Alabama is no different.

That’s why Troy residents are invited to take part in an information session about the state’s upcoming bicentennial celebration.

The City of Troy’s office of Public Relations & Tourism, in partnership with the Alabama Bicentennial Commission, will host a public information session on plans for Alabama’s bicentennial commemoration. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Studio, 301 E. Walnut St. The information session is free and open to everyone interested.

“Beginning in 2017, the Alabama Bicentennial Commission will kick off a three-year commemoration period and launch significant projects and initiatives—such as traveling history exhibitions and professional development for teachers—that will serve the entire state,” said Isaiah Scott of the Troy tourism office. “Local communities, though, will be the heart of the commemoration, and the information session will outline plans, share ideas and discuss resources designed to support activities for towns and cities.”

The session will also help organizations, businesses, churches and other groups think about how they would like to participate.

From family reunions to school service projects, from museum exhibitions to common reading programs, and from recipe collections to oral history interviews, there will be many ways that individuals, groups and communities can involve themselves in the state’s milestone birthday.

In 2013, the Alabama Bicentennial Commission was established by the governor and the legislature to begin planning for the state’s 200th anniversary. For more information about the bicentennial, visit www.Alabama200.org, or call 334-242-4537. To find out more about the information session, call 334-670-2286.