On December 14, 2019, Alabama will turn 200 years old but its citizens are not going to wait that long to celebrate the states Bicentennial.

Jay Lamar, Alabama Bicentennial Commission executive director, said such a big birthday deserves a big celebration – a much too big celebration to last just one year.

“So, we are planning events that will last not one, not two but three years – 2017, 2018 and 2019,” she said. “Each of our three years will have a unique theme.  In 2017, we begin with ‘Exploring Our Places’ and what is right outside our backdoor.”

Lamar said Alabama has a rich and diverse landscape from the Gulf Coast to the foothills of Appalachia and Alabamians and visitors alike will be invited to discover Alabama.

“In 2018, we will ‘Honor Our People,’” she said. “We couldn’t celebrate our history or make our future without the folks that have made Alabama home, from Pulitzer Prize –winners to Civil Rights leaders, athletes, astronauts, masters of industry and innovation and everyone in between.”

In 2019, Alabama’s birthday year, Alabamians will have lots of stories to tell about the places they have been and the people they have met – the people and places that are the fabric of Alabama, the patchwork of the past, the present and the days yet to come.

Shelia Jackson, tourism director for the City of Troy, said Troy and Pike County have places to explore, people to honor and stories to share.

“We are excited about the opportunity to celebration Alabama’s 200th birthday and to have three years to do it,” she said. “Suggestions are being made because 2017 is now just three months away. But, we’ll have an entire year to explore our places and to plan for 2018 when we will honor our people. The three-year celebration of Alabama’s 200th birthday will be a busy time.”

Jackson said the Alabama Bicentennial Commission has made suggestions to get communities started with their three-year plans.

“Some of the suggestions are things that we are already doing like parades, family reunions, farmers’ markets, beautification projects and compiling church and family cookbooks,” Jackson said. “We can incorporate these things into the Alabama Bicentennial celebration and add new activities and events. And, we might want to create a Bicentennial monument of some kind to commemorate this significant event in our state’s history.”

Jackson said all Pike County municipalities and communities are encouraged to celebrate their places, people and stories.

“Alabama’s Bicentennial is a good time to explore our local histories and to incorporate them into Alabama’s 200th birthday celebration,” she said.  For information about Alabama’s Bicentennial email info@bicentennial.alabama.gov or follow on facebook OfficialAlabama200.