September celebrations calendar released

September is only a couple weeks away and that signals the beginning of a festive month of celebrations. In case you haven’t marked your calendar, listen up because the September Celebrations Committee has officially released the schedule of events for this year and there are changes from the established venues for the events. The activities kick off on September first with the Official Opening Ceremonies. That will take place, for the first time this year, where the battle was fought, on St. George’s Caye. The ceremony starts at two p.m. when Chairman of the September Celebrations Committee and Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia Junior, will officially proclaim the celebrations open and issue the declaration. Next on the calendar is the official ceremony in recognition of the two hundred and eleventh anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye, which will be held at the Memorial Park in Belize City. The ceremony starts at eight-fifteen a.m. and will be followed by the citizens’ parade through the city, ending at Yarborough Green. On September twentieth is the official flag raising ceremony, which will also be at the Memorial Park. That event begins with cultural presentations from nine to eleven p.m. and the official program starts at eleven-twenty-five, ending with fireworks at midnight. Another first this year is the Official Independence Day Ceremony and Uniform Parade on September twenty-first, which is being moved to capital city, Belmopan. The Belize City Independence Day activities are being organized by the City Council. According to the September Celebrations Committee, the new format is expected to become tradition and has been ratified by the Cabinet.