FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Samantha McKinley
Arnold Media Services
303-863-8803
Samantha@arnmedia.com
Date: November 7, 2007
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE FORT
presented by
THE TESORO FOUNDATION
NOVEMBER and DECEMBER 2007
MORRISON, CO - The grounds of the historic Fort will come to life with Holiday spirit this season. There are several family-friendly events happening throughout November and December; details are below.
November 11th: The Night the Stars Fell
The Tesoro Foundation, The Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Astronomical Society commemorate the Leonids Meteor Storm of 1833. Taking place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on November 11, 2007, this special event celebrates the night of November 13, 1833, when thousands of meteors showered the sky over North America, the result of the Leonids meteor shower. This phenomenon was observed and documented at the original Bent’s Fort and to the native peoples of the land, it appeared that the stars were falling out of the heavens. The 1833 shower is widely regarded as the birth of modern meteor astronomy.
This year’s event will offer a special lecture by Dr. Steven Lee, Chair of the Department of Space Sciences and Curator of Planetary Science at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He will discuss the scientific and historical significance of this special meteor shower. Following the lecture, dinner will be provided by The Fort.
After our special dinner and lecture, please join us to celebrate this phenomenon in history. The Denver Astronomical Society will bring telescopes to The Fort’s courtyard, giving visitors a tour of the heavens.
Reservations are required for The Night The Stars Fell Dinner & Lecture. Dinner and Lecture costs $55 for Tesoro and DMNS Members and $65 for non-members. Lecture will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by dinner. To reserve your ticket to the event, please call The Tesoro Foundation at 303-839-1671. Telescope viewing will be free and open to the public beginning at 8:30 p.m.
November 26th: The Tesoro Foundation's Annual Farolito Lighting
This event takes place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on November 25, 2007. The Tesoro Foundation will continue its southwestern tradition of lighting the farolitos (meaning “paper lanterns”) to usher in the holiday season and to honor a member of the community who has enlightened the hearts, minds and souls of others. This year’s honoree is award-winning preservationist and community leader Dana Crawford.
The Farolito Lighting opens with seasonal carols led by members of the Southwest Musicians, complimentary hot spiced apple cider, coffee and biscochito cookies. After a brief ceremony, all guests are invited to join in the traditional pinecone ceremony. Everyone attending the event is asked to bring a pinecone, placing the name of someone he or she wishes to remember on a slip of paper tucked into the pinecone. At the conclusion of the evening, the pinecones are all placed into the courtyard campfire. The resulting glimmers of light and bright fire glide upwards, carrying messages into the sky. The event is free and open to the public.
December 24th - Las Posadas Christmas Celebration
Celebrated in Mexico and throughout the United States from December 16 to 24, Las Posadas commemorates Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter on the night of baby Jesus’ birth.
On December 24, 2007 from 5:00p.m. - 7:00 p.m., actors portraying Mary and Joseph will lead a candlelit procession around the exterior of The Fort, followed by musicians singing traditional Posadas songs in Spanish and English. They will knock on different doors of The Fort, only to be turned away. At the last door, the weary couple is invited in and offered shelter. The attendees will then join for a celebration featuring songs, complimentary refreshments and a piñata. The Tesoro Foundation has partnered with the Christian Life Movement and the Holy Trinity Parish in Westminster to present this traditional event, which is free and open to the public.
The Tesoro Foundation is a 501-c3 non-profit committed to protecting and making available to the community the artistic treasures of our American past. All Tesoro Foundation events take place at The Fort, located at 19192 Highway 8, just 20 minutes from downtown Denver. For more information, call the Tesoro Foundation at 303-839-1671 or visit www.tesorofoundation.org.
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