Godspeed Sail to Philadelphia Commemorates America's 400th Anniversary

PHILADELPHIA, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Godspeed opened today at Philadelphia's Great Plaza at Penn's Landing for the third stop in the 17th- century replica ship's 80-day tour of six East Coast cities. America's 400th Anniversary's Godspeed Sail will bring the story of the journey that changed the world and the nation's birthplace, Jamestown, VA, to hundreds of thousands of visitors who will have a glimpse into early 17th-century America and the legacies on which our nation was founded.

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Docking in Philadelphia from June 16 - 19, Godspeed is accompanied by its "Landing Party Festival," a unique combination of education, entertainment and interactive experiences that is free to the public. Live music, family entertainment, historical and cultural displays will bring to life the American legacies of representative government, free enterprise and cultural diversity that first took root at Jamestown.

The Godspeed Sail event officially opened at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 16. The opening ceremony included the unveiling of four designs chosen by the United States Mint for the Jamestown 400th Anniversary commemorative coin program. Coin designs were revealed by Gloria Eskridge, assistant director for sales and marketing for the United States Mint; William B. Kerkam III, president of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA); Elizabeth Kostelny, executive director, APVA; Ben Dendy, Jamestown- Yorktown Foundation Board; Chief Stephen Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe and Chief Kenneth Adams of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe. Additionally, Deputy City Representative Janis L. Pierce accepted an America's 400th Anniversary flag that was presented to the City of Philadelphia as the commemorative event's host city, by Godspeed Captain Eric Speth.

"We are very pleased to host the Godspeed and its Landing Party Festival this weekend," said Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street. "The ship's arrival brings 400 years of rich history to the shores of Philadelphia and complements the important role Philadelphia played in the founding of our nation."

"America's 400th Anniversary provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for all citizens to reflect on our nation's shared heritage," said Jamestown- Yorktown Foundation Board Member Ben Dendy. "Our hope is that Godspeed's six port tour will entertain visitors in each city and also educate them about Jamestown's legacies of representative government, free enterprise and a multi-cultural society."

Visitors can board the Godspeed for dockside tours with historical guides in period costume, then take a "virtual" voyage in an on-shore motion simulator. Interactive exhibits will give visitors the sense of what life was like in early Jamestown and America, while a gallery-in-the-round called "American People, American Progress" takes them on a journey through 400 years of contributions made by the European, Native American and African-American cultures that converged at Jamestown in the early 1600s.

Entertainment will include "Anniversary Voices," a live contemporary musical and dance production themed around America's 400th Anniversary. An original children's show, "Ba-baaah and the Windigo" features a cast of whimsical characters in a Jamestown story from the point-of-view of a young Indian girl and some of the indigenous animals present when the ships first arrived.

Also taking the spotlight on the Godspeed stage will be many local Philadelphia performers, including Mutlu, Al Bustan Percussion Ensemble, Common Ground Community Choir, Delwin Fiddler, Denise Valentine, Dukes of Destiny, Germantown Country Dancers, M'Oud Swing Trio, Native Nations Dance Theatre, Voices of Africa, Womens Seneke Ensemble, and the Philadelphia Eagles Pep Band. Joining them will be such regional performers as Noah Lewis Storyteller, Upper Darby, PA, Harmony Show Choir, Blackwood, NJ, as well as Bob Zentz, Norfolk, VA, Colonial Williamsburg Fife & Drum, Williamsburg, VA, and recording artist Jen Chapin of New York City.

The Godspeed Sail will progress to the following ports this summer: South Street Seaport Museum in New York City from June 27 - July 6; the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse and Fan Pier in Boston from July 14 - July 19, and the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, RI, from July 25 - July 30.

The 2006 Godspeed Sail is one of 10 signature events and hundreds of other community projects commemorating America's 400th Anniversary. America's 400th Anniversary will feature 18 months of special events, symposia and educational opportunities. The centerpiece event will be America's 400th Anniversary weekend, hosted in America's Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, VA, on May 11-13, 2007. Please visit http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/ to learn more about the Godspeed Sail and other America's 400th Anniversary events and schedules.

Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Jamestown is also the site of the nation's first representative government, free enterprise and multi-cultural society. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies begin in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America's 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation , Verizon and Colonial Williamsburg. More information about the commemoration is available at http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/.

Contact: Kevin Crossett 757.253.4534 757.508.4469 cell kevin.crossett@jyf.virginia.gov Robin Crawford 202.974.5025 202.378.8385 cell crawfordr@ruderfinn.com