The Foundation for the Reading Pagoda and the City of Reading invite residents and friends to a Flag Day celebration featuring live music by the New Ringgold Horizons Band.
On Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 1:00pm the Foundation for the Reading Pagoda and the City of Reading will be sponsoring the flag-raising atop Mount Penn in conjunction with the National Patriotic Order Sons of America, the organization which generously provides a new American flag each year.
The community is invited to attend the ceremonial event, which precedes Flag Day on June 14, 2022.
This year’s activities start at noon with free parking at the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower and a complimentary shuttle to the Pagoda. The gates at the Pagoda will be closed to traffic, so that The New Ringgold Horizons can set up a 20-piece band outside to greet attendees. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and set them up outside the Pagoda to enjoy the free concert.
The 1 pm kick-off will begin with representatives from City Council who will greet the audience and share remarks about the historic significance of Flag Day. Next, will be the flag raising ceremony performed by the National Patriotic Order Sons of America. Elta Jackson-Henry, vocalist and chair of the Religious Affairs Committee of the NAACP Reading Branch, will sing the Star-Spangled Banner acapella during the signature moment.
After the ceremonial raising of Old Glory, the band will play a series of crowd favorites honoring the country. The Great American Creamery pop up will be selling the famous PSU Berkey Creamery ice cream as part of the fun. Shuttle service back to the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower parking lot will run through 3 pm.
Those who have recently visited the Pagoda are aware that the building remains closed to conduct restoration analysis prior to being able to establish a scope of work and afterwards safely reopen. During the Flag Day event, the lower level bathrooms, accessible from outside of the Pagoda, will be open to the public.
About the eventual reopening of the Pagoda, Councilwoman Donna Reed said, “The Pagoda has been the symbol of our City for over a century. We have started the process of assessing what we need to do to preserve our historic architectural treasure. There’s a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes.”
The Foundation has contracted professional cleaning of the interior by Stubbs Cleaning, to address debris that has built up during the pandemic closure. Preparations for the removal of outdated refrigeration equipment and furnishings are also being made. Additionally, the city has been working with the Fire Marshal and other local authorities to put plans in place that augment the safety and security of the property.
“Please remember that the Pagoda was struck by lightning, which is why we still have that one band of lights out around the outside”, said Councilwoman Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz. “The city is working on another Request for Proposal to have our electrical service assessed for a scope of work to get the necessary upgrades for the lighting system, along with other mechanical and HVAC replacements.”
Even so, the city will properly commemorate the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States utilizing the new parking lot and gated areas. All are welcome to enjoy and celebrate on Sunday.
