Sunday will mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and several local events are planned to bring communities together in commemorating the many people who lost their lives or carried out heroic deeds on that tragic day.
In the spirit of national unity that arose when the World Trade Center towers fell, all events welcome public participation and include everything from memorials to songs and films.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department will host a memorial service from 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday to honor the first responders and the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11, as well as the military members who have since given their lives during the War on Terror.
The “Day of Remembrance” ceremony, to be held at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden at 1100 Anacapa St., will include a moment of silent reflection, a civilian account of the terrorist attacks, an honor guard presentation and musical tributes. For more information, call 805.681.5531.
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The UCSB College Republicans will set up a memorial of 2,977 U.S. flags — one to represent each person killed on 9/11 — at Santa Barbara’s West Beach on Sunday.
As part of the 9/11: Never Forget Project, Santa Barbara Tea Party member Thomas Strelich will play his bagpipes from 8:46 to 9:02 a.m., marking the times the two towers were struck. After a 6 p.m. performance of “Taps” by fellow Tea Party member Howard Hudson, all of the flags will be collected and laid to rest. For more information, call 818.357.8045.
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The four Montecito churches — All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, El Montecito Presbyterian Church, Montecito Covenant Church and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church — are sponsoring a “Service of Remembrance” to express interdenominational solidarity Sunday.
Beginning at 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 530 Hot Springs Road, the service will include an invocation, scripture reading, music and a reflection on the events of 9/11. Part of their yearly service projects, all four congregations will be represented in leadership as well as communal participation during the service.
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Joining choruses across the nation, the Santa Barbara Choral Society and Orchestra will perform Wolfgang Mozart’s Requiem at First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave., as part of the 9-11-11 Project.
Created by the Santa Barbara Choral Society to commemorate the passage of a decade, the project’s musical wave will begin at 3 p.m. and will roll hour by hour across America with the participation of more than 60 choruses. Tickets for the performance are free at the door. Click here for more information or to donate to the event.
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David A. Gell, Trinity Episcopal Church’s genial, gentle minister of organ and music outreach, will perform a free concert of organ masterworks — “in memoriam for the families, friends and first responders of the Sept. 11, 2011, terrorist attacks, and as a benefit for the music ministry — at 3 p.m. Sunday at Grace Lutheran Church, 3869 State St.
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The Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido, will pay tribute to Santa Barbara native Chad Keller during an evening of “Honoring, Celebrating and Remembering Life,” beginning at 5:30 p.m Sunday.
Keller, who was killed in the Pentagon attack, will be remembered by film stories that his family and friends recorded after his death. Tickets are $35 for general admission and $20 for students and seniors, and include a performance of the play I Was Greta Garbo. Click here to order tickets online.
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A Welcome Home Gala organized by the Santa Barbara Navy League celebrating the return of the U.S. Marine Corps’ 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines begins Thursday and continues through the weekend. The Navy League will honor the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, also known as 3/5 Dark Horse, with a reception and other events. For a complete calendar of events for the Welcome Home Gala weekend or to purchase tickets, click here or call 805.407.5550.
— Noozhawk intern Kristin Crosier can be reached at kcrosier@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.