The Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel will be lit red, white, and blue on Monday, June 14 in recognition of Flag Day.

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th each year in the United States to commemorate the First Flag Resolution passed by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The anniversary of the resolution has been celebrated for hundreds of years in several cities by flying flags on public buildings and holding remembrances. Flag Day was officially recognized as a federal holiday by President Harry Truman in 1949.

Bernard J. Cigrand, known to the general public as the “Father of Flag Day,” delivered speeches around the country about holding an observance for the flag on June 14. He later became the president of the American Flag Day Association and the National Flag Day Society. The Chicago Tribune established that Cigrand “almost single-handedly” established Flag Day through these efforts.

The Pacific Wheel will join other landmarks in displaying red, white, and blue for the holiday. The Wheel will also display a 90ft tall animated, waving American flag.

The week of June 14 is designated as “National Flag Week.” During National Flag Week, the President will issue a proclamation encouraging U.S. citizens to display the American flag for the duration of that week outside homes and businesses.

This special lighting event will take place on the evening of Monday, June 14. The Ferris wheel lights can be seen from dusk until 11:35 PM each evening. Enjoy watching the light program online at www.dev.pacpark.enki.tech/live.

WHAT:
Special Lighting of the Pacific Wheel for Flag Day

WHEN:
Monday, June 14
dusk (around 8 PM) to midnight

WHERE:
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

See the lights from home at www.dev.pacpark.enki.tech/live.

Pacific Park regularly programs the Ferris wheel to display seasonal programing and themed light designs for holidays and special occasions. The Pacific Wheel’s state-of-the-art lighting package was installed in 2016 and can display over 1.6 million different colors and animate patterns and icons in 24 frames per second. The energy efficient LEDs on the face of the Ferris wheel are powered by solar arrays inside Pacific Park. The light programs are curated and designed by Pacific Park staff. Each design is manually animated; some designs can take hours of programming. The aim is to provide fun, high-energy, and sometimes whimsical designs to entertain guests on the Santa Monica Pier and surrounding beaches.

Feature image courtesy of @land_arch2b