The National Celebrations Commission is proud to announce the schedule of national official events for this year’s September celebrations.

Four main events comprise the national official calendar; these are the Official Opening of the September Celebrations, the Official Ceremony marking the 211^th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye, the Official Flag Raising Ceremony, and the Official Ceremony marking Belize’s 28^th Independence Day. Traditionally, these events have always been held in Belize City. However, beginning this year these national events will be held in three different locations.

For the first time this year the Official Opening of the September Celebrations, slated for the 1^st September 2009, will take place on St. George’s Caye. St. George’s Caye, where the battle so named was fought and won on the 10th September 1798 by those who chose to stay and fight rather than abandon the settlement will be declared a national historical site on that day as well. The ceremony which gets underway at 2:00 p.m. will feature the Chairman of the National Celebrations Commission, Hon. Manuel Heredia, Jr. who will officially proclaim the September Celebrations open and issue the declaration.

The official ceremony marking the 211^th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye will be held at Memorial Park in Belize City on the 10^th Day of September beginning at 8:15 a.m. The ceremony will be followed immediately by the Citizens Parade through the principal streets of Belize City that ends at the Yarborough Green.