Produced by Archives manager of special events Quinn Bruster and program manager Tom Nastick, the festivities began at 8:15 a.m., when nearly 200 invited guests gathered for a breakfast in two Archives conference rooms. The red, white, and blue reception hosted by the Foundation of the National Archives, had food from Occasions Caterers, and was attended by Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, several members of Congress, and other high-profile guests and their families. Afterward the guests took tours of the rotunda, which houses all of the historical documents, and were then treated to a brief theatrical history lesson from actors posing as Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and Abigail Adams.
"Our program is the first event in town on the 4th of July, and we want everyone to kick off the holiday at the National Archives," Bruster said. "Our goal and mission with this event is to start off the holiday on a patriotic note and also highlight all of the many offerings at the National Archives."
The official ceremony for the public took place at 10 a.m. on the steps of the Archives and featured musical performances from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry “The Old Guard” Fife and Drum Corps and opera star Evan Hughes. Highlighting the ceremony was the dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence by the historical reenactors and special guest Congressman Lacy Clay. The ceremony concluded with the first-ever National Archives float leading the procession down Constitution Avenue.
