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Have ‘Fun with Flags’ June 16 at Cultural Heritage Center

In commemoration of Flag Day, the next Family Fun Saturday at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre will focus on flags. “Fun With Flags” will be held June 16 from 10-11:30 a.m. CDT.

Visitors can create their own flag out of felt and stickers. All materials are provided and children should be accompanied by an adult. Admission to the museum gallery is free during the program.

Flag Day marks the adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress in the First Flag Act on June 14, 1777. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day with actual legislation signed by President Harry Truman in 1949 proclaiming June 14 as Flag Day. Flag Day is observed nationwide, but is not a federal holiday.

The American flag has 13 stripes, representing the original 13 colonies, and 50 stars, representing all of the states in the Union. In 1777, the colors red, white and blue did not necessarily hold much meaning for people in the U.S., but the colors of the country’s Great Seal created a year earlier did. Red represented hardiness and valor, white represented purity, and blue represented vigilance and justice. The American flag is also called “Old Glory,” “Star Spangled Banner,” “The Red, White and Blue,” and “The Stars and Stripes.”

The museum will also be opening a new exhibit, “From Jackrabbits to Schmeckfest: The Many Faces of Community Identity in South Dakota,” in the Observation Gallery on June 16. Refreshments will be provided in the lobby from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CDT that day.

“June 16 will be a great day to visit the museum,” said museum director Jay Smith. “There is a little something for everyone in the exhibit and the program, so we hope that everyone will come with the family to celebrate the new exhibit opening.”

Family Fun Days are typically held Saturdays from 10-11:30 a.m., except for the Nov. 3 “Make-and-Take a Holiday Ornament,” which runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The museum is open from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CDT Monday through Saturday, and 1-4:30 p.m. on Sundays and most holidays. Call 605-773-3458 for more information about exhibits, special events and upcoming activities.

About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development offices. Call 605-773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.