February 11 - 12, 2008
"I, too, am a Kentuckian." - Abraham Lincoln, 1861

The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial will kick off with two days of inaugural events in Kentucky, where President Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.

Join the nation and the world as we begin the commemoration of this great man's life and legacy!

February 11, 2008 - Louisville

"Lincoln on Leadership" Symposium

Time: 1 - 3:30pmm
Location: Frazier International History Museum, Louisville
Sponsors: ALBC, McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, and the Frazier International History Museum

The featured speaker will be acclaimed historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin. Dr. Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, will discuss Abraham Lincoln's leadership qualities. Also addressing the symposium is Richard Goodwin, who is best known as a speechwriter and advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and to U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

Champagne Reception and A Kentucky Sakute to Abraham Lincoln
Kentucky Center
Louisville, Kentucky

Champagne Reception
6:00 - 7:15 pm
Program sponsors, invited guests, dignitaries and preferred ticket holders will gather in the lobby of the Kentucky Center for a festive champagne reception. The University of Louisville Marching Band will perform patriotic music. Hors d'oeuvres will be served that are reminiscent of the period of Lincoln's Inauguration.

A Kentucky Salute to Abraham Lincoln
7:30 - 9:30 pm
Bob Edwards, award-winning journalist and Louisville native, will serve as master of ceremonies for the evening. The Louisville Orchestra, joined by soprano Angela Brown as guest soloist, will offer a musical tribute, including the premiere of a new Lincoln work - Lincoln at Ease - composed by Peter Schickele and a performance by Ms. Brown of Marian Anderson's 1939 rendition of My Country 'Tis of Thee. Artists from the Kentucky Opera will accompany Ms. Brown.

Capping the evening, award-winning actor Sam Waterston and Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer will perform their acclaimed production Lincoln Seen and Heard, a narrated and dramatic presentation of Lincoln's life.

February 12, 2008 - Hodgenville

Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Inaugural Event
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site

Time: 10:30am – 12:00 noon

President George W. Bush has been invited to deliver the keynote address formally launching the nation's two-year celebration of Lincoln's life and legacy. Saxton's Cornet Band and Everett McCorvey and the American Spiritual Ensemble will provide music. Other speakers will include: Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne (invited), Doris Kearns Goodwin and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. Sam Waterston, star of TV's Law and Order, will read from Lincoln's works. LaRue County Judge Executive and national ALBC Commissioner Tommy Turner will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Tickets

Tickets are required for many of the Bicentennial opening events and must be purchased in advance.  A limited number of tickets are available.

Premier Lincoln Package
$200.00
The Premier Lincoln Package includes admission to the Lincoln Symposium, admission to the Champagne Reception, preferred seating for A Kentucky Salute to Abraham Lincoln at the Kentucky Center, and seating at the opening ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville.  The Premier Lincoln Package is available exclusively from the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.  Order the Premier Lincoln Package online with your major credit card or print and return the order form with your check to the ALBC.  Call (202) 707-6998 for more information.

A Kentucky Salute to Abraham Lincoln
$10 - Students
$50 - General Admission
Those wishing to attend only the Kentucky Salute to Abraham Lincoln at the Kentucky Center for the Arts may purchase tickets directly from the Kentucky Center for the Arts at www.kentuckycenter.org.

Opening Ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site
The event is free, and open to the public.  Reservations are not required for the general admission standing areas.  Admission is on a first come first, served basis.  Visitors are encouraged to arrive early.  Additional information on the event is available online from the National Park Service at http://www.nps.gov/abli/