Over the next two years – leading up to April 21, 2012 – we will host an engagement activity on the 21st of each month to build momentum for the Seattle World’s Fair 50th Anniversary. We invite you to participate in this collection of activities – contests, drawings, trivia, parties – designed to involve citizens in the planning and celebration of The Next Fifty, win prizes and have a little fun while we’re at it.
April 21, 2011
In just one year, Seattle Center will begin the six-month celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair, The Next Fifty. To mark the countdown to 2012, a variety of events will take place on April 21, 2011.
World’s Fair Experience
Look to LivingSocial.com to find out about the one-day deal to experience the legacies of the Seattle World’s Fair for half the price.
Red Mountain Wine Tasting
Join the 20 winemakers of the Red Mountain AVA at the Space Needle from 6-8pm for a wine tasting to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the World’s Fair. Tickets ($45/ea) are available at Brown Paper Tickets.
Announcements
Wondering what The Next Fifty will look like in 2012? Check out our updated website and your local media to learn about early program ideas, partners, and other exciting announcements.
March 21 – April 21
Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of The Gift Shop at Seattle Center, located at the base of the Monorail. Each week, we will announce a new 20-30% discount on a product in the store. Keep your eye out for coupon codes on our Facebook and Twitter pages! All the proceeds from the gift shop support The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair.
February 21 – March 20, 2011
Seattle Center Foundation is promoting the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair by holding a Twitter scavenger hunt for tickets to KeyArena, Pacific Science Center, and the Experience Music Project.
Winning tickets is easy: all you have to do is follow, find and win! Follow Seattle Center on Twitter (@SeattleCenter) so you can receive clues. Be the first to find the hidden token. Turn it in to the Customer Service Desk in Center House for verification, and you’ve won!
There are four chances to win tickets to your favorite attractions. Each week between 2/21 and 3/20, Seattle Center will tweet a clue hinting at the location of a unique coin. Stay on your toes, as clues can come at any time!
FOLLOW SEATTLE CENTER ON TWITTER!
Sponsors: KeyArena, EMP|SFM, and Pacific Science Center
Prizes: There are four prizes in total, furnished by our generous sponsors:
- (1) membership and exhibition passes to the EMP|SFM
- (12) box suite seats to Rat City Roller Girls on March 19, 2011 at KeyArena
- (12) box suite seats to Professional Bull Riding on April 29, 2011 at KeyArena
- (4) exhibition passes to Pacific Science Center
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the World Affairs Council and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair, the World Affairs Council and Seattle Center Foundation are proud to announce the 13th Annual World Citizen Essay Contest. This year, youth in grades 3-12 are encouraged to ponder the following question:
Looking back over the last 60 years, please identify a Puget Sound-based innovation that has left its mark around the world. Explain why and how this innovation had an impact beyond the United States. (This impact can be related to the arts, sports, music, popular culture, technology, civic action, global health, education, manufacturing, etc.)
Essays will be judged based on the strength and merit of their argument, organizational structure, and attention to detail (grammar, spelling, conventions). Students are encouraged to be creative in selecting their topics.
Each year, World Affairs Council reaches out to thousands of local teachers and educators to engage students in relevant discussions about current political affairs. Students in grades 3-12 are encouraged to shape The Next Fifty by submitting their essays to the World Affairs Council.
Winners will be determined by the World Affairs Council, and will be recognized at an awards ceremony in May. There are three age categories from which winners will be chosen: 3-5 Grade, 6-8 Grade, and 9-12 Grade.
Prizes include 4-packs of tickets for first-prize winners in each age category, and World Affairs Council will be providing cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each age group.
ENTER HERE >
Dec 21 to Jan 20
As part of the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair in 2012, Seattle Center invited citizens to share their resolution for the next 50 years – for yourself, your community, or the world.
The 1962 World’s Fair launched Seattle’s future as one of the world’s most vibrant cities. In 2012 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary and envision the next 50 years of innovation for our region. You are The Next Fifty and your ideas can help shape where Seattle is headed in the future. This is your opportunity to share your vision and ideas for your city, for the next fifty years.
Sponsors: Seattle International Film Festival, Pacific Northwest Ballet, KeyArena
Nov 21 to Dec 20
The 1962 World’s Fair was Seattle’s second international exposition. What was its first? (answer)
What is the name of the giant elevator that lifted fairgoers into the World of Tomorrow during the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair? (answer)
Seattle Center Foundation partnered with Geeks Who Drink to host pub quiz events between November 21 – December 20, 2010. One of the night’s trivia rounds focused exclusively on the 1962 World’s Fair. The team that won the entire night’s trivia challenge won a set of six commemorative 50th anniversary zombie glasses.
Special thanks to the following establishments for sponsoring this fun event!
October 21 to November 20
This fall, people visited Seattle Center to spend a little time with the King. They checked out a cardboard cut-out of Elvis at Seattle Center, got pictures of the King at specific locations, and earned points.
Why Elvis? Elvis Presley appeared in the 1963 movie It Happened at the World’s Fair, which was filmed at the 1962 World’s Fair. Popular features from the Fair that still exist today like the Monorail and Space Needle served as backdrops for several scenes in the film. Security officers pursue Presley through the fountains which are now part of Pacific Science Center. It is time Elvis returned!
See all the photos here >
Sponsors: Champion Party Supply, Albert Fisher, Argosy Cruises
September 21 – December 31, 2010
Thank you to everyone who entered our haiku contest to celebrate the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair 50th Anniversary (April 21st – October 21st, 2012). The contest was sponsored and judged by the Haiku Society of America.
The theme for the Haiku contest was: Sustainability. The Pacific Northwest has a wealth of knowledge and passion to pave the way for a sustainable future – from Native American wisdom to the climate change initiatives, from cyclists to kayakers, from green builders to master gardeners, from biofuels to organic foods. In May of 2012 the 50th Anniversary Celebration will focus on sustainability and big bold ideas to meet the environmental challenges ahead.
Congratulations to our contest winners
First Place
scheduled blackout . . .
the lake glittering
with fireflies
- by Kathy Lippard Cobb
Second Place
double pane windows—
the candle’s flame reflected
many times over
- by Ruth Yarrow
Third Place
her hot suggestion—
save energy by taking
showers together
- by Ruth Yarrow
Honorable Mentions (not ranked)
climate change
the pot
boils over
- by Dick Whyte
freeway—
a wind turbine in the center
of the rising sun
- by Damien Gabriels
old farm’s roof—
a butterfly lands
on the solar panel
- by Damien Gabriels
pine shade
the quiet sound
of a stream
- by Thomas Martin
school project—
stealing soda cans from
my neighbor’s recycling bin
- by Seren Fargo
Read the haiku entries here >
The ‘Landing Crane’ image is by American sumi-e artist Origa.
August 21 – October 20, 2010
T-shirt Design Contest: Arts, Culture & Design
Seattle Center Foundation held an invitation to design a commemorative t-shirt for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair 50th Anniversary (April 21st – October 21st, 2012).
The theme for the design was The Next Fifty Years: Arts, Culture & Design. Seattle has one of the best art scenes in the nation, hands down; from the varied selection of theater, dance and music to the many examples of visual art, performance art and the nation’s largest film festival. For years Seattle Center has been integral to the city’s art scenes by housing many of their parent organizations, as well as boasting some of the region’s most innovative and inspiring architecture. Keep this in mind while designing the winning t-shirt.
July21 – August, 2010
Buy a drink. Get a glass. Collect history.
Seattle Center is gearing up for the 50th Anniversary of the World’s Fair in 2012: The Next Fifty celebration! We’ve created six unique collectible “Zombie” glasses based on the original set from the 1962 Fair. From July 21 – August 31, 2010, local restaurant and bars offered these glasses for sale with a special signature drink of their creation.
The collectible glasses feature the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Coliseum/KeyArena, Seattle Center Monorail, International Fountain, and Center House. The zombie glasses (the name of their style) recall the original design with additional elements to celebrate The Next Fifty in 2012, and are quickly becoming collectibles themselves. Glasses can also be purchased online at The Next Fifty online store or in our World’s Fair Gallery at the Center House, Seattle Center.
Special thanks to our participating venues:
- The Spectator (Serving the “206 Rain” in the Teal Space Needle Glass)
- Ten Mercer (Serving the “Seattle ‘62″ in the Yellow Monorail Glass, a local take on the French 75)
- Red Door (Serving the “Seattle Slew” in the Blue Pacific Science Center Glass)
- Marjorie (Serving the the “Caipirinha” in the Green International Fountain Glass)
- Tini Bigs (Serving the classic Zombie cocktail in the Orange Coliseum/KeyArena Glass)
- HulaHula (Serving the classic Zombie cocktail in the Orange Coliseum/KeyArena Glass)
- World’s Fair Gallery (Red Center House Glass only)
Congratulations to Eco, the official mascot for The Next Fifty.
Eco is the inspiration for a happier, cleaner tomorrow, coexisting in a harmonious way with nature while we empower our dreams and creations, with the clean energy that’s all around us. The next fifty is already here, our robot dreams of the past is an everyday thing now, the future is a bond of both, leaving us time to live life again.
Eco, goes for ecology, all his body parts represent, the different forces of nature.
View the full promotion video here >
May 21 – June 20, 2010
Facebook Fan Drive
May 21 – June 20, 2010
Facebook Fan Drive
For our second Buzz, we invited you to become a Fan of Seattle Center on Facebook and tell us why you were. The response was great! Read the heartfelt stories we received (pdf).
If you’re not a Fan yet, we invite you to become one today! As a Fan you’ll get news and insider information on events and activities leading up to The Next Fifty celebration in 2012 and the amazing activities and events at Seattle Center.
Visit our Facebook page now and see what’s going on at Seattle Center.
Special thanks to our prize sponsors AEG and the Space Needle Corp.
Copyright© 2010 Seattle Center Foundation. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy