Manzanar National Historic Site invites the public to participate in a weekend of special activities surrounding the Manzanar Committee’s 43rd annual Manzanar Pilgrimage.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the camp’s opening and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Manzanar National Historic Site. Visitors are invited to experience art, music, dance, talks, and more. All events are free.
On Friday, April 27, the Independence Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Eastern California Museum will host a public reception from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Eastern California Museum. The museum’s exhibits include Shiro and Mary Nomura’s Manzanar collection, a special exhibit, “Personal Responsibility: The Camp Photographs of Toyo Miyatake,” and the Anna and O.K. Kelly Gallery of Native American Life.
The museum is located at 155 Grant St. in Independence and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Saturday, April 28, the Manzanar Interpretive Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., offering extensive exhibits and an award-winning film, as well as special Junior
Ranger activities for kids. The Manzanar History Association will host a book-signing by “Children of Manzanar” editor Heather Lindquist, as well as the annual “Selected Artists from the Henry Fukuhara Annual Alabama Hills and Manzanar Workshop” art show and sale, which runs through May 20.
The Manzanar Pilgrimage begins at noon Saturday at the Manzanar Cemetery with a performance by UCLA’s Kyodo Taiko.
Dr. Mitchell T. Maki, lead author of “Achieving the Impossible Dream: How Japanese Americans Obtained Redress,” is the keynote speaker.
The Manzanar Committee will honor Rose Matsui Ochi with the 2012 Sue Kunitomi Embrey Legacy Award in recognition of her decades of work to preserve Manzanar and its history.
The pilgrimage program concludes with the traditional interfaith service and onto dancing, after which park rangers will offer walking tours to those wishing to explore Manzanar.
More information about the pilgrimage program is posted on the Manzanar Committee’s website.
The Manzanar At Dusk (MAD) program begins at 5 p.m. Saturday at Lone Pine High School, located at 538 S. Main St. (Highway 395) in Lone Pine. The program will offer participants opportunities to interact with former internees and each other. The MAD program is co-sponsored by the Lone Pine Unified School District, Lone Pine High School, the Cal Poly Pomona Nikkei Student Union, the UCLA Nikkei Student Union, and the UC San Diego Nikkei Student Union.
On Sunday, April 29, the Manzanar History Association (MHA) will host special talks by Lindquist at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., followed by book signings.
With the exception of Friday evening’s reception and Saturday evening’s MAD program, all events will take place at Manzanar National Historic Site, located at 5001 Hwy. 395, six miles south of Independence, nine miles north of Lone Pine, and approximately 230 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
The Manzanar Interpretive Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is no food service at Manzanar. Bring a lunch or snacks and water, wear a hat and comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather.
For more information, call (760) 878-2194, ext. 3310, visit www.nps.gov/manz or check out www.facebook.com/ManzanarNationalHistoricSite.