JULY 20, 1969
THE DAY THE IMPO
WRITTEN BY: Tracee Baker Designer, Cocoa Beach Explorer
There is just nothing quite like a rocket launch. The anticipation of the countdown, the blindingly bright flames of ignition, and then the growing rumble of over 7 million pounds of thrust which culminates in a thunderous roar that you can feel as much as hear. Even for those of us lucky enough to grow up on the Space Coast, it never gets old. I grew up listening to my dad’s stories of his years (1964-1971) working at “The Cape”. Stories about the astronauts he met and the amazing things he witnessed; he was lucky enough to witness history firsthand. As my mom told me, “It was everyday stuff to us…we just didn’t realize the moment.” But a moment it was, and this July we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and man’s first steps on the Moon! To celebrate this momentous accomplishment, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is hosting events from July 12-July 16 highlighting Apollo 11 and the exploration efforts that have followed. Downtown Cocoa Beach will be host to the Astronaut Parade and Street Party on July 13th with astronauts riding down A1A in Corvettes. Talk about 1960s nostalgia! Below is a timeline listing the activities the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation has planned. Some of the events are ticketed events (marked by the ticket icon). Tickets, prices and additional information can be found on their website at www.astronautscholarship.org/celebratingapollo
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ASTRONAUT GOLF TOURNAMENT Celebrate the first man to play golf on the moon, Alan Shepard. Take a shot with his replica club and join other national heroes on the virtual links. Player registration includes: Tournament Play (3 hours), Appetizers during play, Lunch at awards ceremony, (2) beer tickets per player, 1st through 3rd place prizes Schedule Registration 9AM - 10AM Tournament Begins - 10AM Skills Competition - 12:30PM Lunch & Awards - 1PM - 2PM
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JULY
FRIDAY
Schedule 6PM – 8PM Registration: Village Bier Garten 6PM – 9PM Visit: Murdock’s Southern Bistro, The Village Idiot Pub, Pub Americana and Dog & Bone British Pub 9PM – 10:30PM Final Pub Crawl Stop: Rec 225. Be present to enter and win ‘Best Space Dressed’ and other raffle drawings!
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c o c oab eache x plorer.c om
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ASTRONAUT PARADE See our heroes as they ride through the City of Cocoa Beach in convertible Corvettes and witness the future of technology and innovation throughout the space industry!
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Free to the community! Schedule Parade - 9:30AM - 11:30AM Street Party - 9:30AM - 4PM
Location Drive Shack Orlando 7285 Corner Drive Orlando, FL 32827
ASTRONAUT WALKING PUB CRAWL Location: Cocoa Village Participating Bars: Village Bier Garten, Murdock’s Southern Bistro, The Village Idiot Pub, Pub Americana, Dog & Bone British Pub, Rec 225.
JULY
SATURDAY
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Location Cocoa Beach (parade map above)
CELEBRATING APOLLO OUTDOOR CONCERT With Alan Parsons and opening band Edison’s Children including Rick Armstrong (Neil Armstrong’s son) General Admission is free to the community! Bring your own chair. VIP & Reserved Seating available for purchase. Schedule Doors - 5PM Show - 6PM
Location Cocoa Riverfront Park 401 Riveredge Blvd. Cocoa, FL 32922
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