Apollo 50th Anniversary Celebration

The City of Nassau Bay had a blast as we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 mission with a two-day celebration on July 20th and July 21st. With the City's proximity to NASA Johnson Space Center, Nassau Bay was proud to celebrate the City’s contribution to human space flight in the past and into the future.

The weekend began on Saturday, July 20th with a Night of Celebration at the Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake Hotel. Almost 200 gathered in 60s-era attire to join in the festivities, which began with live 60s music and an hors d'oeuvres buffet.

A brief program was held as Mayor Mark Denman honored seven Nassau Bay residents who contributed to the Apollo 11 mission. Honorees included George W.S. Abbey, Garland Bauch, John Crawford, Bill Davidson, Roscoe Lee, James (Monty) Moncrief, and Tom Snedecor. Each received an special commemorative Apollo 50th Anniversary coin. In addition, Mayor Denman issued a City proclamation in honor of the historic anniversary.

Special guest speaker George W.S. Abbey, former director of NASA Johnson Space Center, remarked on America's race to the moon and described what it took to be the first ones there. Ending his words to a standing ovation, he urged the audience to continue their strong support of the manned space program as America strives to go back to the moon and beyond.

The evening continued with a cigar rolling demonstration and special whiskey beverages, paying homage to the celebrations that occured as Apollo 11's astounding voyage came to an end in the Pacific. Outside on the Harbor Patio, attendees went back in time as they viewed the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing video, counting down to the historic first step on the moon. Grand finale fireworks lit up the night seconds after the conclusion of the video, and afterwards, desserts and dancing continued in the Atlantis Ballroom until 11:11pm.

On Sunday, July 21st, the City held a Movie in the Park featuring the Apollo 11 documentary. More than 200 came out to eat moon pies, drink tang, and watch a detailed depiction of the Apollo 11 mission. Attendees cheered when the famous words "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" were heard on the screen.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, Nassau Bay also created an interactive map to allow individuals to see where the Apollo astronauts lived. With a QR code, individuals could participate in a self-guided driving tour of the homes of those who contributed to the Apollo missions, including Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Thanks to all who celebrated with the City for this historic occasion!