The city of Galveston celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2014 and the yearlong anniversary celebration included the city collaborating with non-profits and cultural groups across the island. There wasn't a single anniversary bash, but each group commemorated their month with events and happenings. To spread the word and culminate the anniversary recollections throughout 2014, a social media hashtag, #galveston175, was established.
Galveston was the home to many firsts for Texas, including the first newspaper, telegraph, grocery store, hospital, and national bank, just to name a few.
The Galveston Chamber of Commerce presented the official gala celebrating the 175th anniversary of the city of Galveston on January 24th at the Hotel Galvez. The event also served as the chamber’s 168th annual meeting. The theme for the celebration was “A Salute to Bernardo de Galvez,” the Spanish colonial governor and general the city was named for. The Spanish-influenced, black-tie affair will featured the Del Castillo band, flamenco dancers and dancing.
The month of March celebrated governance, and Galveston city government hosted a series of open houses to show citizens exactly what they all do.
Some of the most beloved pieces of Galveston's architecture were highlighted in May. It's not surprising that June and July were for tourism, when the city sees people from all over the world stopping by to play on its beaches.
Monthly celebrations of the city of Galveston's 175th Anniversary were as follows:
- January – Commerce
- February – Heritage / Cultural Diversity
- March – Governance
- April – Nature Tourism
- May – Architecture
- June / July – Tourism
- August – Education
- September – Arts
- October – Maritime / Port of Galveston
- November – Medicine / Healthcare
- December – Service
Here's to many more anniversaries for the City of Galveston!
