Cities across North Texas are hosting 9/11 memorials and ceremonies on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks.
Here’s a list of events to help you plan your way to commemorate and honor those who lost their lives on Sept.11, 2001.
Carry The Load Day of Service
About 200 volunteers are expected to file into sacred grounds at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at about 10 a.m. Friday to clean the headstones of the fallen, including many buried there who sacrificed their lives in the war that followed 9/11.
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Carry The Load is teaming up with the Department of Veteran Affairs and VA National Cemeteries to host a National Day of Service and Remembrance on Friday.
Carry The Load is Dallas-based a nonprofit that hosts a Memorial Day march every year to connect communities with the veterans, service members and first responders that serve them. They also have provided free programming and care for veterans and first responders the last 10 years.
As part of the event, thousands of volunteers will be beautifying national cemeteries across the country, including Houston, El Paso, and San Antonio.
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Locally, Texas Capital Bank is sending 50 volunteers. They're also donating $20,000 to carry the load in honor of 9/11.
President and CEO Rob Holmes witnessed 9/11 himself while in New York 20 years ago. He's been involved with Carry The Load since day one and told NBC 5 it's important to strive to do good every single day.
“This is something that is observed every single year. The 20th year certainly causes more attention to it, but it doesn’t make it any more important than any other year,” he said. “I hope that every year people will make the same effort to honor the service members and veterans that we need to honor.”
Stars, Stripes & Remembrance in Arlington
Lee Greenwood, the artist behind the iconic song "God Bless the U.S.A." will be part of the Stars, Stripes, and Remembrance memorial event at Levitt Pavilion in Arlington on Saturday. Special guest is Deana Carter.
Tickets start at $25. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the 9/11 ceremony starts at 6 p.m. The live music will kick off at 7 p.m.
First Responders and military receive a $5 discount on both reserve and general admission tickets. Click here to buy tickets.
In addition to single ticket sales for the Greenwood show, the Levitt is providing an opportunity for anyone to sponsor free tickets for area first responders and healthcare professionals, via Levitt’s “Honor Our First Responders” ticket package. To participate: Visit the Levitt website to buy batches of 6, 10, 16 or 20 general seating tickets (or a customized block of tickets), which will be donated in the purchaser's name to the EMT, police, fire or healthcare department/organization of their choice. Packages begin at $150 (plus service fees).
Heroes Challenge Workout in Carrollton
On Saturday, military experts at Adaptive Training Foundation are hosting a heroes challenge work out with Carry The Load. They’ve inviting people to come test their strength to celebrate military, veterans, and first responders.
Event begins at 7:30 a.m. at 4125 Old Denton Road in Carrollton.
Remembrance Ceremony in Grapevine
On Saturday morning, there will be several events happening in Grapevine.
Starting at 7 a.m. uniformed flight attendants and pilots from all airlines are invited to join American Airlines crew members for a crew walk to honor flight crews who were killed in 9/11. Uniformed flight crew members will walk from Liberty Park Plaza to the 9/11 memorial prior to the ceremony starting. The march begins at 7:05 a.m.
Just after that at 7:30 a.m., the officials ceremony begins, including a flyover of WWII D-day aircraft. Click here for a map of viewing areas in Grapevine. The flyover is from 9:00 to 9:15 a.m.
They will also display a huge 9/11 quilt of the American flag, made up of the faces of the nearly 2,700 9/11 victims. The quilt will be displayed in Harvest Hall, a food hall connected to Hotel Vin in Grapevine, which has partnered with Dallas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to display the 21-by-21-foot quilt suspended from the 40-foot high trusses of the hall. The quilt was created by Hearts & Hands of America and is part of a three-piece collection.
9/11 Virtual Forum
If you want to stay virtual, the Dallas Bar Association is hosting a 9/11 forum on Zoom at 12 p.m. on Friday. Speakers include former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan. Click here for the Zoom link.
Keller 9/11 Memorial Event
Residents are invited to Keller Town Hall on 1100 Bear Creek Parkway for a memorial service. The event runs from 8 a.m. to noon. Speakers will share stories and a soloist trumpet player will perform The Star-Spangled Banner and Taps. There will also be a moment of silence marking the times when planes hit each of the World Trade Center towers.
Denton 9/11 Remembrance
Denton police and fire departments are hosting a memorial ceremony on Saturday morning. The event starts at 7:30 a.m on Saturday at the City of Denton Fire Department. The public is invited to attend.
Irving 9/11 Remembrance
If you live in Irving, the city is encouraging you to display flags outside of your home and observe a moment of silence at 7:46 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11. That is the moment the first plane struck the north tower of the World Trade Center 20 years ago.
A ceremony will be hosted by the Irving fire and police departments starting at 820 a.m. Location is Veterans Memorial Park on 644 Rock Island Road in Irving.
Wylie Memorial Ceremony
The Wylie community is encouraged to gather at Olde City Park from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday for a “Never Forget” remembrance event. The Wylie fire department will host a ceremony and will show a documentary. Guest speaker Darin Kinder will share his first-hand experience of the terror attacks.
Additionally, Credit Union of Texas has donated special 9/11 helmet shields for every member of the Wylie fire department to wear throughout the year. Each shield honors the 343 first responders who lost their lives on 9/11.
Celina 9/11 Remembrance
In the Celina downtown square, emergency lights will be turned on starting at 7:46 a.m Saturday and will stay on for 20 hours, marking the 20 years since the terror attacks. That time signifies the moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
A wreath will be displayed at the memorial in downtown. People are encouraged to visit throughout the day and observe silence in the square.
Plano 9/11 Remembrance
The Plano Fire Department will take part of a memorial ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m. at the Museum of Biblical Art, 7500 Park Lane, Dallas, in honor of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
Honor Guards of the Plano and Dallas fire departments and the Dallas Police Department are participating in the event, which is organized by motorcycle manufacturer Orange County Choppers and Ground Zero 360, an art and history exhibit that honors the victims and heroes of the attacks.
Family members of the New York City police officers and firefighters who died in the twin tower attacks will be in attendance. The public is also invited to attend.
During the ceremony, Ground Zero 360 and 9/11 surviving families will plant a seedling from the only tree that survived after the attacks on the World Trade Center at the museum. The Callery pear was nursed back to health and has since stood in the Memorial Glade at the World Trade Center site since 2013, organizers said in an announcement.
A free public opening of the Ground Zero 360 remembrance exhibition at the museum will take place. The event will also include the auction of a custom-built motorcycle by Orange County Choppers.
Mesquite 9/11 Memorial
Residents are encouraged to visit Mesquite Freedom Park on 1527 N. Galloway Avenue for a memorial starting at 8:30 a.m.
“The event will include a musical performance, special presentations, the reading of both the Police and Firefighter Prayer, and the Mesquite Police and Fire Department joint color guard as well as the Mesquite Fire Department Pipe and Drum Corps,” Mesquite Fire Chief Russell Wilson said in a press release.
The Mesquite Fire Department received a piece of steel from one of the Twin Towers in 2011 from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey through the World Trade Center Artifact Program, the press release said. The 15-foot-long, 575-pound twisted beam is the centerpiece of Mesquite Freedom Park.
In 2011, Mesquite became the third city in the D-FW area to participate in the program. Mesquite partnered with local community members to create an “outdoor place of gathering, reflection, and celebration of freedom” on the North Lawn of the Mesquite Arts Center, the press release said.
Benbrook 9/11 Ceremony
Benbrook will host a memorial ceremony on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. People are asked to gather in the parking lot at 10201 Jerry Dunn Parkway. Speakers include Congresswoman Kay Granger and Texas state senator and 9/11 survivor Brian Birdwell, who was inside the Pentagon during the attacks. All first responders who attend will be given a special gift.
Prosper 9/11 Ceremony
The town of Prosper is hosting a ceremony at Children's Health Stadium at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The location is 2000 Stadium Drive.
The 9/11 Mobile Memorial, the recovered beam from one of the towers that has been placed on its own trailer and decorated with remembrances, will be on display.
A blood drive by Carter BloodCare will also be on-site collecting donations before and after the ceremony.
