CONTACT: Brian Ososky
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
863-734-1210; bososky@boktower.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2015

89th Annual Easter Sunrise Service at Bok Tower Gardens April 5

LAKE WALES, Fla. — A longstanding tradition, Bok Tower Gardens will present its 89th annual Easter Sunrise Service on Sunday, April 5 at 7 a.m. with free admission from 6 to 8 a.m. Nearly 2,000 visitors are expected to attend the service as the early morning mist clears and the sun rises atop Iron Mountain. Accessible parking, shuttle service, and seating for guests will be available. The Entrance Gate, Visitor Center and Gift Shop will open at 6 a.m. Donations are suggested.

Gardens’ carillonneur Geert D’hollander will begin the celebration at 6:30 a.m. with a selection of seasonal music performed on the 60-bell Singing Tower carillon. University of Central Florida bagpiper Benjamin Pugh, dressed in traditional Scottish kilt and attire, will follow with seasonal hymns and conclude the 45-minute service with “Amazing Grace.”

Rev. Chad Reynolds from the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Wales will deliver the Easter sermon. Inspirational music will be presented by the Lake Wales Chorale, directed by Charles Little and accompanied by Tammy Little. Lake Wales Brass will perform a selection from the Singing Tower balcony, and together with the Lake Wales Chorale throughout the morning’s service.

Following the service, the Blue Palmetto Café will offer a special buffet for $10.95 per adult; $7.95 per child under 12. Scrambled eggs, Spanish eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, homestyle potatoes, assorted pastries, fresh fruit, and beverages including regular and decaf coffee and Florida’s Natural orange juice will be served.

At 1 and 3 p.m., D’hollander will perform hymns and other seasonal carillon music for the occasion. Visitors can watch the 30-minute concerts on a video monitor in a special seating area located behind the Peace Lantern near the Tower and meet D’hollander by the Information Booth after the concerts.

The Easter Sunrise Service has been an annual tradition since April 17, 1927, making it the longest continuously running event at Bok Tower Gardens. Reverend G.W.R. Cadman formally dedicated the Sanctuary during the first service. The son of Gardens’ founder, Curtis Bok, said the service “quite literally helps the sun get over the horizon on Easter morning.”

After 8 a.m. general admission to the Gardens is $12 for adults and $3 for children ages 5-12. Members and children under 5 are admitted free. Pinewood Estate will be open from 12 noon to 4p.m. for an additional fee. For more information, call 863-676-1408 or visit www.BokTowerGardens.org.

# # #

Download printable PDF - Download Easter Sunrise Service File Photos

About Bok Tower Gardens:
Voted Florida’s best garden, Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark located 10 miles from LEGOLAND Florida, 55 miles southwest of Orlando and 60 miles east of Tampa near Lake Wales in Central Florida’s rolling hills of citrus. Open every day of the year from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last admission at 5 p.m. The Visitor Center, Café and Gift Shop are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $3 for ages 5-12. Members and children under 5 are admitted free. LEGOLAND ticket holders will receive free admission for children under 12. For more information, contact Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales FL 33853; 863-676-1408 or visit www.BokTowerGardens.org.