Oklahoma City will mark the 31st anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on Sunday, April 19, with a remembrance ceremony honoring the 168 people killed in the 1995 attack.
Seating for the 31st Annual Remembrance Ceremony will open at 8:30 a.m., and the program will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. The ceremony will include 168 Seconds of Silence, music by singer-songwriter Blessing Offor, and the traditional reading of the 168 names of those killed in the bombing.
If there is inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors to First Methodist Church.
Kari Watkins, president and CEO of the memorial, said the commemoration remains a time to reflect on loss and resilience, News9 reported.
“Those people went to work that day, not war,” Watkins said. “The story isn’t done being written.”
For the first time, the museum is being reserved on April 19 for victims’ family members, survivors, first responders, and their guests. The day before the anniversary, the museum offered free admission as part of Cox Community Day.
This year’s remembrance also falls on the same day as Game 1 of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s playoff run, with additional anniversary-related recognition planned around the game, The Oklahoman reported.
Watkins said the overlap reflects Oklahoma City’s continuing story of remembrance and resilience. “If you wear your Game 1 shirt over the next 10 days to the museum, you get free admission,” Watkins said, News9 reported.
