Saturday will mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers, meaning New York City will be home to beefed up security, lit landmarks and several commemorations.
The solemn day will begin Saturday about 8:30 a.m. at Ground Zero, where President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will be at Ground Zero Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 twin tower attacks.
The commander in chief will honor the roughly 3,000 lives lost on the tragic day with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the minute the first plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Former President Barack Obama is also scheduled to attend the ceremony, as is Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Several streets adjoining and adjacent to Ground Zero will be closed, the NYPD announced Friday.
In addition, 13 state landmarks — including One World Trade Center, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, and the Kosciuszko Bridge — will be lit blue, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. Flags at state government buildings will be flown at half staff in memory of those who died in the September 2001 attacks, according to a press release.
At 1:15 p.m., former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY) along with several elected and unions officials are slated to attend an outdoor rooftop terrace ceremony hosted by One Fair Wage, a service workers nonprofit, to honor restaurant workers from Windows on the World, a restaurant atop the World Trade Center.
Shortly after, the FDNY, which lost 343 members on Sept. 11., 2001, will hold a 1:30 p.m. memorial service at the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, according to a memo sent to family members of the city’s Bravest. A livestream of the event will be available at nyc.gov/FDNY.
Throughout the day, volunteers will pack 200,000 meals for City Harvest at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, in an effort organized by 9/11 Day, the group behind 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Shifts to pack meals for needy New Yorkers begin at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to a Wednesday press release from the organization.
On Staten Island, home to many current and former police officers and firefighters, the Staten Island Postcards 9/11 Memorial honoring the 263 Staten Island residents killed in the September 11 attacks will take place at St. George’s Empire outlets, according to the Staten Island advance. De Blasio is scheduled to speak at the event, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on the Staten Island borough president’s Facebook page.
When the sun goes down, blue light will reach four miles into the sky from the roof of the Battery Parking Garage, replicating the shapes of the Twin Towers, in a commemorative art display, the Tribute in Light.
Also Saturday night, the Yankees and Mets will face off in a Subway Series at Citi Field in Queens. Before the game, former Amazins manager Bobby Valentine will throw the ceremonial first pitch to Joe Torre, who managed the Bronx Bombers in 2001. Players on both teams will wear FDNY and NYPD hats, and several former members of both clubs are expected to attend.
Across the Hudson River, Sens. Corey Booker and Bob Menendez, Democrats from New Jersey, are scheduled to join Reps. Mikie Sherill and Donald Payne of the Garden State, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver for an “Essex County Remembers” event. It’s scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Empty Sky Memorial in Jersey City.
Follow our 9/11 20th Anniversary coverage here:
- Firefighters honor legacy of their FDNY parents killed on 9/11
- 9/11 widow describes ‘life after the nightmare’
- How 9/11 hero flight attendant Betty Ong identified her plane’s hijackers
- Sisters in NY’s Finest recall losing their NYPD father on 9/11
On Sunday, comedians Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson will mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by hosting a comedy benefit at Madison Square Garden. Proceeds from the 7 p.m. show — featuring comedians Jimmy Fallon, Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer and “SNL” Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che — will go toward 9/11-related charities.
“We wanted to put on a fun celebration to honor this great city’s resilience,” Davidson and Stewart previously said in a joint statement.
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile, Craig McCarthy, and Bernadette Hogan
