Downtown Mobile residents decorate for America’s 250th birthday

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Red, white and blue decorations are appearing across downtown Mobile as the nation prepares to celebrate America’s 250th birthday less than a month away.

Marty Henken’s home on Dearborn Street in Church Street East features flag buntings and a porch decorated in patriotic colors.

“We do like the holidays — and we do like to dress the house up,” Henken said. “I’m just so proud to be an American. I love our country — I love that we are celebrating it. There are so many things going on here along the Gulf Coast celebrating the 250th.”

Henken recalls the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. She and her husband Chris traveled to New Orleans last week to watch tall ships sail in as part of the celebration.

“We went over on Wednesday night because we wanted to see them sail in on Thursday morning — in which we did,” Henken said. “And it was a sight to be seen — watched it in the rain — sat right there in the rain — I wasn’t going to miss it — they’re not coming back.”

In De Tonti Square, Garret Gervais continues a family tradition of decorating for the holiday.

“This is just kind of one of the best pairs of holidays together,” Gervais said. “We start with Memorial Day, which is a great holiday honoring the best of us — our veterans — past, present, and future.”

Gervais said the phrase “We the People” still carries weight 250 years after the Declaration of Independence.

“It means exactly what it says — that we are a huge country of diverse people culturally, politically, and despite that we are still one people,” Gervais said. “And we are still embracing the ideas set forth written in that declaration 250 years ago.”