LANSING, MI — Communities across Mid-Michigan are planning ceremonies and events on Friday to mark 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The day will bring together firefighters, police officers, veterans, performers and residents who want to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks.
Programs are scheduled in Lansing, Jackson, Holt, Mason, Brighton and Owosso, along with a televised performance on WKAR-TV. Many of the gatherings will include readings of victims’ names, music and moments of reflection. Together, they show how the anniversary continues to be observed across the region with both solemn memorials and community events.
Lansing’s annual remembrance returns to Wentworth Park
In Lansing, the annual Lansing Remembers 9/11 ceremony is set for 8:30 a.m. at the 9/11 memorial in Wentworth Park, 100 N. Grand Ave. The gathering has become one of the city’s regular ways of honoring those lost in the attacks and those who responded afterward.
Lansing Fire Department Chief Carrie Edwards-Clemons and Police Chief Robert Backus are scheduled to speak. Their participation underscores the role first responders have played in keeping the anniversary visible for local residents, especially as the date reaches its 25th year.
The memorial site gives the ceremony a specific place of reflection, and the morning timing allows it to begin the day with remembrance before many other observances take place across Mid-Michigan.
Jackson will again read every victim’s name
Jackson’s remembrance ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at 1401 S. Brown St., where participants will read the names of every victim of the attacks. Organizers say the name-reading will be held for the 25th year, keeping a long-running tradition intact for the community.
The program will also include a musical performance by Kevin Wolff and a light show. Those additions give the ceremony both a reflective and artistic element, while the name-reading keeps the focus on the human toll of the attacks.
For many communities, repeated observances like Jackson’s serve as a way to ensure the anniversary is not treated as a one-time event, but as an ongoing moment of public memory.
Holt and Mason mix remembrance with service
In Holt, the 5K Hero Run will begin at 6 p.m. at Memorial Gardens and finish at the 9/11 Memorial in Holt Plaza. The event benefits first responders and military veterans, tying the anniversary to support for the people many Americans associate with service and response.
Mason will hold a memorial program at 6:30 p.m. at the Mason Fire Department, 221 W. Ash St. That setting places the observance at a station closely tied to public safety, giving the program a practical and community-centered backdrop.
Both events connect remembrance with participation. Rather than only standing in silence, residents in these towns can mark the day by showing support, gathering together and taking part in local traditions.
Brighton and Owosso add their own community tributes
The Brighton Area Fire Authority plans a remembrance ceremony at 7 p.m. at Station 31, 615 W. Grand River Ave. As with the other fire-service gatherings, the ceremony gives local residents a chance to honor the anniversary in a place associated with emergency response and public trust.
In Owosso, the Owosso Community Players will present the musical Come From Away at 7:30 p.m. at the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts. The production is based on the true story of about 7,000 airline passengers stranded in Newfoundland after the Sept. 11 attacks. It is scheduled for six performances.
That combination of ceremony and theater shows how the anniversary is being remembered not only through formal memorials, but also through stories that explore the human impact of the attacks.
WKAR-TV will close the evening with a concert performance
WKAR-TV is scheduled to air Great Performances: Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11 at 9 p.m. The program features Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, adding a more formal artistic tribute to the day’s observances.
Televising the performance gives viewers another way to participate in remembrance from home. For those unable to attend a ceremony in person, the broadcast extends the day’s commemorations beyond the local gathering places.
As Mid-Michigan marks the 25th anniversary, the mix of memorials, public readings, charity events, theater and music reflects how communities continue to honor the victims and recognize the lasting significance of Sept. 11.
Why the Sept. 11 anniversary still matters 25 years later
The Sept. 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people after hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Those events changed the country in lasting ways and remain a defining moment for many Americans.
That is why local observances continue to draw families, public safety agencies and community groups year after year. The 25th anniversary gives the remembrance added weight, but the ceremonies in Mid-Michigan show that the day’s meaning has endured well beyond the first decade after the attacks.
Whether through a fire department program, a race that supports veterans, or a performance inspired by the aftermath of the attacks, Friday’s events are meant to keep memory, service and reflection at the center of the day.
