Our Opinion: Celebrate Missouri's bicentennial this weekend

For Jefferson City-area residents, Saturday presents more opportunities to celebrate the Show-Me State's bicentennial.

For sports fans, it's a local opportunity you don't see every day.

The Governor's Office has coordinated a display of various championship trophies from the Show-Me State's professional sports teams. They will be at the Capitol Rotunda from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

It's the first time these trophies have been in one location at the same time.

The championship trophies to be viewed and available for photos include:

Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV and LIV trophies

St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXIV trophy

Kansas City Royals World Series trophies - 2015, 1985

St. Louis Cardinals World Series trophies (4 of 11 titles) - 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011

St. Louis Blues 2019 Stanley Cup replica trophy

"We are proud of all our professional sports teams, past and present, who have won these championships for Missouri fans," Gov. Mike Parson said in a news release.

Parson and the first lady will host the Bicentennial Inaugural Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday. It starts at downtown High Street and goes to Adams Street and along Capitol Avenue around the Capitol. The Parsons will host the Bicentennial Inaugural Ball that evening on the Capitol's north lawn. The Grand March, which includes newly elected officials, starts at 6:30 p.m. The ball starts at 8:30 p.m.

The event is open to the public, and all guests must go through check-in as well as security prior to entering the event site. The Governor's Office asks that you build this into your arrival time.

The Capitol will also feature the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt, Missouri State Parks Quilt and Missouri Bicentennial Mural on display from 8 a.m.2:30 p.m. Saturday.

We appreciate all the work and planning the Bicentennial Inaugural Committee, Governor's Office and others have done to make these historic events available to the public, and we look forward to seeing many members of the public in attendance.

News Tribune