Welcome to Seattle Center
WHAT: 40th Annual Naturalization Ceremony at Seattle Center
WHEN: Friday, July 4, 2025: 11:30 a.m. performance by High Class Brass; 12-1 p.m. ceremony
WHERE: Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center
SEATTLE WA (June 27, 2025) – This year’s Fourth of July holiday will have extra special meaning for the more than 500 people who will be sworn in as new U.S. citizens at the 40th annual Naturalization Ceremony hosted at Seattle Center.
The public is invited to observe the ceremony presided over by The Honorable David G. Estudillo, Chief United States District Judge for the Western District Court of Washington, who will swear-in the candidates taking the oath as new citizens of the United States of America.
The program commences with the presentation of the Colors by the Washington State Guard Honor Guard and the singing of the national anthem by soloist Maria Kesovija, accompanied by High Class Brass; followed by welcome remarks from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and a Native American performance “The Spirit of All Things” featuring storyteller Gene Tagaban and musicians Peter Ali and Swil Kanim.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services District 41 Director Leanne Leigh will present the new citizenship candidates – announcing the countries represented as well as introducing the eldest and military service personnel candidates – at the event which reflects diverse cultures from across the globe and reaffirms the meaning of U.S. citizenship.
The ceremony concludes with a congratulatory address from U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, a heartfelt rendition of “America the Beautiful” by gospel singer Josephine Howell, and the new citizens’ reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance – led by the Children of Our Nations accompanied by Miss Washington 2024 Hermona Girmay (whose mother became a U.S. citizen at this ceremony in 2017 in which she attended as a guest) in her final official appearance before passing on her crown – for their first time as U.S. citizens.
Seattle Center, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington partner to produce the Naturalization Ceremony, held annually at Seattle Center.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities.
Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming.
Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners – Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank – Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually.
Contact
Randy Hurlow, WHY For Good
206-778-5523 randy@whyforgood.com
