Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, 25 years have passed since the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks. This week, New York City will host dozens of events to commemorate the victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, as well as the brave first responders who survived the harrowing tragedy, while also honoring the unity that helped New York City rise again in the aftermath of the disaster.
The devastating attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 civilians and heroes, with hundreds more tragically passing away due to 9/11-related illnesses and injuries in the years following the tragedy.
In New York City this week, there are significant commemorative events taking place:
The annual memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center site, Ground Zero, will begin at 8:40 a.m. on Friday, September 11, and will be live-streamed online.
This year’s moments of silence will occur seven times, starting with the first at 8:46 a.m., marking the moment when Flight 11 hit the North Tower. Family members of the victims will then read the names of those who perished in the 2001 terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
For the first time, a seventh moment of silence will be observed this year to remember those who later succumbed to health-related illnesses.
On Tuesday at 11:45 a.m., the NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association held a wreath-laying ceremony at the World Trade Center rubble. Governor Hochul, Police Commissioner Tisch, and family members of the two officers who sacrificed their lives while saving lives on 9/11 attended.
The ceremony aimed to pay tribute to the heroes who fearlessly entered the burning World Trade Center but never returned home, as well as to commemorate the additional 79 NYPD officers who passed away due to 9/11 rescue, recovery, and investigation-related illnesses.
The NYPD unveiled a new memorial wall on Wednesday to honor the first responders who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks and the heroes who later died from illnesses related to the tragedy.
The new memorial wall at One Police Plaza includes the names of nearly 500 heroes.
Over 200 riders, including dozens who participated in 9/11 rescue efforts, family members, and supporters, will conclude their 343-mile “Ride for Resilience” bike tour at the World Trade Center on Thursday.
In memory of the tragedy’s victims, the cyclists completed the journey from Boston to New York in 5 days. Upon arrival, there will be a moment of silence at the 9/11 Memorial followed by a closing ceremony at Battery Park at 2:00 p.m., featuring singer Carolina Rial honoring her father who passed away from cancer after working in Manhattan during the attacks.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral will hold a special 25th-anniversary commemorative Mass at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Archbishop Ronald Hicks has invited all bishops of New York to attend. The event is ticketed but will be live-streamed on the church’s website and YouTube.
The second Mass is scheduled for Friday, September 11, at 2 p.m., shortly after the official memorial ceremony. The NYPD Pipe Band and 12 bands from across North America will participate.
The annual Tribute in Light at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum will illuminate the New York City skyline at sunset on Friday and continue until early Saturday.
Two beams of light will rise from where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. Five boroughs and tens of landmarks across the U.S. will also be lit up in blue to honor the national tragedy. This year’s tribute will be broadcast nationwide on Disney-owned channels and streaming platforms for the first time.
On Saturday, the NYPD Pipe Band will host the “Night of Remembrance – 9/11 25th Anniversary Concert” at Infosys Theater in Madison Square Garden.
Radio personality Sid Rosenberg will host the event, with guest pipe bands and Irish tenor Dr. Ronan Tynan delivering spectacular performances.
The event begins at 6 p.m., and tickets are priced at $150.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will open a milestone exhibition on Saturday titled “In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service.”
This new exhibition explores how individuals and communities turned their grief into action after the tragedy and how their dedication continues to profoundly impact New York City 25 years later.
As part of the mobile memorial, a large steel piece salvaged from the World Trade Center rubble will return to the site on Friday after touring over 10,500 miles across America.
In the early hours of the morning, the family of the fallen FDNY hero Stephen Siller will retrace his fully geared run through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to the rescue site at 5 a.m.
This solemn ceremony will mark the conclusion of the “Steel Across America Tour.” The nearly five-month tour aimed to educate young people of the next generation who were not born at the time of the attacks.