University of Iowa's Hancher site ceremony to be held Saturday

The University of Iowa will hold a "site ceremony" to commemorate work on the new Hancher Auditorium at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The free event will be held at the site of the planned new Hancher facility, on Park Road just northwest of the old Hancher, which was damaged in the 2008 flood. Site work on the new Hancher recently began, and demolition of the old auditorium will happen in the coming months.

The event will honor the memory of workers who died in an accident during the construction of the original Hancher Auditorium and dedicate the site of its new building to the safety of its construction workers.

There also will be a short march from old Hancher to the site of the new facility.

The event will feature a performance by San Jose Taiko and new work by performer Rinde Eckert, according to the university.

The U.S. Postal Service also announced that it will offer a special pictorial postmark to help commemorate the original Hancher Auditorium. The postmark will include the words "Hancher Auditorium Station," and a souvenir envelope for the occasion also was created by artist and UI graduate Nicolosi. The envelopes will be available for purchase at the site ceremony.

Seating will not be provided during the ceremony so those planning to attend the June 29 event are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.