The countdown clock has started and party preparations are underway for what promises to be a memorable celebration for the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th anniversary.

Each month in 2012, the “75 Tributes Community Partners” program will offer a wide variety of programs for and about the bridge. The main anniversary celebration will take place during a two-day festival on May 26–27, 2012, but those will be just a small portion of the events planned.

The following programs are already scheduled for January and February: Jan. 1–Dec. 31: Antenna Theater – Golden Gate Sunset Sundial. Find your perfect view on a map of places and times the sunset can be seen between the two bridge towers. www.antenna-theater.org

Jan. 15–May 31: Golden Gate University – Making Connections Around the World. Participate in an online photography contest. www.ggu.edu

Jan. 28–Sept. 1: Marin History Museum – The Golden Gate Bridge, an Icon That Changed the World. A grand exhibition will be on display at the Boyd Gate House telling the story of how this iconic bridge changed Marin’s destiny. www.marinhistory.org

Feb. 26–Oct. 14: California Historical Society – A Wild Flight of the Imagination, the Story of the Golden Gate Bridge. Exhibition featuring artwork, photographs and historical bridge artifacts. www.californiahistoricalsociety.org February 23–26: San Francisco Orchid Society – Salute to the Golden Gate. The annual Pacific orchid exposition gala and exhibit will highlight the famous bridge. www.orchidsanfrancisco.org

Additional events will be added to the schedule as the details become available. Events from Jan.1 through Dec. 31 can be found at www.goldengatebridge75.org

Share Your Bridge Stories

The 75th anniversary website is hosting photos and stories from the public about their experiences on bridge. You can post your own story online, tweet it using the tag #GGB75, or post your favorite photo on Flickr. Submit your stories and photos by Jan. 16, and you will be entered to win an anniversary calendar, Golden Gate National Parks picnic blanket, and Crissy Field fleece vest. Visit www.goldengatebridge75.org/share for instruction on how to enter.

Bridge Walk Closures Planned

As part of the partnership with the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service are making improvements to the Battery East Bay Trail on the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, including the portion leading onto the west sidewalk of the Golden Gate Bridge.

To accomplish this, the west sidewalk and portions of Battery East Trail will be closed from Jan. 9 to approximately April 1, 2012.

This construction effort is the final phase of improvements on the Battery East Trail and will include installation of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lanes, trail resurfacing and grade improvements, replaced fencing and lighting, and construction of the Fort Point Vista. Bicyclists will be directed to use the east sidewalk during the closure.

In addition to the west sidewalk closure, detours through the Golden Gate Bridge plaza will change over the three month period to accommodate other construction activities. Signage will be updated to direct bicyclists and pedestrians, and a map of closures and detours will be available online at www.goldengate.org/news/bridge/ bikedetour_jan2012.php.