A ceremony in honor of the release of the America the Beautiful Vicksburg quarter will be at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 30 at the USS Cairo exhibit and museum at the Vicksburg National Military Park.

The Vicksburg quarter features the Cairo, a U.S. Navy gunboat used during the Civil War.

The ceremony will go on, rain or shine. Park officials recommend bringing sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and bottled water, and wearing comfortable clothing and shoes.

Parking at the Cairo will not be allowed. VNMP staff will direct visitors to parking on Union Avenue and Confederate Avenue, where shuttle buses will run on a regular schedule, beginning at 7:15 a.m.

Following the ceremony, attendees may purchase the quarter, sold in $10 rolls only, with a limit of 10 rolls per person.

Also, a coin forum will be at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at the VNMP Visitor Center’s auditorium.

Admission to both events is free. For more information, log on to www.nps.gov/vick and click on the quarter icon.

The Vicksburg quarter is the ninth coin in the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a multi-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other important sites.