Great American Fair
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America 250 · 1776 – 2026

Celebrate the 250th,
near you.

A festive guide to the semiquincentennial — parades and fireworks, reenactments and concerts, naturalization ceremonies, festivals, museum exhibits, and community service days, all on the road to July 4, 2026. Save the ones you love and add them to your calendar.

Sample events for demonstration. Confirm times and places with your local organizers.
30 events
FestivalSep13

Liberty Lantern Kickoff

Sat, Sep 13, 2025 · 6:00 PM Independence Mall · Philadelphia, PA

A lantern-lit evening that opens the region's road to 2026 with food trucks, fife-and-drum, and a community oath of friendship.

ExhibitSep17

Constitution Day Reading

Wed, Sep 17, 2025 · 12:00 PM Old State House · Boston, MA

A public reading of the Preamble and a pop-up gallery of founding-era broadsides marking Constitution Day.

FestivalOct11

Harvest of Liberty Festival

Sat, Oct 11, 2025 · 11:00 AM Central Market Square · Lancaster, PA

Heritage crafts, colonial cooking demos, and a barn-raising relay celebrating 250 years of community.

ParadeNov11

Veterans Day 250 Salute

Tue, Nov 11, 2025 · 10:00 AM Alamo Plaza · San Antonio, TX

A morning procession of color guards and veterans' units, capped by a 21-bell tribute.

NaturalizationDec12

First Snow Naturalization

Fri, Dec 12, 2025 · 1:00 PM Mill City Museum · Minneapolis, MN

New citizens take the oath beneath the holiday lights; the public is warmly invited to cheer them on.

FestivalJan1

New Year's Bell Ring-In

Thu, Jan 1, 2026 · 12:00 AM Waterfront Park · Charleston, SC

Ring in the semiquincentennial year as church and harbor bells sound together at midnight.

ReenactmentJan17

Winter Encampment Reenactment

Sat, Jan 17, 2026 · 10:00 AM Valley Forge National Park · Valley Forge, PA

Living-history units recreate the 1777–78 winter camp with drills, blacksmithing, and field-medicine talks.

ConcertFeb14

Freedom Songs: A 250 Concert

Sat, Feb 14, 2026 · 7:30 PM Riverfront Amphitheater · Nashville, TN

A pops orchestra and youth choir trace 250 years of American music, from spirituals to bluegrass to anthems.

ExhibitFeb16

Presidents' Day History Fair

Mon, Feb 16, 2026 · 10:00 AM Mount Vernon Estate · Mount Vernon, VA

Costumed interpreters, a Washington letters exhibit, and a kids' founding-documents scavenger hunt.

ServiceMar7

Rivers & Roads Cleanup

Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 9:00 AM Point State Park · Pittsburgh, PA

A 250-volunteer community service day clearing trails and riverbanks ahead of the summer celebrations.

ReenactmentApr18

Spring Muster Reenactment

Sat, Apr 18, 2026 · 11:00 AM Battle Green · Lexington, MA

The 'shot heard round the world' brought to life with a dawn drill and a narrated tactical demonstration.

ParadeApr20

Patriots' Day Parade

Mon, Apr 20, 2026 · 9:30 AM Monument Square · Concord, MA

Minutemen companies, school bands, and antique fire engines step off down the old town route.

FestivalMay2

Founders Festival on the Square

Sat, May 2, 2026 · 11:00 AM Colonial Williamsburg · Williamsburg, VA

A full day of trades, fife-and-drum corps, militia drills, and an evening illumination of the historic area.

NaturalizationMay15

New Americans Welcome Ceremony

Fri, May 15, 2026 · 10:00 AM Arizona Heritage Center · Phoenix, AZ

A large spring naturalization ceremony with a community reception; bring a flag and welcome our newest neighbors.

ConcertMay25

Memorial Day Remembrance Concert

Mon, May 25, 2026 · 6:00 PM National Mall · Washington, DC

Brass, choir, and a candle tribute honoring those who served across 250 years.

ServiceJun6

Liberty Trail Trash-Off

Sat, Jun 6, 2026 · 8:30 AM Cherry Creek Trail · Denver, CO

Neighbors of all ages plant trees and clear the greenway in a give-back day before the Fourth.

FestivalJun19

Juneteenth Freedom Festival

Fri, Jun 19, 2026 · 12:00 PM Old Central Cultural Center · Galveston, TX

Music, storytelling, and a community cookout marking freedom's place in the American story.

FestivalJun27

Tall Ships & Harbor Fest

Sat, Jun 27, 2026 · 10:00 AM Inner Harbor · Baltimore, MD

A parade of sail, deck tours, and dockside music as historic vessels gather for the semiquincentennial.

ConcertJul3

Independence Eve Heritage Concert

Fri, Jul 3, 2026 · 7:30 PM Hatch Memorial Shell · Boston, MA

An open-air symphony night closing with cannon, choir, and a singalong of American standards.

NaturalizationJul3

Naturalization at Monticello

Fri, Jul 3, 2026 · 9:00 AM Monticello West Lawn · Charlottesville, VA

A storied Independence-eve oath ceremony welcoming new citizens at Jefferson's home.

ParadeJul4

Grand Semiquincentennial Parade

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 10:00 AM Benjamin Franklin Parkway · Philadelphia, PA

The marquee 250th parade: 250 floats, all-state marching bands, and the great banner procession to Eakins Oval.

ExhibitJul4

Reading of the Declaration

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 11:00 AM Independence Hall · Philadelphia, PA

The annual public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the steps where it was first proclaimed.

FestivalJul4

Let Freedom Ring at Noon

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 12:00 PM Town squares everywhere · Nationwide, USA

Join the nation in ringing bells thirteen times at noon — one chime for each original colony.

ReenactmentJul4

Living History Battlefield Walk

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 2:00 PM Yorktown Battlefield · Yorktown, VA

Costumed interpreters re-stage the siege lines with artillery demonstrations and a guided victory walk.

ConcertJul4

Stars & Stripes Picnic Concert

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 5:00 PM Grant Park · Chicago, IL

Bring a blanket for a community band, food vendors, and patriotic favorites before dusk.

FireworksJul4

Capital Fireworks Spectacular

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 9:00 PM National Mall · Washington, DC

The nation's centerpiece pyrotechnics over the monuments, synchronized to a live orchestra.

FireworksJul4

Fireworks Over the Bay

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 9:15 PM Big Bay · San Diego, CA

A coordinated multi-barge show lighting up the harbor from four launch points at once.

FireworksJul4

Drone Light Show: 1776 to 2026

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 9:30 PM Vic Mathias Shores · Austin, TX

Two hundred fifty drones paint the founding story across the sky in a quiet, kid-friendly alternative to fireworks.

ServiceJul4

Hometown Pancake & Flag Breakfast

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 · 8:00 AM Veterans Memorial Hall · Cedar Rapids, IA

A volunteer-run breakfast that funds the local fireworks and honors first responders.

FestivalJul5

Fifth of July Family Reunion Fest

Sun, Jul 5, 2026 · 12:00 PM Piedmont Park · Atlanta, GA

Lawn games, a community potluck, and a group photo to close out the semiquincentennial weekend.

What is the Semiquincentennial?

The Semiquincentennial — also called America 250 — marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The milestone falls on July 4, 2026. "Semiquincentennial" means a 250th anniversary (semi = half, quincentennial = 500), and it follows the 1976 Bicentennial as the nation's next great civic celebration.

Commemorations stretch across 2025 and 2026, not just one day — communities in every state are planning local events leading up to the Fourth.

Ways communities celebrate
  • Parades, flag ceremonies, and the noon ringing of bells thirteen times
  • Fireworks and quieter drone light shows
  • Living-history reenactments and public readings of the Declaration
  • Concerts, heritage festivals, and hometown picnics
  • Naturalization ceremonies welcoming new citizens
  • Community service and clean-up days that give back

Check with your city, county, library, museum, or historical society for what's planned where you live.