Pennsylvania played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, so it should come as no surprise that the state is hosting a number of exciting events to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. From big city fireworks to historic reenactments, check out some of the best Fourth of July events happening across the commonwealth for a very special July 4 weekend, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence!
Wawa Welcome America – Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s annual Wawa Welcome America, more than a week dedicated to celebrating the Fourth of July, was recently named the third-best Independence Day celebration in the country by USA Today. The multi-week festivities represent one of the largest free Fourth of July celebrations in the United States, with a parade, block parties, free museums, free hoagies, and live music from big-name artists.
This year, the celebration for the country’s 250th birthday culminates in a free concert featuring Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, and The Roots. A dazzling fireworks display will serve as the grand finale.
A Gettysburg Fourth
The small town of Gettysburg played an outsized role in American history, as the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg was a pivotal Union victory that ultimately helped preserve the Union and decide the future of the country. Not long after the battle, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address in the city.
This July 4, Gettysburg is planning a large celebration in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with a focus on Gettysburg history and the Civil War. A Gettysburg Fourth is an all-day festival at Gettysburg Rec Park with live music, food and drink, and family-friendly activities. The evening features a performance by the U.S. Army Field Band followed by a fireworks display.
Outside of the festival, Gettysburg will host a number of living history reenactments, a Jennie Wade House Museum tour with the author of “Jennie Wade of Gettysburg,” and a reading of the Declaration of Independence at Dobbin House Tavern.
Pittsburgh Independence Day Celebration
In May, USA Today named Pittsburgh’s Independence Day Celebration as the best in the country, and the city is defending its title with a giant celebration to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. The event will take over downtown Pittsburgh on July 4, with a festival featuring family-friendly activities, a vendor market, local food sellers, stages with entertainment, a hot air balloon, and even a Ferris wheel on the city’s North Shore.
The city’s skyscrapers will be lit red, white, and blue in the evening, with a massive fireworks display to follow—the largest in decades. Plus, a drone performance will precede the fireworks.
Pittsburgh is also planning a new time capsule for future city residents to open a century from now. Relatedly, it’s hard at work searching for the lost time capsule that was buried within the City-County Building in 1916.
The U.S. Brig Niagara returns to Erie
On July 2, the tall ship U.S. Brig Niagara makes its return to Erie! The ship is a reconstruction of Oliver Hazard Perry’s relief flagship from the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. Not sure you recall the Battle of Lake Erie from history class? Perhaps you’re familiar with the famous flag reading “DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP”—which Perry raised above the Niagara during the battle.
The Niagara has been away from Erie for more than a year, but will be back to dock in Presque Isle Bay at the Erie Maritime Museum just in time for the Fourth of July.
The ship’s Parade of Sail will allow the public to welcome the Niagara back to Erie—the vessel will also be joined by as many as 40 other boats participating in the fanfare. The Niagara will then be open for guided deck tours all weekend.
On July 3, Erie will light up the sky with fireworks from Dobbins Landing as part of its Erie250: Light and Liberty on the Lake.
50/250 Celebration: Retreat to Valley Forge – King of Prussia
This July 4, Valley Forge National Historical Park will celebrate not only the 250th anniversary of the United States, but also the 50th anniversary of the national historical park. That’s right—the country and the park share a birthday.
50/250 Celebration: Retreat to Valley Forge will take place July 3-5, and the numerous events will be entirely free. You’ll discover Revolutionary War exhibits, kids’ activities, musket and artillery firing demonstrations, living history reenactors, historical lectures, live music, food, and more.
You can use a free shuttle to reach five locations within the park. The stop at the visitor center will host entry programming, including Revolutionary War living history storytellers, and the stop at Muhlenberg’s Brigade is near the log huts, storytelling firepit, and various living history demonstrations. The shuttle will also make stops at the National Memorial Arch, Washington’s Headquarters, and the Maurice Stephens House.
Celebration at Historic Rock Ford – Lancaster
From July 2-3, Lancaster’s Historic Rock Ford will host a Fourth of July celebration for America’s 250th that will make it feel like you’ve traveled back to the Revolutionary War era. Plus, admission to the historic estate is free!
The main feature of Historic Rock Ford is a Georgian-style mansion preserved to the 18th century, when it belonged to Edward Hand, adjutant general of the Continental Army under George Washington during the American Revolution. The house is almost entirely original to when the Hand family sold it in the early 1800s and is decorated as if it were 1794.
The historic estate’s Independence Day celebration will include self-guided tours of the Hand Mansion, living-history storytellers, open-hearth cooking demonstrations, kids’ games and activities, period dance demonstrations, and more.
America250 in Pennsylvania State Parks – Multiple locations
If your idea of a great Fourth of July is heading out into nature, several popular Pennsylvania State Parks throughout the commonwealth are hosting their own programs to celebrate the holiday and the country’s semiquincentennial. Here’s just a selection of park July 4 events, listed from west to east.
Maurice K. Goddard State Park – Sandy Lake (Mercer County)
Maurice K. Goddard State Park will host an educational program on bald eagles—the national bird of the United States—which includes a walk to the park’s eagle nest viewing platform.
Ohiopyle State Park – Ohiopyle (Fayette County)
Ohiopyle State Park will host a patriotic program featuring a noon bell-ringing to celebrate the holiday, with participants encouraged to bring additional bells. There will also be a reading of the Declaration of Independence, along with other Fourth of July activities, including a trivia competition.
Sizerville State Park – Emporium (Cameron County)
Sizerville State Park will host a “red, white, and blue” nature scavenger hunt.
Bald Eagle State Park – Howard (Centre County)
Bald Eagle State Park planted a colonial garden in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday and will host a July 4 program with the park naturalist about the gardens and the plants that would have been grown and used during the colonial era.
Trough Creek State Park – James Creek (Huntingdon County)
Trough Creek State Park will host programs about the historical art of molding and sand casting. Participants will learn how furnaces were used to make goods out of molten iron, and then make their own items with plaster.
Gifford Pinchot State Park – Lewisberry (York County)
Gifford Pinchot State Park will host a “red, white, and blue” nature scavenger hunt (with prizes!).
Codorus State Park – Hanover (York County)
Codorus State Park will host a guided walk discussing how trees were used in the Revolutionary War effort. The park will also host an opportunity to play colonial-era games that children enjoyed hundreds of years ago.
Ricketts Glen State Park – Benton (Luzerne, Columbia, and Sullivan Counties)
Ricketts Glen State Park will host a program led by a park naturalist on what Pennsylvania was like during the 18th century.
Nescopeck State Park – Drums (Luzerne County)
Nescopeck State Park will host a special tour of the park’s butterfly garden, with a focus on Pennsylvania native plants and how they were used by indigenous peoples and early Americans during the Revolutionary War era.
Nockamixon State Park – Quakertown (Bucks County)
Nockamixon State Park will host a 2.5-mile hike, with stops along the route to identify trees that were significant to the Revolutionary War in Bucks County.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Related: 20 places to catch free concerts this summer in Pennsylvania
