By: Ann Marie Megoulas, Information Services Supervisor
This July 4th, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Communities across the country will celebrate this historic milestone with a wide range of events, including parades, exhibits, concerts, block parties, and more.
You can learn about celebrations like these by visiting websites like https://america250.org/ and https://america250pa.org/. America250.org highlights many of the major events taking place in cities like Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. It also makes it easy to find events closer to home. Just select “Calendar” and search for your location. https://america250pa.org/ focuses specifically on events happening in Pennsylvania and includes concerts, lectures, and other special events created to celebrate Pennsylvania ‘s contributions to this nation throughout the past 250 years.
To find commemorative events and celebrations taking place in and around Dauphin County, explore sites like https://www.visithersheyharrisburg.org/ (Hint: Select “America250 PA Dauphin County” under “Events.”) Below is a list of a few local events taking place this year:
- Independence Weekend Family Celebration – Dauphin County Heroes Grove, 7/4/2026, 10 am -1pm
- 250PA Star Spangled Spectacular – Dauphin County Heroes Grove, 7/5//2026, 4-8 PM.
- 2026 Free Summer Concert Series at Reservoir Park, 7/4/2026, 7:30-9:00 PM
- Revolutionary Things exhibit at The State Museum of Pennsylvania (June13, 2026- August 1, 2026)
Also, as part of your celebrations, be sure to explore all the wonderful resources that your local library offers for celebrating the semiquincentennial. This summer at the Dauphin County Library System, you can:
- Attend programs like Planting the Seeds of Revolution (July 3rd at 3:00 PM at the William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library) and Lively Minds: Meet Rosie the Riveter (July 18th at 12:00 PM at the Elizabethville Area Library). For more information about these and our other fun, educational events, view their descriptions in our program guide, Compass, or online on our Events & Program page.
- Plan a visit to one of our library branches, or to The Library’s website, to explore the many American History-themed books, e-books, audiobooks, databases, pamphlets, and more that we offer. Copies of historical documents like the Declaration of Independence, letters, and newspaper articles from the Revolutionary era, photographs, biographies, and more can be found here.
- View relevant content right from the comfort of your own home by visiting https://www.dcls.org/research/ to investigate the history-themed reference e-books available in the Gale eBooks and Salem Online databases. Each contains reference books that provide concise entries perfect for looking up facts and for creating fun America 250th anniversary trivia games. In Gale eBooks, look for books like Colonial America: Reference Library, The Statue of Liberty, and The US Flag. In Salem Online, the Great Events from History series and the Defining Documents series offer hundreds of essays on the people, events, and issues that shaped the United States.
- Review newspaper articles on this topic. This year, I deepened my own understanding of American history by using The Library’s resources to read newspaper articles written at the time such milestones as the signing of the Declaration of Independence were taking place. Exploring those first-hand accounts made those moments feel vivid and immediate to me, bringing history to life in a way that felt far more meaningful and real. If you are interested in doing the same, open the Newspapers.com database and search for “Declaration of Independence,” “American Revolution,” or “U.S. Constitution” and select appropriate dates. Since Newspapers.com’s articles go back to 1690, you can find plenty of articles from Pennsylvania’s newspapers covering America’s founding. To find Newspapers.com, visit https://www.dcls.org/research/ and select it. For access outside of The Library, enter your library card number and PIN as well.
- Lastly, to find digital resources suitable for sharing America’s history with young children, be sure to explore the POWER Library resources designed just for kids. Databases like Bookflix and Britannica School make learning about topics like the American Flag or the American Revolution interesting and fun. Your Dauphin County Library System library card will give you access to all of POWER Library’s resources.
When it comes to celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary, you can trust The Library to provide you with reliable, accessible information.