KENT—The town’s America 250 Subcommittee is working to make 2026 a year to remember when the town pauses to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
The subcommittee met Wednesday, Dec. 4, to discuss activities already planned and how to fund them. The focus of the celebration will be a three-day package of events in the week leading up to July 4, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776.
On Saturday, July 5, 2026, there will be a morning parade, float contest and coordinated bell ringing. Subcommittee member Sarah Chase stressed that the current planning document is “fluid” and can change as plans become more concrete.
Among the items discussed for that week are an encampment of Revolutionary War re-enactors, a screening of the movie “1776,” an all-town signing of a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a birthday cake and barbeque and a light show—either fireworks or some kind of electronics display. An 18th-century costumed ball is also on the drawing board.
The committee discussed having tickets for a package admission to events and what events might be included in that package. “If we were to have a package price for things happening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, what items jump out at you?” asked Subcommittee Chairman Matt Busse.
Members said that the costume ball should probably require a separate ticket, but that events such as the Revolutionary War re-enactors and the screening of “1776” could be included in the package.
“I think the parade, the barbeque, the birthday cake, the Declaration signing and the bell ringing should all be free,” said committee member Sarah Marshall. “We can always take donations. I wouldn’t charge for those things.”
The Kent Memorial Library will sponsor the screening of “1776,” and Marshall, the library’s director, said she expects it to be a low-key affair with repeated screenings over the entire weekend in a larger venue such as the community house.
The committee is seeking prices for the purchase of commemorative hand bells that attendees can buy to ring during the celebratory bell ringing. There is documentary evidence that bells rang out in Philadelphia when the Declaration was announced in Philadelphia in 1776, and it has been a tradition for decades at the Eric Sloane Museum in Kent.
There was some discussion whether a bell would be included in the package price. Town Clerk Darlene Brady suggested that a “family package” might be priced to include one bell.
Beyond the core events, a plethora of ideas were floated for other times, including tours of Patriots graves in local cemeteries, patriotic storytelling, a historical hike, ghostly tales of Kent by costumed actors, a presentation on historic trades at the Sloane Museum, educational lectures and programs, and a cake contest with “George Washington” as the judge.
Fireworks are a traditional part of July 4 celebrations, but at $1,000 per minute, the subcommittee was wary. Members referred to the erratic pattern of storms nowadays and this fall’s drought and balanced the idea with thoughts of laser or drone shows.
One thing everyone agreed on was that, with only 18 months left to pull it all together, action is needed quickly. Every community will be celebrating the 250th anniversary at the same time frame and resources and grants will quickly be gobbled up. The committee will start looking for sponsors to help pay for some of the bigger-ticket items and grants will be sought.
At the same time, the search will begin for a re-enactment group that hasn’t already been booked.
The subcommittee will next meet on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m.
