The Great Anniversary Festival: A July 2nd Independence Celebration

Seminary Ridge Museum presents The Great Anniversary Festival: A July 2nd Independence Celebration on Thursday, July 2, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Gettysburg’s historic Lutheran Seminary campus. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, this special evening honors the moment the Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776—a date John Adams famously predicted would become America’s “great anniversary festival.”

Presented in partnership with Gettysburg Foundation, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg Film Commission, and other community organizations, the program explores the history and enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence through a series of engaging events. Opening remarks and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a panel discussion on the historical legacy of the nation’s founding at 7:30 p.m. The evening concludes with a 9 p.m. outdoor screening of “Independence,” the acclaimed episode from the HBO miniseries John Adams, shown near the Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion in Schmucker Grove.

CJ’s Food Truck serves guests throughout the evening, and attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket for the film presentation. Admission is free.

Learn more at www.seminaryridgemuseum.org.