Edwardsville Plans Full Week of America 250 Events

Our Daily Show Interview! Spirit of 1776: How Edwardsville Is Celebrating America's 250th

EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville has a full calendar of events to mark America’s 250th anniversary.

Starting Sunday, June 28, 2026, and running through the Fourth of July, the City of Edwardsville has collaborated with several groups to host a variety of activities, performances and more for community members to enjoy. Two organizers — Cathy Hensley with the City of Edwardsville and Diana Sussman with the Edwardsville Public Library — noted that while the events will be a “celebration,” they hope people take away more about the country’s history and the community’s collaboration.

“You cannot take it for granted. You can’t take democracy for granted,” Sussman said. “That’s kind of the point. That’s the point, to look back at 250 years and go, okay, we made it. It’s something that is a consistent, collaborative effort.”

Titled “Celebrating the Spirit of 1776,” the fun kicks off Sunday, June 28, 2026, from 1–4 p.m. at City Park. Attendees can meet with Abigail Adams and Benjamin Franklin reenactors, enjoy a reading of the Declaration of Independence by the Alumni Players, and sign an eight-foot-long copy of the Declaration themselves.

You can also help decorate a community birthday cake and listen to music by the Great Rivers Choral Society and the Mound City Slickers. The Edwardsville Symphony will play at 7 p.m. later that night.

On Tuesday, June 30, there will be a 7 p.m. showing of “1776” at the Wildey Theatre for $3 a ticket. This will be followed by an Edwardsville Symphony performance on Wednesday, July 1, in the Edwardsville Public Library, where the symphony will play a range of selections by American composers.

The Edwardsville Municipal Band’s Ode to America takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, at City Park. These patriotic songs will engage the audience, who can also shop and eat at a variety of local businesses that have special Independence Day deals throughout the week.

The Edwardsville Public Library is also offering a collaging opportunity where adults can utilize the library’s art supplies to make collage art with the Declaration of Independence. Sussman noted that they have already received a few poetry pieces and other fascinating collages.

On Saturday, July 4, the fun begins at the Land of Goshen Community Market in City Park. The farmers’ market will run its usual 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday hours, but there will be a special parade at 10 a.m. where anyone with wagons, strollers, bikes or other wheeled carts are encouraged to decorate and parade around the park.

The week will conclude with the American Legion’s Fourth of July festival and fireworks. You can enjoy food trucks, live music, kids’ activities, and more from 4–10 p.m. at the American Legion, with fireworks shooting off at 9:15 p.m.

“This is a big deal, 250 years. I think we’ve come up with something for everyone,” Hensley said. “One of the things that really struck me about this is we wanted it to be a celebration, certainly, something that people could enjoy. We wanted it to be an exploration, something where people could learn about businesses. Go to the library. Maybe somebody didn’t realize that we have a historical society, and then they have a revelation. Something people could learn from.”

Hensley and Sussman praised the “collaborative” efforts between the City, the library, the Madison County Historical Society, Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, League of Women Voters, NAACP, Daughters of the American Revolution, Edwardsville Children’s Museum, Edwardsville Arts Center, Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, Glen Carbon Heritage Museum and more.

These organizations came together to make these events happen. Sussman, Hensley and the other organizers agree that it will be a fun week in Edwardsville while also encouraging reflection on what America’s anniversary truly means.

“I feel like it becomes more and more of a call for us to not just celebrate America and its 250th anniversary, but to take responsibility for where we’ve been and where we want to be,” Sussman added. “Are we living the values that are expressed in the Declaration of Independence? If we plan to become more and more perfect in our goal in creating liberty and justice for all and providing all people with the ability to live freely and seek happiness — what does that look like as it progresses over the next 250 years?”

For more information about Edwardsville’s America 250 Celebration, visit their official webpage.

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