This article is part of our America 250 coverage. See calendar recommendations for the Midwest, the Northeast, and the West, plus more stories on things to do and signature foods to eat in each of the 50 states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico).
July 4, 2026, marks 250 years since the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. Those two and a half centuries are a milestone known as the United States Semiquincentennial. Across the South, where 5 of the original 13 colonies were founded, states are hosting once-in-a-generation events, festivals, museum retrospectives, and community gatherings as part of the nation’s America 250 celebrations. The anniversary offers a chance to showcase the beauty and varied cultures of the South, as well as reckon with the region’s history and imagine how the country might continue building its “more perfect union.” Many programs are still in the planning stages, so travelers should confirm dates and details on official websites as the nation’s biggest birthday party draws near.
The Sarasota Orchestra will be playing an Americana program.
Photo by Daniel Perales (L); Courtesy of Sarasota Orchestra (R)
The Sound of Change in Sarasota, Florida
When to visit: Spring 2026; exact dates TBA
Under the direction of Grammy-winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, the Sarasota Orchestra in southern Florida debuts an American-themed program, The Sound of Change, honoring the nation’s 250th birthday. Individual events include When the Saints Go Marching In, a night of music from New Orleans and the Jazz Age.
America 250: Texas in the Nation’s Service at the Neill-Cochran House Museum in Austin
When to visit: Through April 26, 2026
This months-long lecture series explores the roles Texas and Texans have played in shaping the nation. Talks will cover everything from women’s suffrage and the legacy of Juneteenth to Houston’s space-age ambitions.
This Baltimore-style album quilt dates to the mid-19th century.
Courtesy of American Folk Art Museum, Gift of Altria Group, Inc.
America 250: Common Threads at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
When to visit: March 14–July 27, 2026
An expansive exhibit at the state’s iconic art museum features textiles (including live quilting), paintings, toys, and other works spanning 1776 to today, digging into themes of civic participation, national symbolism, and community belonging.
Sail250 Virginia
When to visit: June 12–14 and June 19–22, 2026
An international fleet of tall ships and military vessels will sail into Virginia in June 2026 for Sail250, anchoring in Norfolk as the host port, and with affiliate celebrations in Alexandria, Hampton, Isle of Wight/Smithfield, Onancock, Richmond, Yorktown, Cape Charles, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. Guests can tour ships up close and on deck, meet crew members, enjoy live music and reenactments, and take part in family-friendly maritime festivals across the state.
The Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation exhibition tells the story of the state’s connection to the United States.
Courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corporation
We the People at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond
When to visit: March 21–September 7, 2026 (We the People); June 25–28, 2026 (IllumiNATION)
The museum will host IllumiNATION, a large-scale projection that transforms the building’s facade with art inspired by freedom and civic identity, and the We the People exhibition, which highlights Virginia’s immigrant stories and diverse cultural roots.
Sparks on the River in Vicksburg, Mississippi
When to visit: July 4, 2026, 7–10 p.m.; fireworks at 9 p.m.
Celebrate Independence Day in this storied Mississippi River town, which has a layered relation to July 4. During the Civil War, the city was besieged by the Union Army for 47 days, a battle that ended in its surrender on July 4, 1863—and a day that marked a turning point for the Union’s later victory. Despite Vicksburg’s loss during the 19th century, the city embraces the Fourth of July, holding the longest fireworks show on the Mississippi, Civil War re-enactments at Vicksburg National Military Park, and free watermelon slices on the riverfront.
Join Mount Vernon for an evening of family-friendly fun and fireworks choreographed to holiday music.
Courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corporation
America 250 at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia
When to visit: December 2025 through 2026
Beginning in late 2025, George Washington’s riverside estate reopens a few newly restored mansion rooms—including the Washington bedchamber—alongside Patriots Path, a re-creation of an 18th-century Continental Army encampment. In spring 2026, visitors can tour George Washington: A Revolutionary Life, a new immersive exhibit that reexamines the first president’s legacy through interactive displays on leadership, enslavement, and nation-building.
SAR Education Center and Museum in Louisville, Kentucky
When to visit: Expected 2026
Currently under construction on Main Street, this immersive new museum from the Sons of the American Revolution Foundation is timed to open in line with the U.S.’s 250th anniversary. The museum will feature digital displays, large-scale multimedia productions, and archival highlights tracing the entire American Revolution.
