Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted a series of events scheduled across New York State to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, encouraging residents and visitors to explore the state’s diverse attractions and regions. More than 200 immersive activities and exhibitions are planned across the state, ranging from tall ships converging on New York Harbor and authentic Revolutionary War reenactments to exhibits presenting the Black and Indigenous perspective on the Revolution and continued efforts for equal rights.
Governor Hochul noted that the 250th birthday of the country has provided an opportunity to unite with neighbors and communities to celebrate. The administration is bringing attractions and activities to every region to highlight the profound impact that New York State has had on the nation’s history and culture. From scenic state parks to Revolutionary War sites, there is something for every resident and visitor to enjoy.
Among the planned events, Sail4th 250 will take place in New York City from July 3-9, featuring the largest international flotilla of tall ships ever assembled in New York Harbor. The celebration will include fireworks, Fleet Week programming, culinary festivals, and an International Aerial Review. On Long Island, the FourLeaf Air Show scheduled for July 5-6 at Jones Beach State Park will feature military and civilian aerobatic performers, headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
In Western New York, Old Fort Niagara will mark the 300th anniversary of its iconic French Castle on June 6 with immersive living history programs, hands-on demonstrations of traditional trades, and ceremonial musket and artillery salutes. The Fort will also host Niagara County’s official America 250 celebration on August 1 and 2, featuring a Revolutionary War encampment, living history programs, and music.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Presents America250 in Southern Tier will feature a free Fourth of July concert beginning at 4 p.m. in Downtown Binghamton with the Grenadiers Alumni Drum Line. The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will perform American classics, including music by Aaron Copland, John Philip Sousa, and Irving Berlin, culminating with the 1812 Overture and Stars and Stripes Forever.
America250 Celebration at Fort Ontario in Central New York will allow visitors to explore the unique star-shaped Fort Ontario State Historic Site on the shores of Lake Ontario, which dates to the early 1840s. The fourth and current Fort Ontario was built on the ruins of three previous forts, which saw battle during the French and Indian War and the War of 1812. In the mid-1940s, it served as a refugee camp, mostly for Jewish Holocaust victims, by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and opened as a state historic site in 1949.
Independence Day the 18th Century Way at Fort Stanwix National Monument in the Mohawk Valley will commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday on July 4 with the annual ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldiers. The day’s events will continue with cannon and musket salutes and Declaration of Independence readings. Visitors can sign their own Declaration of Independence or British loyalty oaths, make tricorn hats, and dress in a soldier’s uniform.
Empire State Plaza in the Capital Region will host a fireworks show on July 4, featuring a revolutionary afternoon of live music, delicious eats, and fun for all ages. Kids can dive into interactive activities and games throughout the Plaza while the whole family soaks in the festive atmosphere. Sing and dance along to favorite throwback songs and cap off the night with the most brilliant fireworks display in the area.
Fort Ticonderoga Real Time Revolution Event Series in the North Country will feature living-history programming reenacting key Revolutionary War moments on the original grounds, including the signature Return of an Army event during Independence Day weekend. The Turning Point Festival in the Capital Region will commemorate the American victory Battle of Saratoga, seen as the turning point of the Revolutionary War. The festival on August 8 will feature music, food and fireworks, with the annual Turning Point Parade stepping off on August 2 in Schuylerville with more than 100 different units walking the route where British General John Burgoyne surrendered in 1777.
Rev Fest 250 Remembers the Battle of White Plains in the Mid-Hudson will take place on October 24-25 at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, which spans more than 4,000 acres. The venue will be transformed for a reenactment of the battle between General George Washington’s Continental Army and British and Hessian troops.
Hope Knight, president, CEO and commissioner of Empire State Development, said America250 and the commemorations being held throughout New York State provide a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to explore historic sites and diverse communities throughout the state. The year offers a perfect chance to visit the places key to New York State and American history and hear stories from the many voices that have helped to shape the state and nation.
Kathy Moser, New York State Parks commissioner, noted that the state park system is home to dozens of historic sites and parks, along with thousands of artifacts and collections connected to the American Revolution. Together, they tell the story of what happened before, during, and after the fight for independence while preserving that history for future generations. As communities across New York commemorate the Revolution’s 250th anniversary, parks and historic sites statewide are hosting events, exhibits, and programs that highlight the people, places, and stories that shaped the nation.
Betty A. Rosa, New York State Education commissioner and co-chair of New York’s 250th Commemoration Commission, stated that the 250th serves as both a compass and a mirror. The compass helps guide the future and the mirror invites examination of progress toward the ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy that shaped the nation. Through the New York State Museum’s upcoming Revolutionary New York exhibit, visitors will explore not only the Revolutionary War but also the generations of New Yorkers who continued the work of expanding freedom and opportunity, from Seneca Falls and the birth of the women’s suffrage movement to emancipation and the Underground Railroad and the Stonewall Uprising.
The landmark exhibition Revolutionary New York will open at the New York State Museum in Albany on July 1. Spanning about 7,000 square feet and featuring more than 200 artifacts, the exhibit uses themes developed by the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission to draw connections between the ideals of the Revolutionary War and more modern fights for equality, including the birth of the women’s suffrage movement in Seneca Falls, the Stonewall Uprising, emancipation and the Underground Railroad, and climate justice. The exhibit will remain open for several years.
Ross D. Levi, vice president and executive director of tourism at Empire State Development, noted that there would be no America without New York State’s role in its founding and growth. America 250 provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore that history. I LOVE NY’s Path Through History provides an easy way to see the sites and experience the events that tell the story from its many perspectives and all year round. There is everything even a casual heritage traveler could love in New York State.
New York’s unparalleled network of cultural institutions, historic sites and attractions are highlighted through I LOVE NY’s Path Through History, which showcases the state’s rich heritage across 13 unique themes. Path Through History Weekends are held twice annually and feature special events and activations. The next Path Through History Weekend is scheduled for June 20 and 21.
Several destinations across the state are offering a variety of self-guided experiences, from historic trails and digital passport programs to heritage road trips that invite visitors to explore New York’s diverse history through immersive adventures. Visitors can track their travels to battle sites and historic homes through the Suffolk 250 digital Passport Book or along the Lake Champlain Revolutionary Quest.
Additional opportunities to commemorate New York’s role in America’s 250th anniversary include a traveling exhibition. The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s touring Revisit the Revolution Traveling Exhibition has gathered historically significant artifacts from across the state historic site system to tell the story of New York’s influential role in the Revolutionary War. The exhibition is available for loan to historic sites, parks, libraries and more across New York State.
New York manages 45 state historic sites and parks connected to the American Revolution, including Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, the nation’s first state historic site. These sites are hosting special exhibitions, offering dynamic programs, showcasing preservation projects, sharing digital resources and more. Interactive video displays highlighting New York’s rich history in the American Revolution are available at 18 historic sites and state parks. Visitors can explore 28 different themes involving high-profile players like George Washington and French allies while also examining the perspectives of women, Indigenous communities, enslaved and free Black people, and Loyalists.
The State Park at the Great New York State Fair will provide visitors with the chance to interact with interpreters and artifacts from across the historic site system to encourage visitors to experience this history first-hand at historic sites throughout the state. Access to online collections allows visitors to discover historic objects from New York state historic sites and state parks, with more being added every day. Collections include numerous materials connected to the Revolution in New York State.
