I’m thrilled to be joining a panel of historians for an evening commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence at the Seminary Ridge Museum in Gettysburg, PA on July 2nd!

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‘The Great Anniversary Festival’: A July 2nd Independence Celebration

July 2, 2026 | 6:30-11PM

Seminary Ridge Museum | 111 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, PA, 17325

FREE Event | Bring your own chair

John Adams predicted, “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.” Of course, Adams was off by two days regarding the date Americans associate with independence. But for the semiquincentennial of the United States, you are invited to honor the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth on July 2nd, when a vote on the Declaration of Independence officially passed the Continental Congress. 

Join Seminary Ridge Museum, Gettysburg Foundation, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg Film Commission, and more community partners for a memorable evening on Gettysburg’s historic Lutheran Seminary campus.

6:30pm-7:00pm – Opening Remarks (by Judy Morley, Ph.D., SRMEC Executive Director) and Reading of the Declaration of Independence (by Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation). FREE. Meet in front lawn of Seminary Ridge Museum.

7:30pm-8:30pm – Panel on Historical Legacy (Featuring Tom McMillan, Jake Wynn, Erin Pearce and Christopher Gwinn; Moderated by Judy Morley, Ph.D., SRMEC Executive Director). FREE. Meet in front lawn of Seminary Ridge Museum.

9:00pm-10:30pm – Outdoor screening of “Independence” from the award-winning HBO miniseries John Adams. FREE. Meet near Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion in Schmucker Grove (near intersection of Seminary Ridge and Springs Avenue). Chair or blanket recommended.

CJ’s Food Truck will be on site all evening!

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Find all upcoming programs and events here

About Jake Wynn – Public Historian

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