The nation’s 250th birthday – the semiquincentennial for those curious – will come on July 4, 2026.
That may be 21 months away, but big celebrations are already being planned and scheduled to celebrate the occasion. And no place is better poised to push the party button than Philadlephia: The city where 13 independent colonies became one United States.
Philadelphia is putting together a top lineup of major sporting events (there will be a FIFA World Cup game that day), historical reenactments, educational offerings and civic celebrations that will draw hundreds of thousands to the Philadelphia area.
The events, which will begin in 2025 – will provide New Jersey businesses unique sponsorship and branding opportunities.
The first of these opportunities will be in the fall of 2025 when Homecoming 250, a non-profit organization, will host a pair of 250th birthday parties – one for the U.S. Navy (Oct. 13) and one for the U.S. Marine Corps (Nov. 10).
The naval celebration on Oct. 13 will include a display of replica and active-duty ships representing every war in which the U.S. Navy has fought. Naval air power also will be represented by displays and demonstrations. Expect parades, flyovers and exhibits on both sides of the Delaware River and at other historic sites in Philly.
The Marines birthday bash on Nov. 10 also will display ships tied to the Marine Corp’s history. Homecoming 250 also will host a 100th anniversary Marine Ball in the same places where the first one was held in 1925 – the banquet at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel and the ball at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel.
The non-profit also hopes to rebuild the original Tun Tavern, a popular tavern of the revolutionary era frequented by founding fathers such as Washington, Adams and Franklin – and, according to popular lore, the place where the Marine Corps was born.
These are some of the major events tied to the nation’s semiquincentennial that will take place in the Philadelphia-South Jersey area:
- Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game (and week-long festivities) will take place at Citizens Bank Park in July, 2026.
- Six FIFA World Cup matches are scheduled for Lincoln Financial Field between June 14-July 4, 2026.
- Early rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s College Basketball Tournament (aka March Madness) will be held at Wells Fargo Center between March 20-22, 2026.
- The PGA Championship will be played May 21-24, 2026 at the Aronimink Golf Club in the Philly suburb of Newtown Square.
- “The Declaration’s Journey” a new program about the Declaration of Independence – the inspiration for more than 200 independence movements around the world – will be offered at the Museum of the American Revolution from Oct. 18, 2025 through all of 2026.
- “Red, White & Blue to Do” a festival of parades, freedom celebrations, concerts, and games will be held in the city’s historic district on July 2, 2026.
- A city-wide street art festival focusing on Philly’s history, neighborhoods and artistic legacy is slated for May, 2026.
- Philadelphia (“The Mural Capital of the World”) will unveil prints and posters all around town examining what it means to be an American today. This will run from the fall of 2024 through 2026.
- A series of “TED Democracy” talks during 2025 and 2026 will culminate with a flagship event in February of 2026, featuring a full day of programs celebrating democracy and showcasing innovative and inspiring ideas.
- A “Young People’s” Continental Congress at Carpenter’s Hall will be held July 13-19, 2025. It will welcome students and teachers from across the nation for a week-long look at, and discussion of, historical and civic issues.
