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Pennsylvania will ring in the nation’s 250th anniversary next year with giant bells in every county — part of a national effort to celebrate the country’s founding in blowout style.
Counties will partner with local artists to paint the 3-foot-tall fiberglass bells.
“This is a historic moment in time, this is a historic anniversary, we don’t get a do-over, we can’t miss the mark,” said Cassandra Coleman, America250PA executive director.
The bell program is one of several by America250PA, an organization started in 2018 by the Legislature and then-Gov. Tom Wolf. Planning is ramping up at every level of government as the anniversary approaches.
Congress in the past directed funding to America250, a nationwide effort created in 2016 to commemorate the nation’s birthday. The effort spawned state partners like America250PA.
America250PA has a budget of $6 million this fiscal year, part state money and part private money. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s latest budget proposes $2.5 million be given to America250PA to support its work.
And despite DOGE-driven cuts that have touched virtually every part of the federal government and cut thousands of jobs, celebrating the semiquincentennial has the support of President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order his second week in office ordering the creation of a White House task force dedicated to celebrating the anniversary.
Local celebrations will be bolstered in part by larger efforts from America250: oral history projects capturing the stories of Americans, students sharing what America means to them, and more, according to a March 27 Congressional report.
In the commonwealth, America250PA’s Bells Across PA project will be placing around 100 bells by December, Coleman said. Elk County is halfway through sending its bell out to local schools and libraries where kids are splashing paint onto it for an abstract design, said bell designer and artist John Schlimm.
The supersized bells may be one of the most visible of America250PA’s projects, but it’s far from the only one. It’s not even the only project placing bells across Pennsylvania.
Bronze bells will be placed at sites of historical significance, such as the over 200-year-old Dennis Farm established by African Americans in Susquehanna County.
Other America250PA initiatives include planting a Liberty Tree seedling in every county, classroom education, and an annual volunteer effort on July 20, known as Pennsylvania Day.
The organization will soon turn its sights to the big events of 2026, including a traveling concert that will take the stage at Point State Park on June 27. The free concert is in partnership with the governor’s office and Welcome America, which puts on an annual Independence Day concert in Philadelphia.
A mobile unit will launch this year in western Pennsylvania on July 4, traveling to the biggest festivals, fairs, and parades, finishing its tour next year in Philadelphia.
The mobile experience will feature a sound booth where attendees can tell stories about the bicentennial anniversary and their hopes for 2026, an America250PA game show, selfie stations, and a prize wheel.
While America250PA’s initiatives are starting to take root across the state, counties are still plotting their own, unique plans to commemorate the anniversary.
Allegheny County has partnered with America250PA since its creation, and the county is partnering with the City of Pittsburgh for a special Fourth of July celebration in 2026.
The city has already received a $20,000 grant from America250PA for this year’s Independence Day celebration. It’s one of 33 awarded this year with another round of grants coming in June.
Beaver County is beefing up its large-scale events for the anniversary: Beaver County Boom, a Fourth of July parade, and its annual maple syrup festival, said Tony Caltury, director of Beaver County Recreation and Tourism.
“It’s important to celebrate Beaver County’s place in America,” Caltury said.
He added that Beaver County has a rich history of steel mills that helped in the World Wars and plans to do interactive tours highlighting the county’s role in the Underground Railroad.
Beaver will also be partnering with nearby counties, including Lawrence, Butler, and Washington, to run regional initiatives.
America250PA doesn’t directly fund any county initiatives, so Beaver will look for sponsors and try to limit its use of tax dollars for celebrations, although some tourism funding may be used.
Some counties are working with local historical societies and organizations to commemorate their counties’ roles in American history and the founding of the nation.
Indiana County partnered with its chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to dedicate a plaque to honor at least 140 “Revolutionary patriots” buried in cemeteries in the county. The plaque also commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Education and historical commemoration have been a focus of celebration efforts, both at the state and county level.
“This is the responsibility of every Pennsylvanian, of every American, to pause and say, ‘Let’s learn from our history and how far we’ve come,’” Coleman said.
Indiana is planning for a swath of programming: a parade, a fireworks celebration, educational programming from a local forester, and an America250PA essay contest for elementary students, said Laura Herrington, executive director of the Indiana County Tourist Bureau.
Herrington remembers seeing the festivities for the 1976 bicentennial as a kid and wants to recreate the experience for the next generation.
“It just helped to revive your patriotism, and I'm hopeful that this will bring about the same feelings for the generation who now will be experiencing the 250th as kids,” she said. "I hope that they get excited and kind of have a renewed interest in exploring history and helping to preserve the history for those who come after us.”
Header: Students at South St. Marys Street Elementary School help create a bell as an art piece ahead of local celebrations for America’s anniversary. Photo courtesy of John Schlimm.
Catch Abigail Hakas on Journalists Roundtable with journalists from Spotlight PA and WESA. The show is produced by the PCN, a nonprofit cable news network.
