Shout Out
250!
Photos courtesy of the Bennington 250 Anniversary Committee
250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence will be commemorated on July 4, 2026 of this year with celebrations across the country, the state, and right here in The Shires. Historians, educators, business leaders, and others comprise the local Bennington 250 Anniversary Committee, a volunteer group dedicated to highlighting the transformational historical happenings in the crucial years of 1775-1777. To keep up to date with all the celebratory events happening through 2027, visit: bennington250. org
VERMONT AND THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON
PAWLET, VT JULY 5, 1PM
Enjoy a free presentation by Howard Coffin on“ The Great Bennington Battle and Vermont” at Pawlet Town Hall— plus an old-fashioned ice cream sundae social to follow.
FLAG DAY CELEBRATION BENNINGTON, VT JUNE 14, 10AM
Phyllis Chapman will discuss the history of flags and the history of flag protocol at the Bennington Battle Monument State Historic site. There will be activities for children, such as making their own flag and flags to color.
FATHERS, FARMERS & GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS
MANCHESTER, VT
JULY 1, 5:30PM
Join Manchester Historical Society( MHS) curator Shawn Harrington at Southern Vermont Arts Center( SVAC) as he looks at the early families who settled in Manchester. In the early to mid-1770s, these settlers were often less concerned with the Sons of Liberty in Boston than with converting a wilderness into cultivated farms and protecting their grants from New York claimants. For families like the Roberts, Marshes, Frenches, and Ormsbys, the Revolution was not a radical choice but a necessary defense of the homes they had worked so hard to establish. This talk explores their struggles, participation in battles that turned the tide, and traces Manchester’ s journey from a frontier outpost to a premier tourist destination over the following century. Presented by the Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning, MHS, and SVAC. Learn more at greenmtnacademy. org.
250TH HOMETOWN 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
BENNINGTON, VT JULY 4, 11:30AM
From 11:30am to 1pm: Seating, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the Bennington Rotary Bell Ringing Ceremony( 13 times, plus one) at the Bennington Battle Monument. At 2:30pm: Signing tableau reenactment at the Bennington Battlefield in Hoosick, NY. 5pm:“ America’ s Birthday Party” at Willow Park begins with food trucks, vendors, and kids’ activities. 9:30pm: Fireworks display at Willow Park.
MANCHESTER 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
JULY 4, 9:30PM
Celebrate Independence Day with a classic smalltown gathering at Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park, featuring a free fireworks display at dusk, along with local events and festivities throughout the day.
SHARING THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA
WINDSOR, VT JULY 8, 6PM
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation will host a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Old Constitution House. This event is part of a nationwide“ Sharing the Spirit of America” initiative, where communities across all 50 states will read the document simultaneously, mimicking the first public reading in 1776.
BATTLE OF BENNINGTON TOUR HOOSICK FALLS, NY SEPTEMBER 13, 1PM
This is an exclusive, guided tour of a rarely accessible section of the battlefield, known as“ The Rocky Ridge,” which played a key role in the second and decisive phase of the Battle of Bennington.
8 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine. com