Between this week’s Fourth of July holiday and the America 250 activities taking place throughout the year, there are many ways to celebrate. This special issue looks back at historical observances of the Fourth of July and highlights ways to spend your upcoming holiday weekend.
America at 250
When I was in high school, I would regularly hitchhike home along a seven-mile trek through Florissant, Ferguson and Jennings in north St. Louis County. On any street, I would walk to the curb, mindlessly extend my right arm straight out and point my thumb up, watching every car go by. It never took long…
Marbold marks 175 years
The Marbold Farmstead Association hosts a yearly fall event and other activities throughout the year at the Marbold Home near Greenview. From 1-4 p.m. on July 12, a special celebration will take place with music, house tours, children’s activities and storytelling. A program, “175 Year Journey: Our Story” will begin at 2 p.m. and include…
Fourth of July celebrations in the 1800s
Today in Illinois and elsewhere, the Fourth of July is a holiday for boating, barbecues and fireworks. More than 180 years ago, the celebrations were more scripted and formal, though fireworks were always a constant. Back then, revelry on July 4 was an all-day affair, complete with processions, bands and a multitude of speakers. The…
Drive-in movie theaters
On a warm summer night in the 1960s, long before Netflix and HBO, I would hop in a car with family or friends and head to the Harvest Moon drive-in theater. Once there, we would crank down the driver’s window, hook a speaker over the glass, grab some snacks and settle in for movie night…
1776: More than a musical history lesson
They say history often repeats itself. For director Gus Gordon, who has performed in or directed 1776 a half-dozen times, in this case, it’s about bringing back the perfect show to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing. “I’m old enough to remember our nation’s bicentennial and how emotional and exciting that…
More than a book about a baseball game
The First All-Star Game: Babe Ruth, FDR and America at the Crossroadsby Randall Sullivan (Grove Atlantic Books, 2026). Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game will be held July 14at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as part of a nearly weeklong schedule of baseball-related events. The game coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Major League Baseball has jumped aboard the celebration with full gusto. In…
This article appears in July 2, 2026.
