Celebrate America 250 with the City of Hartford, CT Humanities & Center Church!

Hartford’s Long Weekend is a five-day citywide festival from July 1 through July 5, 2026, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary through film, music, culture and technology. The event is Hartford’s answer to America’s 250th offering something for everyone, from families looking to enjoy the long weekend to history buffs seeking to commemorate the milestone in meaningful and thought-provoking ways. The festival is expected to bring together artists, filmmakers, musicians, technologists, chefs and neighbors. For full festival information and schedule, visit longweekendhartford.com.

Center Church, an America 250 CT affiliate, has been celebrating America’s 250th all year long, and will continue to do so well into the next year. However, from July 1 through July 5 we will be merging our celebrations with the City-wide celebration offering many different opportunities for intersection and engagement. A full schedule of events hosted and co-sponsored by Center Church is available here, but some of the highlights include :

• Deaf History and Center Church, a lecture by historian and activist Kim Silva.
• America’s Potluck: A Free Community Meal, on July 5th from 12 PM to 4 PM, 675 Main Street.
• Open Tours of the Historic Meetinghouse at 675 Main Street, Downtown Hartford, July 1-5 from 11 AM to 1 PM.
• Sermons and Lectures for Collective Liberation, a series of presentations and readings at noon from July 1 through July 5; featuring works by Rev. Joel Hawes, Rev. James C. Pennington, Frederick Douglass and more.
• Curated Exhibits featuring the life and times of Rev. Joel Hawes, our ongoing preservation of our two historic properties and America’s foundational years and Center Church.