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Philadelphia’s 1876, 1926, and 1976 celebrations of the nation’s founding were largely planned top-down. They failed to grapple with America’s historic complexity and left mixed legacies. Can 2026 be different?
With other plans afoot for major spectacles, Philadelphia250 is planning an “of the people, for all people” celebration that charts a path for connection, participation, and change. The goal is to inspire Philadelphians and visitors to look beyond the usual subjects and find fresh relevance in how the Declaration of Independence has shaped their lives and the city’s.
Planning for Philadelphia250 is viewing today’s city through the lenses of shared prosperity, revolutionary actions, people’s histories, and pursuit of happiness. The focus is on neighborhood “hubs” where those themes can be experienced at first hand.
Visit the Germantown hub as a case study. Learn how Philadelphia250’s multi-year ramp-up is coordinating with other city capital, programming, and event planning, and how funders, organizations, and civic leaders are mobilizing. Germantown entrepreneurs and leaders in local arts, culture, and history discuss their roles in presenting the living city as the focus of this milestone celebration.
Presenters highlight some results of reframing the idea of a milestone celebration: collaborative strategizing; reprioritizing desired outcomes, recognizing and empowering voices new to civic event planning, identifying new priorities for resource distribution, and envisioning change.
Workshop attendees walk less than one mile.
Learning Objectives:
Identify, advocate for, and build coalitions for inclusive strategies for planning semi-quincentennial and other milestone celebrations and tourism strategies.
Develop a community- and values-based strategy for planning local historical celebrations.
Highlight and involve non-traditional assets and design strategies for securing and sharing resources equitably.
