June 29, 2026
By Wendy Carlson
Illustrations by Shannon Blanton
Bring Your Quill Pen
Kent, July 3 and 4
Kent Town Hall
The town has a slew of celebratory events, among them bell-ringing and a parade. Visitors and residents are invited to take part in Kent’s history by signing their names on a giant reproduction of the Declaration of Independence that will serve as a town historical artifact commemorating the 250th.
The Redcoats are Coming
Litchfield, July 3 and 4
10 am to 4 pm
His Majesty’s 23rd Regiment of Foote and Royal Welsh Fusiliers will camp in front of the First Congregational Church and roam the green asking people about rumors of an independence movement. (Mum’s the word.)
Walk This Way
Litchfield, July 1 and 3 at noon
The Litchfield Historical Society’s “Heroes of the Revolution Walking Tour” strolls past historical sites, including the former home of Oliver Wolcott, Sr., where a statue of King George III was melted and turned into more than 42,000 musket balls.
Happy Hunting
Bantam, July 4
The Bantam Historical Society hosts a scavenger hunt with QR codes posted around town; scanning them reveals details about 11 historical artifacts and buildings to locate. Find all of them by July 4 to win Arethusa gift cards.
We Find These Truths
Cornwall, July 4
Cornwall Village Green
The town holds its first Fourth of July parade in the afternoon, followed by Cornwall resident and former CBS news anchor and correspondent Richard Schlesinger reading the Declaration of Independence.
Roger Sherman, Founding Father
Sherman, July 4 and 11
noon to 4 pm
Northrop House Museum
The Sherman Historical Society honors the town’s namesake with an 11-foot Roger Sherman timeline and more than 20 detailed posters that chronicle his life from shoemaker in New Milford to signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
Give Back
Litchfield, through July
Take part in a community effort launched by Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy and its partner organizations to complete 250 acts of thoughtful, responsible conservation in 2026. Submit your work at ripleyconservancy.org/litchfield-250
Gear Up
Cornwall, August 15, Cornwall Historical Society, 7 Pine St.
Resident and Revolutionary re-enactor Warren Stevens, outfitted in period-appropriate regalia as a Revolutionary War militiaman, explains how patriots fought.
Legends and Lore
Litchfield, July through November 29, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm
The Litchfield Historical Society’s two new exhibitions, Legends and Lore: Reconsidering Perspectives of the American Revolution and One People: Portraits of the Early Republic, provide a contemporary look at the region’s Revolutionary War history.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye
Falls Village, August 15
Falls Village Historical Festival
Experience re-enactors, cannon displays, demonstrations, tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, fiddlers, music, games, food, and plenty of patriotic revelry.
Who Made the Cannons?
Salisbury, July through September Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
Academy Building, 25 Main St.
A special exhibit from The Cannon Museum tells the story of the Salisbury Furnace, which by war’s end had turned out some 850 cannons—estimated to be three-fourths of all those made in the colonies.
For more on Litchfield 250th events go to: a250litchfield.org/home
