The United States Semiquincentennial was the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Festivities marked various events leading up to the 250th Independence Day, July 4, 2026.
Official festivities include commemorative coinage, UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Sail250, a Times Square Ball drop event, the Patriot Games, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, and the world's largest-ever fireworks display (also held on the National Mall). Part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held across the United States, with matches in Philadelphia and Houston on the date of the semiquincentennial.
Official planning for the celebrations began in 2016 with the congressional, non-partisan United States Semiquincentennial Commission (America250). In 2025, federal resources were diverted to the president Donald Trump–aligned White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday (Freedom 250) to promote and plan new events. Celebrations began with the United States Army 250th Anniversary Parade on June 14, 2025, with "America250" events formally starting on July 3, 2025. Several official events were criticized for being politicized and lacking financial transparency. Many celebrations were low-attendance, with some being disrupted by a record-breaking heat wave.
Background The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, voted for the independence of the United Colonies by passing the Lee Resolution on July2, 1776. The Declaration of Independence, mainly written by Committee of Five member Thomas Jefferson, was proclaimed on July4, the date on which the anniversary of independence is observed.
There were no major government-sponsored 50thanniversary observances on July4, 1826, a day on which John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two pivotal Founding Fathers, both died. In 1876, the United States organized nationwide centennial observances centered on the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, in 1926, a Sesquicentennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia, and in 1976, United States Bicentennial observances were held throughout the country.
Organization
The United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 directed the United States government to issue commemorative coins and postage stamps, and commission appropriately named naval vessels, in advance of the semiquincentennial. In addition, specific activities—both officially organized and independently created—were planned. The legislation specifically directed the organization of events "in locations of historical significance to the United States" going on to list Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina, as "leading cities".
The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 allowed the United States Mint to redesign any coins in 2026. It called for a series of five designs for the quarter, including one depicting women's contributions to independence. 2025 changes by the second Trump administration ignored recommendations by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and removed coins celebrating abolition, women's suffrage and the civil rights movement as part of a campaign against "wokeness".
America's Potluck was a nationwide communal meal event on July 5, 2026, the day after the semiquincentennial. Organized by the America250 Utah Commission and adopted across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the initiative invited neighbors, families and community groups to host or attend potluck meals to celebrate the anniversary.
Plans for the casting of a new public bell are being coordinated by the National Bell Festival. The bell will honor 250 years of women's contributions to U.S. history, and will lead nationwide ringing tributes during the celebrations.
Celebrations were organized by two main organizations at the federal level: the non-partisan congressional America250 Commission created in 2016 and backed by a nonprofit; and the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday, chaired by Donald Trump and established via an executive order in 2025.
The America 250 Civics Education Coalition developed civics education programming to celebrate the semiquincentennial. The nonprofit America First Policy Institute led the coalition of more than 40 conservative organizations, including Turning Point USA, the Heritage Foundation, and Hillsdale College, with oversight from the Department of Education.
Planning America250
In 2011, the non-profit organization USA250 was established in Philadelphia to lobby for federal government support of the United States semiquincentennial and establish Philadelphia as the host city for events surrounding the semiquincentennial observances. In 2014, the Philadelphia City Council ordered a public hearing of the Committee on Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs to investigate "the impact and feasibility of Philadelphia" hosting the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026, among other events. The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was subsequently established in July 2016, ("United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016") and signed by president of the United States, Barack Obama. The act was amended in December 2020, to allow the commission to accept congressional funding, to add a justice of the Supreme Court to the commission, and to make additional technical changes.
On November 15, 2017, the United States Department of the Interior issued a request for proposals seeking a non-profit corporation to act as secretariat to the commission and lead a nationwide organization of observances. The American Battlefield Trust was named the commission's non-profit partner to serve as Administrative Secretariat, tasked with preparing reports for Congress and helping raise funds for the anniversary observances. The trust "has distinguished itself in fundraising and managing high-profile commemorative events, and that expertise will be invaluable to the U.S.A. 250th Commemoration planning efforts," said then-secretary of the interior Ryan Zinke.
Daniel DiLella, CEO and President of Equus, a leading private equity real estate fund, was appointed Chairperson of the Semiquincentennial Commission in April 2018, leading a 32-member body composed of members of Congress, private citizens, and federal officials. The commission was tasked with developing a report containing recommendations for the president and Congress within the first two years of its formation. The commission will observe and commemorate not only the Revolution, but also the full history of the U.S. leading up to the 250th Anniversary.
On November 16, 2018, the 33 members of the United States Semiquincentennial were sworn in at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and convened their first organizing meeting to begin eight years of planning and organizing for the 250th national birthday celebration. Dilella estimated that the group would meet three or four times a year. The new commission consisted of 16 private citizens, including chairman DiLella; eight members of Congress and nine federal officials. The day before the meeting, the Daughters of the American Revolution, in partnership with the commission, held a tree-planting ceremony to introduce its Pathway of the Patriots along the Schuylkill River Trail. Project organizers expect to plant 250 new trees along the trail from the city to Valley Forge. After being named the non-profit partner in October 2018, the American Battlefield Trust provided financial and staff support to get the commission operational as well as initial legal support.America 250 Progress Report to the National Park Service, June 2020. (A250_ABT_DOI_ProgressReport 6 March 2020 6.1FINAL.pdf). Accessed June 28, 2021.
In July 2021, the America250 Foundation made public its website as well as its marketing campaign, which initially consisted of advertisements in more than 4,559 locations in the four "leading cities," as well as a public service announcement aired on Comcast NBCUniversal networks that summer. Advertisements were displayed "[from] Times Square and the Lincoln Tunnel in New York to the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia," with original content also being published on the campaign's social media accounts.
In July 2022, President Joe Biden designated former treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios as chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Rios, who replaced Dan DiLella, was first appointed to the commission on January 11, 2018. DiLella will continue to serve as a commissioner. On October 3, 2022, Rios announced that CEO Joe Daniels had resigned. Daniels, who came from the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City, had served as America 250 CEO for one year.
On August 1, 2024, the Semiquincentennial Commission announced that former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as their spouses, former first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama, will serve as the commission's honorary national co-chairs.
By 2025, Trump was criticized for taking more control over the non-partisan congressional America250 organization. He installed Fox News producer Ariel Abergel and Trump campaign officials as leaders, dropped contractors with ties to Democrats, partnered with conservative organization PragerU to provide educational materials for festivities, and had America250 partner with a cryptocurrency event featuring his two sons. The committee also partnered with conservative organization Moms for Liberty, and allowed its "America250" branding to be used at Trump rallies. Giant banners with Trump's face and "America250" branding were hung alongside Theodore Roosevelt at the Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C. A letter to Rios and Abergel by all of the Democratic lawmakers on the commission wrote that: "Unfortunately, recent America250 funded and branded events have been partisan and have not served America250's purpose and mission of uniting us as a nation." In September 2025, the commission fired Abergel, with sources telling The Wall Street Journal that he had attempted to steer the direction of programming towards honoring Trump.
By the end of 2025, $10 million worth of funding towards America250 was diverted to Freedom 250's "Freedom Trucks". In early 2026, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman stated that America250 had only received $25 million of its congressionally appropriated $150 million, and was concerned the remainder would be reallocated to the Trump-aligned Freedom 250. The 250 Commission stated that it had enough money to continue with its original programming, which include "America's Field Trip" asking students across the country what America means to them, and the national volunteering effort "America Gives".
White House Task Force 250 / Freedom 250
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged to throw a "spectacular birthday party" to honor the anniversary, by assembling a White House task force named "White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday". The Task Force is separate from the bipartisan United States Semiquincentennial Commission with the White House-led "Task Force 250" chaired by Trump and his political appointees, and is described as more overtly political. Its funding arm, "Freedom 250", assisted Task Force 250's execution of Trump's proposals. In 2025, internal documents from the Interior Department instructed its staff to make Freedom 250 the "primary branding" for all national birthday events.