Beyond the heels of the local Semiquincentennial Celebration presented last week at Dickinson Park, additional events are planned locally to continue celebrating the 250th anniversary of the adoption of The Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress. Admission is free for all events unless noted.

Legislative Council member Ben Ruben this week announced he will be on the front steps of Edmond Town Hall Saturday morning, when he will offer a reading of The Declaration of Independence.

Ruben on Monday said the event “offers an opportunity to gather as a community and reflect on the historic document that helped shape the nation. Attendees of all ages are welcome to join family, friends, and neighbors for this simple and meaningful start to the holiday before the day’s festivities begin.”

Edmond Town Hall is at 45 Main Street. Ruben will begin his reading at 9 am.

Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary is inviting the community to celebrate the nation's agricultural heritage with a little "Red, White & Blueberry" spirit. On Saturday, July 11, from 10 am to 2 pm, families are invited to visit the sanctuary at 8 Commerce Road in Newtown to pick a complimentary pint of fresh blueberries from the sanctuary's blueberry patch, available on a first-come, first-served basis, while the harvest lasts.

Inspired by the early American tradition of neighbors sharing the fruits of their harvest, the event is a simple gift to the community celebrating America's 250th anniversary and the timeless values of kindness, generosity and neighborly spirit that continue to bring people together today.

Newtown Community Center and Newtown Parks & Recreation have three upcoming events to celebrate America’s 250th Independence Day:

*Patriotic Crafternoon is planned for Tuesday, July 14, from 3:30 to 5 pm, at the community center, 8 Simpson Street. Children are invited to create festive red, white, and blue crafts, free of charge.

*Red, White & Boogie is scheduled for Thursday, July 16, from 6 to 7:30 pm, at Dickinson Park, 50 Elm Drive. All are invited to break out their best red, white, and blue spirit for a patriotic DJ dance party and hands-on arts.

Registration is required for either of the two above programs. Call 203-270-4349, send e-mail to info.ncc@newtown-ct.gov, or visit newtowncommunitycenter.org.

*Movie Night Under The Stars will then be presented Thursday, July 30, at 8 pm, on the fields of Fairfield Hills, where an outdoor screening of Disney's Miracle will be offered. Popcorn and snacks will be available for purchase. Attendees will need to provide their own seating.

Newtown Community Center and Newtown Police Department will then co-host National Night Out, returning to Fairfield Hills on Tuesday, August 4. From 5:30 until 7:30 pm, all ages will be invited to the annual event that celebrates community, this year with an America 250 theme.

Attendees will meet local first responders and explore vehicles, dance to DJ selections, take part in family-friendly activities including face painting and crafts, view K-9 demonstrations, and more. There will be giveaways and at least one food truck on site.

Booth Library Events

C.H. Booth Library has been offering a series of special events since October.

Town Historian Ben Cruson will present “Newtown in the American Revolution” on Thursday, July 9. The in-person lecture will be in the meeting room of the library, 25 Main Street.

Cruson will share fascinating and little-known stories of events that took place in Newtown during the Revolution, from a 1775 patriot raid to disarm loyalists to the hanging of a traitor.

Registration is requested and available at chboothlibrary.org.

On Monday, July 13, at 6:30 pm, Derek Piotr will present “Celebrate American History Through Folksong.”

This program was originally planned for July 14 but was rescheduled to July 13 reportedly at the request of the presenter.

The Derek Piotr Fieldwork Archive (fieldwork-archive.com) was established by Piotr in August 2022. The Archive contains over 1,500 audio recordings made from March 2020 onward, and preserves diverse representations of folklife; ballads, hymns, tales, poems, children’s songs, and interviews among them.

The focus of this collection is on the “non-singer” — those with no background in musical performance who can nevertheless relate a song or folkloric memory. The New Milford resident introduced the archive to Newtown residents through a presentation hosted by the library — moved to Zoom due to construction at the library — last August.

This time, Piotr will walk attendees through the process of journeying everywhere from Iceland to Appalachia to record these songs from non-musicians, as well as the organization and development of the archive as a web-based repository.

Registration is required and available at chboothlibrary.org.

“The First Ladies and Their Styles,” will be presented by Toni McKeen on Tuesday, July 21, at 7 pm via Zoom.

JFK once famously said "Nobody seems to care what Lyndon and I wear" at a Dallas breakfast. With all the attention on the 250th anniversary of this country, and the Founding Fathers, McKeen thought it would be fun to focus on the First Ladies and their styles, including their wedding gowns.

Registration is required and available at chboothlibrary.org.

C.H. Booth Library is also putting final touches on a special exhibition.

“Newtown: An American Town,” in the Mary Hawley Gallery and Annex third floor, will celebrate America's 250th birthday by exploring the intersection of local and national history through the words of the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address.

Residents are invited to become a part of the exhibit by sending their picture to be added to a growing collection of "The People of Newtown" featured on one wall within the exhibition.

Additional Exhibits

Newtown Cultural Arts Commission is working on two exhibitions to be presented at Newtown Municipal Center in July.

"Newtown in 1776. Celebrating the Nation's 250th Anniversary," a collaborative effort with Flagpole Photographers Camera Club and local photographer Bill Glass, opened July 1 (see page B-8). The exhibition presents small snippets of what it was like to live in Newtown in 1776 through photographs, a multi-media collection of posters, and QR codes that connect with Newtown Historical Society’s website.

A second exhibition, “History & Current Quilting — With The Quilt Shop by Lois” will also be presented by the cultural arts commission this month, in a display case at the Municipal Art Gallery.