Newburyport 250 Declaration of Independence Day: The Die Is Cast

Newburyport 250 Declaration of Independence Day: The Die Is Cast

Sunday, July 19, 2026

Free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

At 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the people of Newburyport will gather in Market Square to hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud, 250 years to the day after it was first publicly read there. This public reading is the central moment of Newburyport 250 Declaration of Independence Day: The Die Is Cast, a full day of Revolutionary history, community participation, demonstrations, music, family activities, and historic sailing vessels stretching from Brown Square to the waterfront.

The Museum of Old Newbury, in partnership with the Custom House Maritime Museum, Lowell’s Boat Shop, the First Religious Society, Theater in the Open, the City of Newburyport, the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, and many more community partners, will present Newburyport 250 Declaration of Independence Day: The Die Is Cast on Sunday, July 19, 2026, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Newburyport.

Throughout the day, Revolutionary townsfolk, soldiers, sailors, demonstrations, and three historic sailing vessels will bring the past to life, along with family activities from Brown Square to the waterfront from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Period activities will include artillery and musket demonstrations, arts, crafts, printing, cooking, and tattooing experiences. These activities are designed to build toward the 2 p.m. reading in Market Square and then carry the commemoration forward to the waterfront.

Sponsored in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) as part of the statewide MA250 campaign.

At a glance

What: A public commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Newburyport’s first reading of the Declaration of Independence, centered on a community reading in Market Square at 2 p.m., with music, reenactors, family-friendly activities, a waterfront salute by three historic vessels, and more.

When: Sunday, July 19, 2026. Activities take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The procession begins at 1:45 p.m. at Brown Square, leading to the central 2 p.m. reading and commemorative program in Market Square. Waterfront activities and public access to the vessels continue until 5:30 p.m.

Where: Brown Square to Market Square, with a stop at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church, followed by a waterfront observance and family-friendly activities.

Includes: A community reading of the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary soldiers, sailors, and colonial-era townspeople, ceremonial music and salutes, the arrival of the Schooner Ardelle, the Schooner Isabella, and the Pinnace Virginia, a replica of Maine’s oldest ship, privateers on board, public access to all three vessels until 5:30 p.m., and activities for families.

On July 19, 1776, the people of Newburyport assembled at the Meetinghouse then standing in Market Square to hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud for the first time. In the aftermath of that extraordinary moment, patriot and future Senator Tristram Dalton wrote to Elbridge Gerry, “The die is cast. All is at stake. The way is made plain.”

That plain way was not peace, comfort, or certainty. It was sacrifice. War had already touched Newburyport for more than a year, but the Declaration transformed resistance into resolve. It proclaimed before the world that Americans were entitled to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” and most Newburyporters were prepared to defend those rights at any cost.

Two hundred and fifty years later, Newburyport will gather again to remember that turning point in the life of the town and the nation. The day’s activities will lead toward the same place and hour at which the meaning of the commemoration comes most clearly into focus: Market Square at 2 p.m. The day will begin with Revolutionary programs and demonstrations throughout downtown, and at 1:45 p.m. a procession will depart from Brown Square, travel to Market Square, and include a stop at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church. At 2 p.m., the public commemoration will begin in the heart of downtown. This anniversary observance invites the public to stand where earlier generations stood and to hear once more the words that changed the course of our history.

The 2 p.m. program will bring together neighbors and friends, past and present, along with Revolutionary soldiers, sailors, colonial-era townsfolk, and special guests, for a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. With music, salutes, and ceremonial observances, the event will honor those who, in 1776, pledged to each other their “Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor” in the defense of liberty.

Following the Market Square program, participants will proceed to the waterfront to greet the arrival of three historic sailing vessels: the Schooner Ardelle, the Schooner Isabella, and the Pinnace Virginia, a replica of Maine’s oldest ship. There, the commemoration will continue with salutes by privateers on board, recalling the maritime world in which Newburyport lived, fought, and sacrificed during the Revolution. All three vessels will remain in port and be available to the public until 5:30 p.m.

As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, Newburyport 250 Declaration of Independence Day: The Die Is Cast offers a chance not only to remember the past, but to renew a shared civic promise. At the center of the day is the 2 p.m. reading of the Declaration in Market Square, when the community will once again gather around the words that announced a new nation. It is a day to reflect on the cost of freedom, the courage of those who declared it, and the enduring obligation to defend the rights and principles for which they risked everything.

Event is free. Donations are appreciated.