America’s 250th birthday won’t be celebrated until 2026, but work on the party is well underway and Fairfax County, Virginia, will play a big role.
The Fairfax 250 Commission is organizing county-wide efforts to mark the national celebration, but with a local flair. Scott Stroh, the chair of the commission, said the roots of revolution are part of Fairfax County’s history.
In 1774, George Washington, George Mason and others gathered in the county to draft the Fairfax Resolves, according to Stroh. The document, Stroh said, was essential in articulating grievances against Parliament and the Crown in England.
Stroh said the commission is working on events that are inclusive and convey the contemporary relevance of what happened in 1776.
“This isn’t about solely celebrating 1776. It really is, fundamentally, about why the ideas and what happened in 1776 continue to be so important today,” he said.
Planning for America’s 250th birthday began more than eight years ago, when Congress established the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, according to the Fairfax 250 Commission, which led Virginia to create a similar state level commission.
Virginia’s commission then called on its jurisdictions to establish work groups for the milestone celebration, and Fairfax County was the first to do so, according to Fairfax 250. The county commission’s goal, as stated on its website, is to “be a leader in creating and hosting appropriate events associated with the 250th, as well as supporting the Commonwealth’s efforts to commemorate the 250th.”
The nationwide celebration includes several contests, such as one that invites students in grades 3-12 to submit artwork and essays that answer the question, “What does America mean to you?”
America’s 250th, the national commission said, is an opportunity to “honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.”
WTOP’s Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.
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