“Live Free or Die. Death is not the worst of evils.” — John Stark

America is turning 250, and New Hampshire is celebrating in a big way. From Revolutionary War reenactments and historical exhibits to parades, concerts, and fireworks, there’s no shortage of ways to join the festivities.

Here’s what’s inside today’s newsletter:

🇺🇸 Parades, fireworks, and more celebrating July 4 and America 250

⭐ Where to walk through New Hampshire history

🏛️ 5 New Hampshire historical societies worth visiting 

🎇 Weirs Beach Fireworks
Laconia, July 3
Watch one of New Hampshire’s signature Independence Day fireworks displays over Lake Winnipesaukee. Free.
More info

🎥 US@250: Big Watch
Portsmouth, July 3
Watch Ken Burns’ “The American Revolution,” followed by a discussion. Free, registration required.
More info

🎆 Monadnock 250 Celebration
Keene, July 4
Celebrate America’s 250th with a downtown parade, historical demonstrations, music, food, colonial games, and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Free.
More info

🎖️ Newbury 4th of July Celebration
July 4
Following the town parade, enjoy refreshments and hands-on colonial children’s games and toys. Free.
More info

🏃 13th Annual Newfound Firecracker 5K
Bristol, July 4
Kick off Independence Day with a community 5K benefiting the Newfound Regional High School cross-country program. Registration required.
More info

🎸 The Front Porch Project Live
Meredith, July 5 
Enjoy an evening of Americana, folk, blues, and country music with dinner and drinks available. Tickets required.
More info

🛍️ 7th Annual Liberty Weekend Craft Festival
Hampton Falls, July 4-5 
Browse more than 75 artisans featuring handmade crafts, specialty foods, and live demonstrations. Free admission.
More info

🎨 Fourth of July Weekend Craft Fair
Gilford, July 4-5
Shop more than 120 vendors offering handmade crafts, artwork, food, and live music. Free admission.
More info

📖 Tamworth Author Fest
July 11
Meet local authors, hear book readings, attend discussions, and enter a raffle to win signed books.
More info

🇺🇸 American Independence Festival
Exeter, July 11
Experience Revolutionary-era reenactments, colonial artisans, games, live music, local beer, and view the original Declaration of Independence brought to Exeter in 1776.
More info

🎻 New Hampshire Music Festival Chamber Music Series
Plymouth, Tuesdays through July 28
Enjoy chamber music featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and contemporary composers. Tickets: $20-$40.
More info

🎷 Weirs Beach Jazz Series
Laconia, Sundays through Aug. 30, 6-9 p.m.
Free outdoor jazz concerts featuring classic swing, big band favorites, and contemporary arrangements.
More info

🏛️ New Hampshire Historical Society Independence Day Open House
Concord, July 4 
See Revolutionary War artifacts, enjoy guided tours, family activities, and learn surprising facts about New Hampshire’s role in the Revolution. Free admission.
More info

📚 Redcoats & Rebels: New Hampshire and the American Revolution
Meredith, July 9
Learn about New Hampshire’s often-overlooked role in the American Revolution, including Paul Revere’s first ride to Portsmouth and the nation’s first independent state constitution. Free.
More info

📜 Sharing the Spirit of America: Declaration of Independence Reading
Plymouth, July 8
Join communities across the country for a synchronized public reading of the Declaration of Independence on the anniversary of its first public readings in 1776. Free.
More info

🚶 Women of Portsmouth Walking Tour
Portsmouth, July 8 (and select dates)
Take a guided walking tour exploring the women who helped shape Portsmouth’s history. Tickets required.
More info

🪶 Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum 25th Annual Powwow
Warner, July 11-12 
Celebrate Indigenous culture with traditional dancing, music, crafts, traders, and family-friendly activities. Admission required.
More info

An early 1900s loom—built for and used by Anna Roito Matson, who emigrated to Milford from Finland and used surplus WWI uniforms as her weaving material—is on display at the Milford Historical Society museum. (Milford Historical Society)

By Stacy Milbouer

🏛️ Milford Historical Society
Hours: Open the second weekend of each month from 2-4 p.m.
Admission: Free

The society also has some artifacts from Milford-born Harriet E. Wilson, the first African American novelist in the United States. They are not currently displayed, but Wilson’s statue and a Black Heritage Trail Marker are not far from the historical society.

🏛️ Brookline Historical Society
Hours: Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon
Admission: Free

The Brookline Historical Society was established 46 years ago. Included in its eclectic collection is the 19th-century horse-drawn town hearse and a 1856 cannon owned by the town’s Democratic party and used in the 1856 James Buchanan presidential campaign. But when the cannon was set off 13 years later by a Brookline resident, things went terribly wrong. 

🏛️ Derry Heritage Commission
Hours: Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. and by appointment
Admission: Free

Derry has had some pretty famous residents, including the poet Robert Frost and Derry native astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to travel into space. The Derry Museum of History has a whole room dedicated to Shepard.

🏛️ Exeter Historical Society
Hours: Tuesday and Thursdays, 2-4:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Admission: Free

Exeter was founded in 1638 as a place for religious exiles, and it later became New Hampshire’s capital during the Revolutionary War. You can bet there’s plenty of history here, from being a stronghold for the Patriot movement, where the Declaration of Independence was first read in New Hampshire, to George Washington stopping for breakfast, and on through modern times, including the 1965 sighting of an Unidentified Flying Object. 

🏛️ Littleton Area Historical Museum
Hours: Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission: Free

For lovers of iconic children’s literature and old Hollywood cinema, the Littleton Area Historical Museum has a lot to offer, including an area dedicated to actor Bette Davis, who lived in the Sugar Hill section of town.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katy Savage with a story from Stacy Milbouer. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

Granite Post is free for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.