Join in the 240th celebration of America’s independence this July 4 with all the pomp, music and merriment that is traditionally part of Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Independence Day festivities.
The event is highlighted by the swearing in of new American citizens on the steps of the historic village Town Hall.
A special ceremony to honor the nation’s birth is set in 1826 and invites members of the audience to participate. Other examples of July 4 celebrations over the years continue through the day. The 11 a.m. naturalization ceremony, where some 50 new citizens take the oath of allegiance, is a focal point of the day.
In 19th-century fashion, a spirited reading of the Declaration of Independence sets the tone for the afternoon’s festivities.
Traditional activities include a patriotic concert by the Geneseo Cornet Band, a pie-eating contest, egg toss, sack races, pea-shooter contests, a town ball match featuring ladies base ball teams and the firing into the sky of an hundred-pound anvil, an activity that was occasionally done at celebrations in 1830s Western New York when there were no cannons to be had.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. General admission is $18 adult; $10 youths 4-16; $15 seniors 62+ and students with ID; free to children three and under. Special event admission is $20 adult; $12 youths 4-16; $17 seniors 62+ and students with ID; free to children three and under.
For information, visit www.gcv.org or call (585) 294-8218.
