Planning for Arlington’s commemoration and celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday is about to kick off.
The Arlington Historical Society, which has been designated by the county government as the coordinator for all the planning, will convene a brainstorming session Nov. 6 to start the process.
The society “wants events to reflect ALL of Arlington, our people, our diversity, and our outsized role in the history of the United States,” said Sean Denniston and Annette Benbow in putting out the call for support.
“Events also should not just reflect where we have been as a county and nation, but also the country all our forebears hoped it would become,” they said. “To that end, we want events to reflect all of Arlington’s voices.”
The nation will celebrate its “semiquincentennial” – perhaps a little more challenging to pronounce than the bicentennial of 1976 – with events leading up to and through the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
At that time, the 26 square miles that today comprise Arlington County were mostly farmland, often worked by those held in slavery or other forms of servitude.
Information on the planning process and events will be updated at www.arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.
