Daily events are subject to change.
Friday, July 4, 2025
Welcome to Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated 1830s rural New England town, as we celebrate American Independence. Among other activities, we invite you to watch and be inspired by a citizen naturalization ceremony.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will present candidates to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and they will pledge their Oath of Allegiance to the United States for the very first time.
Independence Celebration Activities
Throughout the Day:
What does “Citizenship” mean to you? Participate in this activity by sharing what this word means to you (in the Visitor Center, Building #2).
9:30 a.m. Flag Raising with Fife and Drum
(in front of the Visitor Center, Building #2).
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Make a Tri-Corner Hat
(in the Visitor Center, Building #2).
9:45 a.m. Flag Raising with Fife and Drum
(on the Common, “C” on mapguide).
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. United Stitches:
Visit the Richardson House as a new thirteen star flag is sewn together. Discover how village residents celebrated the events of 1776 in the 1830s (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
10:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m. Fife & Drum Music
(in the Field next to the Bixby House, Building #36).
10:00 a.m. A Guided Tour of the Salem Towne House:
Tour the home of a prosperous farmer (meets in the hallway of the Salem Towne House, Building #15).
10:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. Sawmill Demonstration: Mills like this cut logs into lumber for neighboring farmers, using the power of falling water (at the Sawmill, Building #41).
11:00 a.m. United States Naturalization Ceremony Welcoming New American Citizens (on the Common).
11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Carding Mill Demonstration: Carding is brushing wool to prepare it for spinning into yarn. Our 200+ year-old water-powered machines do it much faster than hand carding, a welcome service to early farm families (at the Carding Mill, Building #39).
12:00 p.m. Old Sturbridge Village Singers in Concert:
The Independence Day Concert celebrates patriotic songs that date from the early days of our nation’s history (in the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
12:00 p.m. OSV Dancers: Come learn a dance from the 1830s with the Old Sturbridge Village Dancers (in the Gebhardt Barn, Building #13).
12:30 p.m. Declaring Independence: Listen for the ringing of the Meetinghouse bell to signify the beginning of a contextualized reading of our nation’s Declaration of Independence (at the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
1:30 p.m. Procession of Citizens (throughout the Village).
2:00 p.m. Reading of the Declaration of Independence
(on the Common, “C” on mapguide).
3:30 p.m. Cannon Demonstration: Hear the thunderous roar of our replica cannon (in the Blacksmith Field, behind Building #37).
3:30 p.m. A Reading of Patriotic Poetry: Listen to poems with a patriotic theme written by 19th century poets
(in the Salem Towne House Garden, #15).
4:45 p.m. Flag Lowering with Fife & Drum Music (on the Common, “C” on mapguide).
4:55 p.m. Flag Lowering with Fife & Drum Music (in front of the Visitor Center, Building #2).
Exhibitions
Hands & Hearts: Courtship and Marriage in 19th-century New England: Most New Englanders chose to marry, and they did so for a variety of reasons. Learn more about these reasons, as well as four couples and their stories, in this exhibit (in the Visitor Center Exhibition Gallery, G).
Dining & Shopping
Bullard Café (Building #3) (on the Ground Floor)
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Hungry? Stop by for lunch or a snack.
Miner Grant Store & Bake Shop (Building #18)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Stop in to buy our famous chocolate chip cookies, Joe Frogger cookies, and treats. Shop for Village-made wares, historical children’s toys and gifts, too!
Ox & Yoke Café (Building #1)
10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Featuring scrumptious sweet and savory baked goods prepared on-site, along with freshly ground coffee, beer and wine, cold and hot drinks, and more.
Ox & Yoke Mercantile (Building #1)
10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Take home a traditional rural New England treasure or unique gift. Village-made crafts and kits, home décor, books, and more await!
Village Scoop Shop (Building # 24)
11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Serving Ice cream and cold beverages.