Simsbury Historical Society outlines 250th celebration, schedules July 11 parade

Paul Haddalff opened a Community Conversations interview with Jane McAlpine and Robert Mooney, co-chairs of the committee organizing Simsbury's 250th anniversary activities.

The committee has planned a series of programs and events beginning this winter and running through July. Co-chair Robert Mooney said the group, formed at the Simsbury Historical Society, has been planning for more than two years and aims for inclusive public programs that "tell the story of what it was like in Simsbury and Connecticut and surrounding communities in 1776." He said the committee includes members from the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Education and local civic groups.

Organizers highlighted a schedule of events: a February reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Simsbury Public Library featuring actors portraying Connecticut signers; a March play by Betsy McGuire at McLean about women's experiences during the Revolutionary era; a fundraiser on April 25 at the Ensign House; a Simsbury Community Band concert on July 9; and a town parade on July 11. Mooney said the parade was scheduled for July 11 to avoid conflicts with larger July 4 celebrations in Hartford and to allow invited groups to attend.

Jane McAlpine, executive director of the Simsbury Historical Society, described fundraising and visitor engagement: the Historical Society museum store will reopen Feb. 5, and donors who give $20 or more will receive a commemorative T-shirt. She invited residents to volunteer and to contact the committee directly at jane.mccalpine@simsburyhistory.org or via the project page at simsburyhistory.org/250.

Other planned touches include a Liberty Tree planting sponsored by Liberty Bank, decorative planters built by the garden club and the Boy Scouts along Hot Meadow, a historic banner to be posted on Iron Horse Boulevard, and a proposed red-white-and-blue stripe on a bike path near the parade route. McAlpine also said organizers will coordinate a community bell-ringing at 2:00 p.m. on July 4 and encouraged residents and local churches to participate.

The co-chairs emphasized local educational and historical elements: artifacts on display at the Historical Society, school outreach to fifth-graders and a focus on telling both colonial and pre-colonial histories that include indigenous presence. Mooney and McAlpine framed the events as both a celebration and an opportunity for the town to share its historical ties, noting stories about local Revolutionary-era participants and links to broader Connecticut history.

The committee encouraged continued volunteer support and said detailed event information and a contact form are available at simsburyhistory.org/250. The main public event remains the July 11 parade, with programs and activities scheduled in the weeks beforehand.