Arts, Dining & Entertainment

July 4 Coolidge birthday celebration designated a ‘Top 10 Summer Event’  

Wednesday, July 4, 9 a.m.—PLYMOUTH NOTCH—On Wednesday, July 4, the President Calvin Coolidge State

Grave of pres Calvin Coolidge, Plymouth Notch Cemetery, Vermont
Grave of pres Calvin Coolidge, Plymouth Notch Cemetery, Vermont

Historic Site celebrates the birth of our nation and the birthday of our 30th president. The special activities honoring the only U.S. president born on Independence Day are scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. This year’s celebration has been selected as a “Top 10 Summer Event” by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.

The day begins with a moving reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Union Christian Church. The public is invited to the Naturalization Ceremony inducting 20 new U.S. citizens at 10 a.m. Join on the village green at 12 noon, when a Vermont National Guard delegation leads a parade to the Plymouth Notch Cemetery. A wreath from the White House will be placed at the president’s gravesite; a brief ceremony follows with members of the Coolidge family in attendance.

A barbecue lunch is offered for sale at The Wilder House Restaurant. Birthday cake is free to everyone! Calvin Coolidge impersonator, Tracy Messer, performs at 4 p.m.

Ongoing activities include wagon rides, music by the Stringfield Springers old-time string band, cheese making at the factory, children’s games on the Aldrich House lawn, spinning demonstrations by Fiber Arts in Vermont, and the Plymouth Historical Society’s one-room schoolhouse exhibit. The Coolidge Cup National Debate Tournament starts in the early afternoon. For more information about the Declaration of Independence reading, Naturalization Ceremony, and Coolidge Cup Debate Tournament, call 802-672-3389.

At the Museum and Education Center, visitors can see the award-winning permanent exhibition, “More Than Two Words: The Life and Legacy of Calvin Coolidge”; as well as this year’s temporary exhibit,” Presidential Holiday: The Coolidge Summer Retreats, 1924-1928,” which examines the idyllic settings and historic events associated with President Coolidge’s five Summer White House locations. The exhibit showcases the president’s fishing equipment and many of the gifts received during his summer excursions – including the famous Sioux headdress and cowboy garb from the South Dakota Summer White House.

The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is operated by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, which is part of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. ACCD’s mission is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy.

The site is open May 26-Oct. 21, 1 a.m.-5 p.m., daily. It is located at 3780 VT-100A, Plymouth Notch. For further information, call 802-672-3773, or visit historicsites.vermont.gov.

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