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RI250 Awards $449K for Rhode Island to Celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial
Rhode Island’s RI250 Commission has completed 2 rounds of funding, giving approximately $449,000 to organizations and municipalities and invites the public to join in the recognizing of America’s Semiquincentennial and Rhode Island’s unique role in the Revolution on and around July 4, 2026.
Key events and local events in the planning are:
Liberty Tree Plantings in Each City and Town
RI250 will continue to hold Liberty Tree plantings in each Rhode Island municipality. The Liberty Tree initiative, which plants a Red Maple tree in every city and town, serving as an ongoing reminder of both Rhode Island and the country’s spirit of defiance, unity, and freedom during the American revolution. Liberty Tree planting events are posted on the RI250 Events Calendar (https://rhodeisland250.org/events/) as they are scheduled.
RI250 Honor Flight – Saturday, May 2, 2026
The Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub will honor Rhode Island Veterans for their service and sacrifice with Honor Flights bringing World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit Arlington National Cemetery and the memorials dedicated to their service, free of charge. The public and media are invited to greet Honor Flight participants at the send-off celebration at 5:30 a.m. and the flight’s return at 9 p.m. in the lower-level baggage claim area of T.F. Green International Airport.
Rhode Island Independence Day – RI State House Saturday Hours
On May 2, 2026, the Rhode Island State House will once again be open for special weekend hours for visitors to view the Act of Renunciation, one of Rhode Island’s founding documents, which officially ended the colony’s allegiance to Great Britain. Also, abbreviated State House tours will be offered between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
A pop-up exhibit featuring information about Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolution will be on display. Visitors will also be able to view Revolution and Rhode Island: Liberty, Struggle, Legacy, a new exhibit installed in the lower level of the State House, which offers a deeper look at Rhode Island’s revolutionary history and the individuals and communities whose experiences shaped the era.
RI250 5K: The Renunciation Run & Marathon – Sunday, May 3, 2026
The RI250 5K: The Renunciation Run (RI250 5K), honoring Rhode Island’s pivotal role in American history, will begin at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Partnered with Rhode Races, the Race welcomes seasoned runners, first-time racers, families, and history enthusiasts alike. In addition to the RI250 5K, Rhode Races will host its Marathon starting at 7:30 a.m. and its Half Marathon starting at 8 a.m. All races will begin at Bold Point Park in East Providence, RI.
WaterFire and Declaration of Independence Viewing
On July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the RI250 Commission will sponsor a commemorative WaterFire in downtown Providence, featuring the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and other community performances. This event is free and open to the public. During the day visitors are welcome to the State House to view the state’s three copies of the Declaration of Independence. More details to follow.
Declaration of Independence Viewings – Each Rhode Island County
In addition to its appearance at the State House, one of Rhode Island’s copies of the Declaration of Independence will visit each Rhode Island county throughout 2026, enabling Rhode Islanders throughout the state to see the historic document up close. Display dates, times, and locations will be posted on https://rhodeisland250.org/events/.
Community Events and Statewide Grant Program
The RI250 Commission recently completed two rounds of grant awards to help municipalities, cultural organizations, and community partners bring Rhode Island’s Revolutionary-era history to life through lectures, exhibits, reenactments, performances, and other educational programming. The Program awarded $449,014.54 to 87 organizations and municipalities statewide.
A full list of grantees can be found at https://rhodeisland250.org/grants/:
Asian American Pacific Islander History Museum
Project Type: Cultural Exhibit & Event – Final Award: $5,000
Grace Lee Boggs and Unfinished AAPI Revolutions – A series of 2026 events, including a film screening, panel disussion, and a cultural celebration, honoring the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Rhode Island.
Battle of RI Association
Project Type: Educational Video & Professional Development Series – Final Award: $10,000
Battle of Rhode Island educational video, Revolutionary War brochures, and teacher workshops highlighting Rhode Island’s key people and events during the American Revolution. Resources will support both public learning and classroom instruction statewide.
DAR – Battle of Rhode Island Chapter
Project Type: Archival Research & Exhibit – Final Award: $5,000
The American Revolution Experience – A series of 2026 programs, including hosting a National DAR Traveling Exhibit, panel discussion, film screening, and a Family Day event at Portsmouth Historical Society.
First Unitarian Church
Project Type: Archival Research & Exhibit – Final Award: $10,000
Sugar Rush – An educational initiative exploring Rhode Island’s historical role in the Carribean sugar trade, slavery, and the fight for American independence. The project includes public events, a traveling exhibit, and classroom resources for statewide use.
First Works
Project Type: Performing Arts Projects – Final Award: $10,000
We The People – Celebrates America’s 250th with two arts initiatives, Silkroad Ensemble’s American Railroad and the Summer Beats concert series, honoring diverse voices and engaging communities through performances, education, and virtual talks.
Haus of Glitter Company
Project Type: Performing Arts Projects – Final Award: $4,000
The Historical Fantasy of America – A weeklong Rhode Island program culminating in a dance opera that honors underrepresented voices, featuring workshops, concerts, and wellness sessions for Queer and BIPOC communities.
Local Return
Project Type: Archival Research & Seminar – Final Award: $5,700
Wealth in Rhode Island: Who, How, What, and So What? – A community presentation at Teatro ECAS exploring Rhode Island’s wealth, connecting history to the present, and prompting thoughtful discussion and action.
RI Slave History Medallions (RISHM)
Project Type: Cultural Event – Final Award: $10,000
Juneteenth Semiquincentennial Celebration at Fort Adams – A weekend-long observance of Juneteenth to honor the contributions of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities to Rhode Island’s founding and the ongoing pursuit of freedom.
Newport Historical Society
Project Type: Revolution Exhibit & Event – Final Award: $10,000
Occupied! Newport and the Fight for Independence – A temporary exhibition for the nation’s semiquincentennial, highlighting Newport’s transformations under Revolutionary, British, and French rule from 1775–1781.
Ocean State Media
Project Type: Professional Development for Educators – Final Award: $10,000
The Rhode to Independence – A digital-first, multi-platform student storytelling initiative to amplify Rhode Island’s pivotal role in the American Revolution.
Preservation Society of Newport – Hunter House Plays
Project Type: Performing Arts Projects – Final Award: $10,000
Hunter House Play Project – To commemorate the United States’ semiquincentennial, the PSNC has commissioned Plays in Place to produce a site-specific three-part play for Hunter House, the PSNC’s colonial property.
Providence Preservation Society
Project Type: Walking Tours – Final Award: $10,000
A Neighborhood Tour of Revolutionary Providence – A new online and printed tour of revolutionary Providence, providing visitors, students, and Rhode Island residents with historical and architectural information about the existing buildings and sites in the city that were inhabited during the Revolutionary War.
Rhode Island Historical Society
Project Type: Living History Events – Final Award: $9,000
Revolutionary Rhode Island at the John Brown House Museum – A series of living history events at the John Brown House focusing on Rhode Island’s unqiue role in the American Revolution.
RI Black Storytellers (RIBS)
Project Type: Cultural Event – Final Award: $5,000
FUNDA Fest – A weeklong celebration of Black storytelling in Rhode Island. The theme, Drumming Up Freedom, honors storytelling as a way to preserve Black history and heritage.
RI Center for the Book
Project Type: Student Poetry Workshop & Film Project – Final Award: $5,000
Happy Land: A Collaborative Poetry Celebration for 250 – A statewide poetry initiative that reflects on Rhode Island’s history, identity, and resilience.
RI Latino Arts (RILA)
Project Type: Student Art & Performance Project – Final Award: $10,000
Shaping Freedom: Youth Stories of Belonging and Becoming – A year-long youth-centered initiative to reflect on the meaning of independence, freedom, and belonging.
Tomaquag Museum
Project Type: Semiquincetnennial Exhibit – Final Award: $10,000
250 Years in Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness – A museum-wide exhibition for the nation’s semiquincentennial, highlighting Native service and resilience.
Varnum Continentals
Project Type: Living History Event – Final Award: $10,000
Living History event showcasing the Varnum House Museum and Historic Armory in East Greenwich, featuring a Revolutionary War encampment, regional Fife & Drum Corps performances, and open houses at both historic sites.
Westerly Armory
Project Type: Speaker Series & Events – Final Award: $5,000
United They Stand: The Nation at 250, The Amory at 125 – A series of 2026 programs, including lecture series, tours, workshops, and events.
South Kingstown
Project Type: Living History Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including a living history event, lecture series, and archival research.
Richmond
Project Type: Speaker Series & Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including a mobile history scavenger hunt, archival research, and lecture series.
Lincoln
Project Type: Memorial Day Event – Final Award: $5,000
A public program honoring Memorial Day through community remembrance, civic reflection, and activities.
Warren
Project Type: Commemorative Memorial – Final Award: $5,000
A commemorative sign highlighting Warren’s contributions to the fight for freedom and the Revolutionary War.
Burrillville
Project Type: Living History Event
Final Award: $5,000 – A public program honoring Revolutionary-era Rhode Island with immersive reenactments and community remembrance.
Warwick
Project Type: Living History Event – Final Award: $5,000
A public program honoring Revolutionary-era Rhode Island with immersive reenactments and community remembrance.
Hopkinton
Project Type: Living History & Community Weekend Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs honoring Revolutionary-era Rhode Island with immersive reenactments and community remembrance.
North Kingstown
Project Type: Living History Events & Speaker Series – Final Award: $5,000
A living history weekend highlighting North Kingstown’s unique role in Rhode Island’s revolutionary story.
Bristol
Project Type: Pole Banners, Speaker Series & Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs featuring community projects, public installations, and civic learning.
Barrington
Project Type: Speaker Series & Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including lectures, a public exhibit, and community events.
Friends of SK Historic Cemeteries, Monuments, & Memorials
Project Type: First RI Regiment Memorial – Final Award: $8,000
Brave Men As Ever Fought: Companion Monument and Living Line of Service Initiative for Indigenous, African, and African-descended Patriots.
Rhode Island Humanities
Project Type: Revolutionary History Tour on Rhode Tour App – Final Award: $4,000
Rhode Tour 250 – An online tour and public engagement tool commemorating Rhode Island’s unique contributions to the Amercican Revolution.
RIDAR Independence Chapter
Project Type: Restoration Project – Providence Tea Party Plaque – Final Award: $1,000
Providence Tea Party Plaque Restoration
Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust
Project Type: Commemorative Signage & Trail Map – Final Award: $6,000
Defending the Bay: Rose Island in the American Revolution – A permanent, outdoor interpretive project that highlights Rhode Island’s coordinated Revolutionary War defenses.
Stages of Freedom
Project Type: Public Performance & Event – Final Award: $6,000
A Concert for Freedom: Celebrating 250 Years of American Diversity – A public performance featuring African American spirituals of the Revolutionary era and spoken words from primary sources of Rhode Island Patriots.
East Providence Historical Society
Project Type: Living History Events & Speaker Series – Final Award: $6,000
A series of 2026 programs, including hosting a Revolutionary War Soldier Project, speaker series, tours, and living history event.
Little Compton Historical Society
Project Type: Traveling Panel Exhibit – Final Award: $6,000
Revolutionary Little Compton: A Townwide Exhibit – A forty panel exhibit and five historic markers that shares the history of the American Revolution through the local lens at historic sites across the town.
RI Black Heritage Society
Project Type: Traveling Panel Exhibit – Final Award: $6,000
American Resistance in Color – A panel exhibition and lecture series exploring the vital role people of African heritage have played in shaping the nation and advancing the enduring American tradition of resistance and dissent.
Middletown High School
Project Type: Archival Research & Lecture Series – Final Award: $5,000
Fortune Stoddard: Patriotism and Solidarity in Revolutionary Middletown – A public history initiative to recover, interpret, and share the story of two Rhode Island First Regiment soldier and his struggle for justice during the Revolutionary era.
Warwick Historical Society
Project Type: Patriot Grave Cleaning & Marking – Final Award: $1,510
Revolutionary War Veterans Grave Markers – A project to create long-term outdoor markers identifying America’s first Veterans in Warwick.
Gaspee Days Committee
Project Type: Living History Event – Final Award: $5,000
Becoming the United States – A living history event and exhibition with materials from each of the original colonies.
Historic New England
Project Type: Memorial & Dedication Event – Final Award: $5,000
Stopping Stones Monument & Dedication – A living history event at Watson Farm commemorating the life and legacy of Orman Remington, the only known enslaved person in Jamestown to purchase his own freedom.
GAMM Theatre
Project Type: Performing Arts Project – Final Award: $4,000
Colonial Voices: The Gaspee Affair – A youth-centered educational initiative that brings the story of the Gaspee Affair to life through performance, theater, and English language arts, engaging students in a creative exploration of Rhode Island’s revolutionary history.
Aurea Ensemble
Project Type: Public Performance & Event – Final Award: $4,000
The New and Dangerous Opinions of Roger Williams – A free, multidisciplinary concert series performed in communities across Rhode Island, exploring Roger Williams’s revolutionary ideas about religious liberty and the separation of church and state.
North Smithfield Heritage Association
Project Type: Archival Research & Film Project – Final Award: $4,000
Revolutionary History in Union Village – An in-depth public history initiative exploring the Revolutionary era in Union Village through a short documentary, walking tour, pop-up panels, lesson plan, and community panel discussions.
RIDAR Nathanael Greene-Pettaquamscutt
Project Type: Patriot Grave Cleaning & Interpretive Signage – Final Award: $4,000
East Greenwich, Warwick, & the American Revolution: Ye Old Baptist Burying Ground and the General Nathanael Greene Memorial Seat – A series of public programs and legacy projects highlighting these important Revolutionary-era landmarks.
Cranston Historical Society
Project Type: Performing Arts Project & Living History Events – Final Award: $4,000
A series of 2026 programs celebrating Cranston’s unique role in the American Revolution, featuring a speaker series, guided tours, a living history event, and interpretive signage at the Joy Homestead.
Hearthside Musuem
Project Type: Lecture Series & Workshops – Final Award: $4,000
We The People: The Journey of Great Road’s History & Legacy – A series of programs, including a lecture series, workshop, and exhibit, telling the story of Revolutionary War hero Silas Talbot.
Paine House Museum
Project Type: Patriot Grave Cleaning & Markers – Final Award: $1,504.54
Revolutionary War Veterans Grave Markers – A project to create long-term outdoor markers identifying America’s first Veterans in Coventry.
Foster-Glocester Schools
Project Type: Traveling Exhibition – Final Award: $4,000
A Legacy of Liberty: Ponaganset High School’s 250th Anniversary Grand Celebration of the Declaration of Independence – A month-long exhibition by AP U.S. History students commemorating the Semiquincentennial.
Newport Restoration Foundation
Project Type: Revolution Exhibit & Event – Final Award: $4,000
Revolutionary Vernon House – A series of 2026 programs featuring a Revolutionary War exhibition, salon-style concerts, and an installation honoring Rhode Island Veterans.
Fort Adams Trust
Project Type: Archival Research & Seminar – Final Award: $4,000
“From Revolution to Ramparts: Irish and Irish-American influence on the American Revolution and Fort Adams” – A lecture and public discussion with Christian McBurney, exploring Irish and Irish-American contributions to the Revolutionary era and the history of Fort Adams.
Artillery Company of Newport
Project Type: Living History Events – Final Award: $3,000
Artillery Company of Newport: RI250 Ceremonial & Living History Programming – A series of 2026 programs featuring living history activations and ceremonial programming at several events throughout Newport.
Festival Ballet RI
Project Type: Performing Arts Project – Final Award: $3,000
Sybil’s Ride: A New Ballet for the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial – A two-act narrative ballet inspired by the story of Sybil Ludingston.
RI State House Restoration Society
Project Type: Tours & Interpretive Signage – Final Award: $3,000
State House Saturdays – A series of 2026 programs featuring tours and interpretive signage telling Rhode Island’s Revolutionary story through the Capitol Building’s architecture.
Smith’s Castle
Project Type: Archival Research & Seminar – Final Award: $3,000
Forgotten Founders: The Underwritten of the American Revolution – A series of seminars focused on Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolution.
Soul Value
Project Type: Performing Arts Project – Final Award: $3,000
Soul Value: The Unearthed Legacy of Black and Indigenous New Englanders during the American Revolution – A multidisciplinary performance highlighting the contributions of Black and Indigenous men and women during the Revolutionary era.
Newport Pride
Project Type: Community Performance – Final Award: $2,500
Voice of Uprising: Art, Pride, & Protest at 250 – A night celebrating art, activism, and LGBTQ+ history as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary.
Nathanael Greene Homestead
Project Type: Archival Research & Seminar – Final Award: $2,250
Forgotten Founders: The Underwritten of the American Revolution – A series of seminars focused on Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolution.
Hera Gallery and Educational Foundation
Project Type: Archival Research & Exhibition – Final Award: $2,500
Threading Time and Place – A multi-faceted project that will feature performances, lectures, and hands-on activities exploring Rhode Island’s Revolutionary history, the legacy of the textile industry, and South County Mill’s connection to slavery, labor, and community memory.
Waterspill Junction
Project Type: Performing Arts Project – Final Award: $2,500
America in Song: 250 Years of Resilience and Harmony – A collaborative performance and community engagement series honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution through music, storytelling, and dialogue.
Bristol Historical
Project Type: Living History Events & Speaker Series – Final Award: $6,000
Celebrating RI250 in Bristol – A series of 2026 public programs highlighting Bristol’s Revolutionary history through lectures, living history, a guided bus tour, and a community celebration surrounding the visit of two of Rhode Island’s copies of the Declaration of Independence.
Charlestown
Project Type: Commemorative Challenge Coin – Final Award: $2,500
A commemorative challenge coin honoring the Semiquincentennial and Charlestown’s local celebration.
Providence
Project Type: Performing Arts Project – Final Award: $2,500
A public lecture examining the intersections of memory, cultural justice, and accountability through the lens of the arts.
Johnston
Project Type: Lecture Series & Community Events – Final Award: $4,950
A series of public programs including lectures and community events.
East Greenwich
Project Type: Living History & Community Events – Final Award: $4,300
A series of public programs including lectures and community events.
East Providence
Project Type: Pole Banner Project – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs featuring community projects and public installations.
Scituate
Project Type: Living History Event & Exhibit – Final Award: $1,695
A public program honoring Memorial Day through community remembrance, civic reflection, and activities.
Cranston
Project Type: Community Events, Lecture Series & Workshop – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including lectures and community events.
Portsmouth
Project Type: Community Event & Performance – Final Award: $5,000
A public program honoring the milestone through community remembrance, civic reflection, and activities.
Little Compton
Project Type: Community Event & Performance – Final Award: $5,000
A public program honoring the milestone through community remembrance, civic reflection, and activities.
Tiverton
Project Type: Living History Event – Final Award: $3,580
A public program honoring the milestone through community remembrance, civic reflection, and activities.
Pawtucket
Project Type: Pole Banner Project – Final Award: $5,000
A public program honoring the milestone through a community project and public installations.
Westerly
Project Type: Time Capsule Project & Community Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including a community-focused event and legacy community project.
West Warwick
Project Type: Living History Event & Exhibit – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including a living history event, lecture series, and archival research.
Middletown
Project Type: Lecture Series, Living History Event & Banners – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs featuring lecture series, community projects, and public installations.
Jamestown
Project Type: Comemmorative Markers – Final Award: $5,000
A commemorative sign project highlighting Jamestown’s Revolutionary War history.
Coventry
Project Type: Public Art Contest, Exhibition, & Community Events – Final Award: $4,125
A series of public programs including a community art project and a town-wide celebration.
Foster
Project Type: Revolution Exhibit & Living History Events – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs featuring a lecture series, community projects, and living history events.
West Greenwich
Project Type: Commemorative Memorial – Final Award: $5,000
A commemorative memorial project highlighting West Greenwich’s Revolutionary War history and Veterans.
Central Falls
Project Type: Living History & Community Event – Final Award: $5,000
A community-focused event highlighting and celebrating the diverse histories that have shaped Central Falls.
Cumberland
Project Type: Commemorative Memorial – Final Award: $5,000
A commemorative memorial project highlighting Cumberland’s Revolutionary War history and Veterans.
North Smithfield
Project Type: Commorative Memorial – Final Award: $5,000
A commemorative sign project featuring two sign on North Smithfield’s Indigenous roots and another on its Colonial settlements.
North Providence
Project Type: Living History Event & Signage – Final Award: $4,400
A series of public programs including a living history event, interpretive signage, and a lecture series.
Newport
Project Type: Public Art Installation, Living History Events, & Tourism Integration – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs tied together by trolley transport between sites, wayfinding signs, and public art installations.
Woonsocket
Project Type: Living History Events, Exhibits & Lecture Series – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including living history events, a lecture series, and community projects.
Smithfield
Project Type: Commemorative Marker – Final Award: $4,500
A commemorative sign highlighting Smithfield’s contributions to the fight for freedom and the Revolutionary War.
Block Island
Project Type: Lecture Series & Living History Event – Final Award: $5,000
A series of public programs including a living history event and lecture series.
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The Rhode Island Semiquincentennial Commission (RI250) is leading the State’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, honoring Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolution and fostering civic engagement across communities. Learn more at https://rhodeisland250.org/.