Glorious 4th: An America 250 NC Event

July 4, 2026

From 9 A.M. until Noon at Tryon Palace

Join us as we celebrate our country’s semiquincentennial–the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence! The Grounds and Gardens will be open to the public from 9 a.m. until noon.

The day will begin with a performance by the an Interpretive Reading of the Declaration of Independence by the front gates of Tryon Palace. Immediately following the reading, our NC Continental Line will fire a volley. Then the Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps will perform before joining the New Bern July Fourth Parade as it reaches Tryon Palace. For parade route information, please see City of New Bern resources.

After the parade, be sure to join the NC Continental Line on the South Lawn for a cannon firing demonstration!

We are also offering our Caswell’s Capital tour on Glorious Fourth. The 3:30 P.M. tour will be Caswell’s Capital, with the remainder of the tours being our standard Palace tour. All tours require a ticket purchase.

Be sure to stop by the North Carolina History Center for the grand opening of Freedom and Identity: Symbols of a New Nation. This exhibit contains items from the Tryon Palace Collection that pertain to the American Revolution and the earliest days of our nation–including items that are new to our collections and will be displayed for the first time at Tryon Palace.

Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still occupied with the ongoing war. New Bern first celebrated Independence Day in 1778.

Admittance to the Gardens is FREE from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Tryon Palace tours are available with purchase of One Day Pass. Caswell’s Capital tour requires a separate ticket.