BETHLEHEM, Pa. — On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate its 250th anniversary.
And the Lehigh Valley is planning to commemorate its own role in the history of the country.
Lehigh Valley 250, a collection of six regional arts, culture, education and history organizations, has formed to do just that.
It will create a series of exhibitions, walking tours, digital offerings and performances beginning this year and carrying through July 2026.
Jessica Edris, the project administrator, said the conversation surrounding Lehigh Valley 250 began in 2019, when several Easton-area community members came together, recognizing July 2026 would be a monumental time for the region.
Edris said there were a number of factors that inspired the group to pursue the project, but more than anything, it wanted to commemorate the region’s history.
That includes artifacts persevered across the area and historic properties on residential streets.
She said organizers knew there was value in finding ways to properly showcase what the Lehigh Valley has to offer.
A bit of Lehigh Valley history
On July 8, 1776, in Easton, Centre Square became one of three places in the colonies where public readings of the Declaration of Independence were offered.
Since then, the Lehigh Valley has contributed richly to the story of the United States.
Edris said the Lehigh Valley’s history has been recognized recently and numerous milestones are being reached.
“It felt like, you know, we were very historically relevant and needed to do something. So the group sort of tried to formalizeJessica Edris, Lehigh Valley 250 project administrator
For example, in July, the Moravian Church settlement in Bethlehem officially was recognized as the 26th UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States.
And Lafayette College will mark its 200th anniversary in 2026.
“It felt like, you know, we were very historically relevant and needed to do something,” Edris said of plans for the 250th. “So the group sort of tried to formalize.”
She said four partners agreed early on to support Lehigh Valley 250, pooling together resources and funding, as well as brainstorming ideas for strategies and programming.
The first partners included Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society and Lafayette College.
A wrench thrown in plans
As Lehigh Valley 250 started to get off the ground, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Edris said that led to a bit of a gap in planning.
“The conversation got a little bit stilted," she said. "Just as every one of these organizations clearly had their own day jobs, as I say, to make sure that all of the organizations were going to be strong and sound coming through" the pandemic.
But then, she said, state Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, stepped in and helped the team secure funding to hire a project coordinator, who ended up being Edris.
According to the Lehigh Valley 250 website, in addition to its regional partners, the organization now collaborates with 21 local partners.
Edris said community partners meet quarterly to discuss plans and facilitate conversations across organizations.
The collaborations are "something that wouldn't generally happen," she said.
"But because everyone's in the room together, [we’re] talking and kind of brainstorming and exploring how we might do this unique moment in unique ways,” she said.
Developing a regional campaign
Discover Lehigh Valley, the official destination marketing organization of Lehigh and Northampton counties, is among Lehigh Valley 250 collaborators.
“Not only are they going to be helping us have a landing page of all of these events from all of our programming partners, but also are going to help us promote some of these tourism packages,” Edris said.
Discover Lehigh Valley Chief Executive Officer Alex Michaels wrote in an email that the collaboration with Lehigh Valley 250 came about through early conversations among key stakeholders.
They recognized the opportunity for the Lehigh Valley to play a meaningful role in America’s 250th anniversary celebration, Michaels wrote.
As far as its role with Lehigh Valley 250, Michaels wrote that Discover Lehigh Valley is developing a regional campaign that supports the counties’ programming and drives participation from local cities, businesses and attractions.
Value of tourism; showcasing Valley
Edris said some of the organization's key priorities are to create broad and sustainable arts and culture collaborations; to learn how historically relevant sites can attract tourists into the region; and to generate new understandings and research around the role the Lehigh Valley played in the founding of the country.
People often visit the Lehigh Valley for large events such as Musikfest or an IronPigs baseball game, but Edris said Lehigh Valley 250 is asking: How might arts and culture organizations bring more people to the area in 2026?
“Promoting tourism has a ripple effect that benefits the entire community.”Discover Lehigh Valley Chief Executive Officer Alex Michaels
While the question remains open-ended, the organization is measuring tourism and partaking in several avenues to find answers.
In November, Lehigh Valley 250 hosted a three-day visit by the state House Tourism Committee. The panel held a public hearing to discuss the ways in which the community is working together to create impactful programming.
Lehigh Valley 250 shared with LehighValleyNews.com a tour itinerary created for the state committee.
It states the Lehigh Valley nonprofit arts and culture sector generated $171.4 million in total economic activity in 2022.
It also states the spending by those organizations and the people who partake in the resources and activities they offer supports 2,590 jobs, generates $104 million in household income for local residents and delivers $32.1 million in tax revenues to local, state and federal governments.
“Promoting tourism has a ripple effect that benefits the entire community,” Discover Lehigh Valley's Michaels said.
Also a place to stay
Not only does tourism bring more revenue to small businesses, creating more jobs and supporting entrepreneurs, but fosters community pride, according to Michaels.
“When we highlight the rich history, culture and experiences that make this region unique, it reminds residents of what makes their home special,” he wrote.
“It encourages investment in public spaces, enhances cultural offerings and creates opportunities for community events and celebrations.”
“It is impactful that we're only 60 miles north, that we can actually be a historically relevant stop for people to stay and still make it into the city to witness a game."Jessica Edris, Lehigh Valley 250 project administrator
Edris said Lehigh Valley 250 has joined the Philadelphia Historic District Partners group, which works with more than 70 organizations, to enhance visitor experience and promote the historical significance of an area.
On top of America’s 250th anniversary, Philadelphia is in store for a busy July 2026. The city will be host for the FIFA World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field and the Major League Baseball All Star game at Citizens Bank Park, among other large events.
Edris said Philadelphia’s packed schedule is important for the Lehigh Valley to note because there are only so many hotel rooms in the City of Brotherly Love.
For example, she said Philadelphia anticipates 500,000 guests for one World Cup game and there simply isn’t enough room to house everyone.
“It is impactful that we're only 60 miles north, that we can actually be a historically relevant stop for people to stay and still make it into the city to witness a game,” Edris said.
Telling untold stories
Along with promoting tourism, Edris said, through the events and collaborations it holds to celebrate history, Lehigh Valley 250 wants to specifically look for stories that have traditionally been left out of the history books.
“So we're talking about women and the enslaved, different ethnicities that may not have had representation in the history books,” she said.
“There’s always the goal of wanting to show off the Lehigh Valley and shine a light on it so that people from outside this region come, and come to learn about this area. But I also think that what it does is it highlights this region for the people that are already here.”Jessica Edris, Lehigh Valley 250 project administrator
With that in mind, Edris said, the collective got a grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency.
She said that lets it bring aboard several national scholars to engage with local museums and sites, as well as work with Lehigh Valley 250 student interns to conduct research on Lehigh Valley’s impact on the beginning of the nation.
Edris said with the research and partnerships, the organization has started developing a plan for seven regional exhibits that will take place at multiple locations.
She said the first exhibit will open in June and will carry through 2028.
Details on upcoming events can be found on theLehigh Valley 250 website.
With all of that, Edris said Lehigh Valley 250 is mindful that relationships and collaborations being built now are something stakeholders want to make last beyond the anniversary.
She said she doesn’t want it to be simply a moment in time, but a long-term project for arts and cultural organizations to work together.
“There’s always the goal of wanting to show off the Lehigh Valley and shine a light on it so that people from outside this region come, and come to learn about this area,” she said.
“But I also think that what it does is it highlights this region for the people that are already here.”
