Gardiner Celebrates America's 250th

Published on May 20, 2026

The city of Gardiner will be marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a variety of events and activities focused on the Revolutionary War, as well as Gardiner itself during in that time period.

Gardiner Area Events: 

• May 25th: Memorial Day parade (focused on 250th), Gardiner, 10 AM
  
  
• June 4th: Author Colin Woodard presenting on his book Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America and the work of Nationhood Lab, Johnson Hall, 7 pm, free
  
  
• June 14: Flag Day: Flag Ceremony at Gardiner Elks Lodge, 11 am
  
  
• June 23: Special 250th Trivia Night, Buck's Naked BBQ, 6:30 pm
  
  
• June 25th: “Keeping with the Crown: The Loyalist Dilemma”, talk by Jayne Gordon, Christ Church, 6:30 pm
  
  
• June 30th: “Myth vs Fact, the Lives of Benedict Arnold and Paul Revere”, movie night at Johnson Hall, 6:30 pm
  
  
• July 1st: “Walking the Cobbossee” (history of uses), talk by Sara Maschino, Gardiner Public Library, 6:30 pm
  
  
• July 2nd: “History of Christ Church”, talk by State Historian Earle Shetteworth, Jr., Christ Church. 6:30 pm
  
  
• July 3rd: Pre-concert mini-celebration at Waterfront Concert, 6 pm
  
  
• July 5th: Celebratory strawberry shortcake social, on the Common, 2-4 pm
  
  
• July 7th: "Ripples Up North: Slavery along the Kennebec in pre- and post-Revolutionary times", talk by Scott Klinger & Philip Johnston, Christ Church, 6:30 pm
  
  
• Oct. 22-23: Display of Declaration of Independence, Maine State Cultural Building