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4th of July Annual “Let Freedom Ring” Ceremony – Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green

Date Posted: Monday, June 27th, 2022

United States FlagAnnual Let Freedom Ring Ceremony
Historic New- Castle, Delaware
Guest Speaker: Tom Welch
Tom Welch of Dover will be speaking as Delaware Folk Hero, Allen McLane

Monday, July 4th – 1:30 p.m.
Please be seated inside no later than 1:25
Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green
Corner of Market & Harmony Streets
Historic New Castle, DE 19720

4th of July 2021 Bell-Ringing Ceremony in Historic New Castle, Delaware – Click for FlyerOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader

LET FREEDOM RING — Join us as we celebrate the 4th of July and the 18th century Delawareans who gathered in New Castle to support the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Children and families of all ages, regardless of age, faith,  race, or ethnicity, are cordially invited to attend historic New Castle’s bell-ringing ceremony, which will be held at Immanuel Church on the Green from 1:30-2:30 pm on the 4th of July.  This free annual event is part of an ongoing national ceremony.  When the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped, bells in Philadelphia and across the nation will ring simultaneously,  to officially commemorate the birth of American Independence.

Please be inside Immanuel by 1:20 pm as the program begins at 1:30 sharp. Guests will remain seated for the pealing of the church bells at 2:00 p.m., then children, representing the thirteen colonies, will ring a smaller bell, donated to the day’s event by the Old Courthouse Museum. Ken Oppenheimer, a member of the Delaware Sons of the American Revolution, will help coordinate the children’s bell-ringing efforts.

This year’s keynote speaker is Tom Welch of Dover, who will be speaking as Delaware Folk Hero, Allen McLane. An avid history aficionado, Welch was first asked to portray Delaware patriot Allen McLane in a living-history program in 2008. Since then, he has written about and portrayed him in countless programs across the area. Tom has been a historic-site interpreter for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs since 2007, following a 27-year career as an administrator for Wesley College in Dover.  Welch has been instrumental in developing several programs on American history including the Old State House History Coffee-Hour Lecture Series, and Allen McLane Symposium.   

Re-enactors, children, docents and all who love wearing 18th century garb are invited to come dressed in period attire, although ordinary casual clothing is welcomed.  Visitors will enjoy exploring the graveyard where a number of colonial settlers and local Revolutionary soldiers are buried. Social distancing and masks are encouraged but not required.