Civic Season

Bird Walk at Conner Prairie
2024-06-26 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Conner Prairie Trails, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers, IN, 46038, United States
Experience birds and their habitats by taking a guided bird walk along the Trails at Conner Prairie. Beginner Bird walks are open to birders of all experience levels and will focus on identification strategies. This program is free with general admission. Please meet at the festival gates.

A Slice of History: Eat Pizza and Explore Ancestral Spaces
2024-06-22 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, 1644 31st St NW, Washington, DC, 20007, United States
All 18-30 years old who enjoy pizza with your history: this event is for you!

Take a bite out of history with Tudor Place and explore a 19th century historic house at your own pace. Experience “Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place” that reimagines over 10 rooms and is a disruption to historic house convention. “Ancestral Spaces” recovers the erased histories of the site’s enslaved and free Black community, positions descendants as decision-makers and establishes a narrative focused on resistance and community-building. Hear about the making of this community-based exhibition that embraces restorative justice.

FREE

Greensboro History Museum: Lifted Voices
2024-06-22 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Greensboro History Museum, 130 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC, 27401, United States
Celebrate the season of civic engagement between Juneteenth and July Fourth at the Greensboro History Museum. On Saturday June 22, from 1-3 pm, living history interpreters will share stories from the NC Democracy: Eleven Elections exhibition.
Free, family-friendly program. Join us for history in first person.

“Fenómeno Latino: Latin Music’s Global Rise “ Festival and Concert
2024-06-22 11:00 - 2024-06-23 11:00 (America/New_York) | Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, Washington, DC, 20560, United States
“Fenómeno Latino: Latin Music’s Global Rise “
Saturday,June 22
· Family Festival: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza First Floor, West Wing
· Concert: 5 to 9 p.m.
Mall Terrace and Flag Hall, Second Floor, Center
This Summer Solstice daytime Family Festival will feature live music, dance lessons, a drum circle and Storytime activities. The evening activities will focus on the rise of Reggaetón from the urban underground to the global mainstream and feature live music, DJs, dance lessons and demonstrations, plus a conversation with scholars and practitioners, and a special display of objects.
That evening voter registration will also be availbale in celebration of Civic Season.
For a complete line up of artists will be available closer to the event on museum’s website.

Black in Alaska Juneteenth Event
2024-06-19 10:00 - 2024-06-20 10:00 (America/Juneau) | Anchorage Museum, 625 c st, Anchorage, AK, 99501, United States
Visit Black in Alaska, a multimedia project with interviews, photos and short videos profiling 50 Black Alaskans, now on view in the first-floor atrium. Participants are from all over the state and represent diverse backgrounds in age, gender and socioeconomic status. Through storytelling, this project aims to dismantle stereotypes and create a deeper connection between communities.
Join us as we recognize Juneteenth (June 19), the day commemorating of the ending of slavery in the United States. Admission is free thanks to support from Global Credit Union, Hotel Captain Cook, Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, MTA Solutions, Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria, Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill and Broken Tooth Brewing.

Wyoming State Museum Civic Season Festival!
2024-06-16 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Denver) | Wyoming State Museum, 714 W 20th St, Cheyenne, WY, 82001, United States
Join the Wyoming State Museum along with a collaborative of local and statewide organizations for a summertime celebration of who we are as a nation, how we got here and where we want to go next. On the main stage you’ll jam out to live music, enjoy an exuberant mini debate organized by Braver Angels, and hear inspiring stories about civic engagement.
Enjoy beer and food from Westby Edge Brewery, creative art projects, and hands-on activities to help you discover how your personal background and values give you the power to shape the future. It’s about gathering friends, having some fun, and amplifying our voices to create a Wyoming we’re all proud of.
3:00 PM – Cheyenne Fiddle Orchestra. Bob Matthews leads a group of young fiddlers through country classics.
4:00 PM – Braver Angels Mini Debate. Should there be age limits on politicians? What about social media regulations?
4:30 PM – How to do Civics. Learn how to find inspiration and discover your path to civic engagement.
5:00 PM – Samir Knox. Folk with a rock and roll heart.

Juneteenth Celebration in Tempe, Arizona
2024-06-16 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | Arizona Heritage Center, 1300 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85288, United States
Please join us to recognize the impact of Black communities in Arizona with a Juneteenth Celebration. Community members will connect with each other and a variety of organizations representing historical societies, action groups, state resources, and the community at large. Guests are welcome to wander, discuss, and enjoy performances, activities, and food! Festivities will take place on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
Entrance to this special event is free with a Free Admission Pass. Choose the Supporter Admission Pass option for $10 to support future programming of this kind.
The Arizona Heritage Center is located at 1300 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85288. We look forward to seeing you at the museum!

Penn Museum Juneteenth Celebration
2024-06-15 10:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
Bring the whole family for a festival filled with joyful performance, live DJ sets, captivating storytelling, and hands-on activities for all ages. Support Black-owned businesses at a community marketplace or grab a bite from locally owned food trucks.
Advance registration is encouraged but not required. Walk up registration will be available.

What's the link between education and incarceration?
2024-06-15 00:00 UTC | NJ
Sing Sing Prison Museum’s spring interns from Mercy University, Jelani Mitchell and Adriana Flores, present a series of videos and a podcast about Sing Sing Prison’s history. Jelani’s series of three 60 sec shorts each introduce us to a slice of Sing Sing history, in fun bite sized pieces. In her podcast, Adriana has an important conversation about education and incarceration with Mercy University’s Director of Academic Partnerships, Andy Baker. The Sing Sing Prison Museum’s mission is to share stories of incarceration and reform, past and present, and to bring people together to imagine and create a more just society. To learn more, visit: singsingprisonmuseum.org

Slice of History Trivia Night with Liberty Hall Historic Site
2024-06-11 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub, 863 Wilkinson Blvd., Frankfort, KY, 40601, United States
Get your “Slice of History” at Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub!
Join Liberty Hall for Kentucky’s Civic Season in an evening of history trivia, food, and prizes! Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub creates a gathering space where our community & visitors can come together around local food, while Liberty Hall nurtures personal connections to the past as a means of civic engagement. The two partnered together to offer you your own Slice of History, so come on down to Locals for a slice of free pizza and trivia fun!

Just Breathe: Wellness in STL
2024-06-05 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63112, United States
African American History Initiative (AAHI) programming is presented by Wells Fargo.
The Collective STL presents an intergenerational summer wellness experience. Participate in an all-levels yoga class and enjoy a variety of activities, including journaling, mindful art, music, live DJ performances, and food. If you like walking, hiking, and biking, we also encourage you to take advantage of the trails in Forest Park.

Uncensored: Pride Month
2024-05-31 00:00 UTC | DoSomething, NY, United States
CELEBRATE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES BY READING A BANNED BOOK BY A QUEER AUTHOR

The top 3 most banned books of the past year all were about being queer. Attacks on books have been explicit about targeting content about the queer and trans experience–preventing young people from accessing stories and information that can build allyship and support for LGBTQIA+ teens in affirming their identity.
So, for Pride Month, we’re taking a stand to live our lives Uncensored. One way to do that is to read and celebrate stories about the queer experience and reflect on how these stories inspire us to live our lives proudly and openly. Take action with us and you could earn a $500 scholarship by reading a book from our Uncensored: Pride Month Booklist and share your personal reflections about the importance of the story and how you’ll advocate for culturally representative stories in your school.

Hostile Terrain 94: Installation on U.S.-Mexico Border Policies
2024-05-31 00:00 UTC | Museum of Us, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, CA, 92101, United States
Hostile Terrain 94 is a participatory map installation created by the Undocumented Migration Project, a non-profit research and arts-education collective. This installation is intended to raise awareness about the realities of the U.S.-Mexico Border, focusing on the deaths that have been happening almost daily since 1994 as a direct result of the Border Patrol policy “Prevention Through Deterrence”.
Hostile Terrain 94 was developed into a broader exhibition at the Museum of Us to illustrate the impacts of the U.S.-Mexico border policies on human life. Visitors reflect on a timeline of government policies, contemporary artworks, a land acknowledgment for the O’odham Peoples, and more.
The Museum of Us is a cultural anthropology museum with a mission to inspire human connections by exploring the human experience. Experiences at the Museum of Us tell the diverse stories that define all of us, especially those that have long been overlooked or silenced by dominant cultural narratives.

The History of Race at the Museum of Us
2024-05-31 00:00 UTC | Museum of Us, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, CA, 92101, United States
“Race” is a short word with a long history. Yet, most of what we think about race is based on myth, folklore, or assumptions unsupported by genetics or biology. Learn about the history of race and reflect on identity in “Race: Are We So Different?”
Created by the American Anthropological Association and the Science Museum of Minnesota, “Race: Are We So Different?” is a core exhibit at the Museum of Us, a cultural anthropology museum.
Visit the current exhibition before it is reimagined into a new experience about the history and experience of race in the trinational region of San Diego-Tijuana, Mexico-Kumeyaay Nation.

Stories of the Incarcerated at Sing Sing Prison in New York
2024-05-29 00:00 UTC | NJ
Sing Sing Prison, in Ossining, New York, is a nearly 200 year-old prison that has shaped the carceral system. The Sing Sing Prison Museum helps people understand the impact of this place. Short videos will introduce you to the voices and stories of people who have been part of Sing Sing’s history and present-day.

Host Your Own Feast of Reason
2024-05-02 00:00 UTC | NJ
This year, New American History is collaborating with our neighbors at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello to share a digitized version of the Feast of Reason. Host your own “Jeffersonian dinner” in the dorm or classroom, around the family dinner table, in a video chat or any social space. Promote civil discourse across generations or across the miles!

Collect, Connect, and Celebrate with History Pinned
2024-05-02 00:00 UTC | NJ
RevolutionNJ invites you explore New Jersey’s past this Civic Season through their History Pinned program!
From June 1st – July 31st, five historic sites, with connections to New Jersey’s civic history, will be handing out unique History Pinned pin-backed buttons. Collective all five and win a prize!
2024 History Pinned Sites:
– Alice Paul Institute
– American Labor Museum
– Hoboken Historical Museum
– New Jersey State Museum
– T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center
Details:
The pin-backed buttons and History Pinned booklets will be available at each location. To receive your button, look for the History Pinned sign at the welcome desk or ask museum staff for assistance. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

How El Paso Works
2023-07-09 00:00 (America/Denver) | Magoffin Home State Historic Site, 1117 Magoffin Avenue, El Paso, TX, 79901, United States
When Joseph Magoffin helped write the articles of Incorporation for El Paso, he helped shape the modern city. In this series, we will compare Joseph’s vision for El Paso to what is has become in the last 150 years. Guest speakers from municipal agencies will be invited to speak about their departments and let us know why and when we might need to call upon them to help us keep El Paso thriving.
Join us this month as we learn the history of El Paso’s Police Department. Spoilers: Joseph Magoffin played a part.
This is a series meant to help us all become more aware of and confident in using city services available to us all and to celebrate 150 years of being an incorporated city in Texas. Call in advance to 915-533-5147, ext. 1002, or email magoffin-home@thc.texas.gov to register.

First Fridays at VMHC
2023-07-07 00:00 (America/New_York) | Virginia Museum of History & Culture, 428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
On the first Friday of each month from 5:00-8:00 pm, enjoy extended hours and free admission to all exhibitions (including “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon”), live music, and family-friendly activities. Plus, enjoy access to specials in the Museum Café and food trucks on site. The July edition will also feature special civics-themed activities. Free, no registration required.

July 4th: Stars and Stripes Picnic
2023-07-04 15:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago) | National WWI Museum and Memorial, 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO, 64108, United States
Celebrate community resilience at Kansas City’s official Independence Day event!
The Stars and Stripes Picnic at the National WWI Museum and Memorial is the perfect place to spend your 4th of July. Bring your friends and family to grab a bite to eat, shop from local vendors, listen to live music. And hang around into the evening to enjoy the largest fireworks display in the city!

July 4th: Fourth at the Fort Festivities
2023-07-04 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Fort Pitt Museum, United States
The Fort Pitt Museum, part of the Heinz History Center’s family of museums, will host its annual Fourth at the Fort festivities in Point State Park on Tuesday, July 4.
At 1 p.m., colonial reenactors, local scouts, and veterans will help raise a 36-foot American flag and kick off the Fourth of July holiday in the city of Pittsburgh. The ceremony will commence in the Fort Pitt Block House yard thanks to an ongoing partnership with the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, owners of the Fort Pitt Block House – the oldest building in the region. Visitors can watch museum staff symbolically lower a British ensign and help raise a 36-foot, 13-star Garrison flag, one of several early patterns that may have flown over Fort Pitt during the American Revolution. The ceremony will conclude with the singing of the National Anthem.
After the patriotic flag raising ceremony, visitors can enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of living history demonstrations. Visitors can throw tomahawks, learn about Pittsburgh’s role during the American Revolution, and see costumed interpreters reenact 18th-century life at Fort Pitt.

Pittsburgh: A Civic Legacy
2023-07-04 12:00 (America/New_York) | Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States
Reflect upon the civic legacy of Pittsburgh and find objects in the museum relating to civics and democracy. Campaign buttons have been used throughout U.S. history to advertise for or against another candidate, political party, or issue. Examine past campaign buttons in the History Center’s collection and design your own button inspired by your vision for democracy.

July 4th: Independence Day at the VMHC
2023-07-04 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Virginia Museum of History & Culture, 428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
Join us in welcoming new U.S. Citizens and explore Virginia’s political history at the VMHC this Fourth of July! Save the date for a citizenship naturalization ceremony and see candidates take the Oath of Allegiance. Then, stay after the ceremony to explore the museum’s galleries, purchase items from the Museum Store about Virginia’s place in America’s grand experiment, and get a refreshing treat in the Museum Café!
The naturalization ceremony is held in partnership with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The ceremony is free to attend and open to the public without registration. Please note: All attendees must have photo identification (driver’s license/ID card) to enter the courtroom/event space and will be screened for prohibited items.
Admission to the museum will be available at the conclusion of the ceremony.

July 4th - 2023 Frederick Douglass Community Reading
2023-07-04 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Historic Stagville State Historic Site, 5925 Jock Road, Bahama, NC, 27503, United States
Commemorate Independence Day with a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” at Stagville. This participatory reading will take place at Horton Grove, on the grounds of the original 1850s slave dwellings.

July 4th: Independence Day | Remember, Reconnect and Represent
2023-07-04 | Zoom, United States
Today, we roll out the welcome mat for the future inheritors of the United States, unleashing access to history for informed, inspired civic participation. Anchored by our newest and oldest federal holidays, the Civic Season event series mobilizes a movement to understand our past and shape our future!
Be a Connector and link with organizations advocating for a better Chicago, hear from local leaders, and leave your mark on the community mural. Enjoy crafts and games outside, hands-on history facilitated by Natalia Virafuentes, then tour Museum with a Civic Action @ CHM guide, followed by a special screening of the documentary Represent (2020) by Kartemquin Films.
All Civic Season events are FREE admission days for Illinois residents.

July 4th: An American Celebration at George Washington's Mount Vernon
2023-07-04 00:00 (America/New_York) | George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway , Mount Vernon, VA, 22121, United States
Salute the first commander in chief during Mount Vernon’s annual Independence Day event. Meet George Washington. Watch made-for-daytime fireworks, observe a moving ceremony in which people from across the world become U.S. citizens, hear a musical performance by the National Concert Band, and see 18th-century magic in the upper garden with Mr. Peter Gardiner.

July 4th at the National Archives
2023-07-04 00:00 (America/New_York) | National Archives Foundation, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, DC, 20408, United States
Mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate the 4th of July with the National Archives. For over 50 years, the Archives has celebrated the founding of the United States with a patriotic celebration that includes a ceremonial reading of the Declaration of Independence. This one-of-a-kind event takes place on the Museum steps, and there is room for everyone to join in the fun.

Save a Life: Blood Drive @ WWI Museum and Memorial
2023-07-03 00:00 (America/Chicago) | National WWI Museum and Memorial, 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO, 64108, United States
Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the nation while honoring the sacrifices of our military? By donating blood, you continue in a proud tradition started in WWI when blood was stored for future transfusion for the first time. The U.S. relies on the generosity of blood donors to save lives and, since 2016, the Museum and Memorial has been honored to partner with the Community Blood Center to provide that support for Kansas City. To find out more details about eligibility, the donation process and to make an appointment, please visit savealifenow.org.
Appointments are REQUESTED to donate at this blood drive; walk-ins will be accepted.

Mount Vernon Independence Fireworks
2023-07-01 | George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA, 22121-3600, United States
Enjoy an evening of family fun and fireworks along with patriotic music to celebrate our nation’s founding.
Relax and enjoy a patriotic evening that includes dazzling fireworks and musical performances. Walk down to visit the Washington Tomb for special wreath-layings, revel in the sounds of the 18th century with performances by the talented Fifes & Drums of York Town and the National Concert Band, watch ice cream making demonstrations, and learn 18th-century dancing.
Fireworks over the Potomac will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m.

Guided Tour: George Washington in Western Pennsylvania
2023-07-01 00:00 (America/New_York) | Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States
Learn about fascinating stories of Pittsburgh history and enhance your museum experience on a Guided Tour at the Heinz History Center. Museum docents will lead a special tour of Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation and Clash of Empires exhibitions to discuss George Washington’s Pittsburgh and Western Pa. connections.
