Barrington 250 Events

Celebrate in Barrington for America's 250th

The Semiquincentennial is just weeks away! The culmination of Barrington 250 festivities begins the week of Monday, June 22, leading up to grand finale Signature Celebrations over the 4th of July holiday weekend! Made possible by Barrington 250 Sponsors and Community Collaborators, celebrations include:

• Speaker Series Finale (Monday, June 22, 6:30-8pm) with Rhode Island Historical Society Executive Director C. Morgan Grefe [Barrington Public Library, 281 County Road]

• Red, White, and Blue Decorated Bike Parade (Friday, June 26 - time to be announced) in collaboration with Barrington's Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee [Start & end locations to be announced]

• Patriotic Dressed Ship Parade (Friday, June 26, 6:30-7:30pm) in collaboration with Barrington Yacht Club [Suggested viewing areas: In Barrington: Matthewson Road (open to foot traffic only) or Barrington River Bridge. (Limited parking at Police Cove Park.) In Warren: Water Street waterfront/ restaurants from Trafford to The Guild.]

• Film Series Finale (Tuesday, June 30, 6-8pm) Movie musical favorite 1776 [Barrington Public Library]

• Contra Dance (Thursday, July 2, 6-8pm) Line dancing with Colonial-era New England roots (250th-themed attire welcome!) [Barrington Public Library]

• Independence Day Food & Music Festival (Saturday, July 4, 1-4:30pm) Gather in Barrington after the Bristol parade! [Town Hall, 283 County Road]

• Barrington 250 Finale Concert Featuring Brass Attack (Sunday, July 5, 6:30-8:30pm) Crowd-pleasing hits on Barrington’s beautiful waterfront! Bring a picnic to enjoy on the lawn. Presented in collaboration with Barrington Parks & Recreation. [Latham Park: Latham Avenue at Shore Drive]

• Barrington 250 Closing Ceremony and Time Capsule Dedication (Saturday, October 24, 12-2pm) Be sure to order your commemorative brick to be part of the historic installation! [Town Hall grounds]

All events rain or shine! Keep an eye out for more details in individual event listings below, coming soon.

In June, celebrate our community's commitment to the collective good & collaborative problem-solving, in alignment with Civic Season (Juneteenth-July 4th).

In July, Barrington 250’s grand finale ceremonies and signature events celebrate our vibrant community, our connections with our town’s history, and our hopes for our shared future.

Also ongoing: Contribute to the Barrington 250 Time Capsule! (See details below)

June & July event updates:

• Wish Wall contributions extended through July! Visit the Wish Wall display at Barrington Public Library in the 1st floor gallery.

• Closing ceremony and time capsule dedication rescheduled for Saturday, October 24, 12-2pm on Town Hall grounds, in conjunction with Barrington's annual Harvest Fest! Due to community interest in the Barrington 250 commemorative bricks project, the installation has been pushed out to this fall. The time capsule dedication will take place in conjunction with the bricklaying.

Barrington Public Library is proud to host Rhode Island's only livestream of TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures at the library on Saturday, June 13 from 11am-5:30 pm. This daylong symposium features 15+ brand-new TED Talks focused on the evolution and future of democracy, streaming live from Philadelphia! View the lineup of speakers. 

You are free to come and go as you please throughout the event, which includes three livestreamed sessions, with activities and discussion on-site at the library in between:

• Activity: 10 - 11am (Create your own flag in honor of Flag Day; drop-in workshop for all ages - see details below)

• Session 1 TED Talks: 11am - 12:30pm

• Discussion: 12:30 - 1 pm

• Activity: 1 - 2pm (Flag-making for TED Democracy participants)

• Session 2 TED Talks: 2 - 3:30pm

• Discussion: 3:30 - 4pm

• Session 3 TED Talks: 4 - 5:30pm

Experience big ideas, thoughtful conversation and a shared civic moment. Learn more and register here!

PLUS, celebrate Flag Day with a creative community art project! Flag Day is celebrated annually in the United States on June 14 to commemorate the 1777 adoption of the American flag by the Second Continental Congress. 

Honor the history and symbolism of the "Stars and Stripes" by creating your own unique flag using a variety of colorful materials and supplies. Whether you create a traditional flag, a personal symbol of what freedom means to you, or something completely imaginative, this hands-on program is a fun way to express yourself and honor the spirit of the day. Then, if you wish, leave your flag with the library, where it will become part of a community art display.

All-ages drop-in event 10-11am including a special 250th craft for kids; no registration required! Afternoon workshop for TED Democracy participants.

Join friends and neighbors on Friday, June 26 from 6:30-7:30pm for a Patriotic Dressed Ship Parade presented by Barrington Yacht Club! The parade route will be on the Barrington and Warren Rivers. To participate, sign up at barringtonyc.com.

Suggested viewing areas: 

• In Barrington: Matthewson Road (open to foot traffic only) or Barrington River Bridge. Limited parking at Police Cove Park.

• In Warren: Water Street waterfront/ restaurants from Trafford to The Guild.

Bring a chair or blanket! Rain or shine.

EXTENDED! Next drop-off date to be announced

As part of our town’s commemorations of America’s 250th, Barrington High School students are leading an effort to create a community time capsule that will be opened on our nation’s Tricentennial in 2076. All Barrington residents, organizations/community groups, and businesses are invited to contribute objects: review submission guidelines, view available object drop-off event dates, and complete the submission form here. Students at Barrington Public Schools will also be invited to choose collective grade-level contributions (details forthcoming via schools).

Be sure to mark your calendar for the time capsule dedication ceremony on Saturday, October 24, 2026, 12-2pm at Barrington's annual Harvest Fest! 

Help future town residents understand who we were, what we valued, and how we lived in 2026. What will Barrington be like 50 years from now? What will people in the future remember about 2026? What evidence will help people understand our experiences of our town and our nation today? What stories about life in this place we call home do we want to share with our future community? On the 300th anniversary of American independence, what do we want future members of our community to find preserved in the time capsule we bury at Town Hall this year?

Review guidelines and complete the submission form here!

Ideas percolating? Here are some resources about time capsules to explore, for kids (American Museum of Natural History) and adults (Library of Congress, JSTOR Daily, New York Times, Smithsonian). Did you know Samuel Adams and Paul Revere buried a time capsule under the cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House in 1795? View the MFA Boston's video & slideshow of what was inside.

Visit Barrington Public Library’s first-floor gallery (281 County Road) to view the Barrington 250 Wish Wall, part of a nationwide initiative capturing Americans’ hopes and dreams for the future. 

Coordinated by Made By Us, a national organization that aims to inspire youth civic participation, the initiative has generated hundreds of Wish Walls across the United States, from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and The New York Historical to smaller, local hosts including museums, libraries, parks, community hubs, and gatherings, along with a virtual wish wall online at OnOur250th.org – and more are planned.

Here in Barrington, stop by Barrington Public Library (281 County Road) Bayside Family YMCA (70 West Street), Town Hall (283 County Road), or the Peck Center (281 County Road) to write a personal wish — from small acts of kindness to big visions for change — for the next 50 years. All wishes contributed also will be added to our town’s Time Capsule, which will be opened on our nation’s Tricentennial in 2076.

The Wish Wall gives everyone a voice in imagining the future we want to build together. It’s a simple act of hope — Barrington 250’s April theme — and offers our community an opportunity to contribute to a collective snapshot of what we value most as a nation.

Join the planning committee, become a sponsor or partner, volunteer for events, share your ideas! Be part of the team working to create a town-wide celebration from January-July 2026 that is showcasing our community’s rich history and vibrant spirit in honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence. Your ideas and passion are crucial for planning this special milestone. Together, we can make Barrington 250 an unforgettable experience for everyone!

Can't make it to an in-person event or just want to explore some Semiquincentennial topics and themes on your own? Check out Barrington 250's collection of resources -- from books and articles, to movies and music, to podcasts and digital public humanities content ... and more!

Do you LOVE Barrington?? Write a Love Note to your favorite place in town. When you share your Rhody love you will be contributing our community's stories of beloved spaces and places to Rhody Love Notes, Grow Smart, RI's statewide collective mapping project. Your note will be added to a town time capsule, and may be included in a Barrington 250 commemorative publication. Let's help add 250 stories (or more!) to the collection by July 4, 2026 for Rhody Love Notes’ special Semiquincentennial edition! #Rhody250LoveNotes

The American Revolution, the landmark documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, examines how thirteen American colonies unite in rebellion, win an eight-year war to secure their independence, and establish a new form of government that inspires centuries of democratic movements around the globe. The American Revolution is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App. 

Also check out: Ocean State Media’s Ian Donnis in conversation with Ken Burns during a recent visit to Providence, discussing the importance of history, the legacy of the American Revolution, and Rhode Island’s contribution to the country’s founding.