UPDATE – Dinner tickets are sold out Hopewell U.S. 250th celebration this Saturday, June 6, but Beer Garden tickets are still available. The Hopewell in the Revolution and children’s events and activities are all free and open to the public – 4 to 6 pm at the Hopewell Train Station and the Old School Baptist Meetinghouse.
Saturday June 6, 2026 is Hopewell Borough’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary – with history activities plus a community dinner and party.
The history activities are free and open to all, starting at 4 pm at the Train Station and also at the Old School Baptist Meetinghouse.
The community dinner featuring a pig roast begins at 5 pm at the train station, with music and the beer garden starting at 6:30. Tickets for the dinner are $2.50 (mainly to track attendance), and the beer garden is separate at $21.50.
Here’s a summary of all that is going on at Hopewell’s USA 250th celebration, to help decide which parts you want to do when.
Ongoing Activities
3 – 6 pm – Old School Baptist Meetinghouse & Cemetery Open House
- Explore this historic site that was recently named to the National Register of Historic Places
- Guides will discuss the 1822 building, the John Hart Memorial, and the features of the old graveyard
- (Use the Center Street entrance to move between the Train Station and Meetinghouse – just two short blocks)
4 – 6:30 pm – Train Station Displays on Hopewell in the Revolutionary War
- Discover Hopewell sites and people that were involved in the Revolutionary War, plus historic images and maps
- See and handle supplies carried by Revolutionary War soldiers, including clothing, cooking items, playing cards & pipe, and musket
- View video about John Hart and the Hart House in Hopewell (also see on YouTube)
4 – 6 pm – Outdoor Activities (Train Station)
- Sign the large Declaration of Independence
- Children’s crafts, stories, face painting; old-timey toys
- Games by the basketball court all night
- Cornhole, quoits, and horseshoes
History Presentations (Train Station)
4 – 5 pm – Opening Ceremony – American Revolution (Train Station)
- Town Crier
- Reading of the Declaration of Independence
- Re-enactor on people of color in the Revolution
- Presentation on William Stives and Black History
5 – 6 pm – Hopewell in the Revolution (Train Station)
- Presentations on John Hart in the Revolution, and on Hart and his family
- Tour to Old School Baptist site (5:15 pm) – Explore Meetinghouse, Memorials, and Graveyard
- Re-enactor on the life of an enlisted soldier (5:45 pm) – Plus musket firing to kick off the party
Party (Train Station)
5 – 8 pm – Dinner / Food Service (Train Station)
- Buffet pig roast
- Seasonal sides by Brick Farm Tavern
- Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options
- Ticket required, $2.25 per person
6 – 10 pm – Celebration Party (Train Station)
- Music and Beer Garden begin at 6:30 pm
- Castle Lane and dancing under the stars
- Wine and Truly hard seltzer also on tap
For more on the Old School Baptist Meetinghouse story, see Old School Baptist Church – Pictorial History. This also historic photos, church booklets, building plans, and video of a panel presentation that discussed new research on the church building and the cemetery, and plans for the future of this Hopewell institution.
