Independence Day Celebration
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 07/04/2026
Please help us keep this calendar up to date! If this activity is sold out, canceled, or otherwise needs alteration, email mindy@kidsoutandabout.com so we can update it immediately. If you have a question about the activity itself, please contact the organization administrator listed below.
Plan Your Independence Day
On our nation’s 250th Anniversary, join us for a historic celebration complete with naturalization ceremony, 19th-century parade, pie-eating contest, and more!
- 11 a.m. – Help us welcome new American citizens! Individuals from around the world will take their oath and be sworn in as new citizens. ASL interpretation provided.
- 1 p.m. – Enjoy a traditional and exciting 4th of July parade around Village Square led by Uncle Sam.
- 1 p.m. – Join the Ladies Vintage Base Ball teams as they play Townball on the Great Meadow
- 1:15 p.m. – Following a series of historic toasts, listen in to a reading of the Declaration of Independence.
- 2:30 p.m. – Watch – or participate! – a pie-eating contest on Brooks Grove Church lawn.
Plus!
- Participate in our Wish Wall and share your hopes for America’s next 250 years
- Patriotic tunes with the Excelsior Band and the Geneseo Coronet Band.
- Learn from Indigenous teacher and storyteller Perry Ground (Onondaga, Turtle Clan)
- Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the Historic Village ($)
- Get your face painted ($)
- Make a cockade pin to show your allegiance, affiliation, or patriotism
Historic Village Highlights
Bedecked with patriotic bunting, take a walk through our Historic Village, visit with costumed interpreters, join a Toward Freedom & Fairness tour, visit the farm, and so much more.
Spread over five garden-filled acres, learn about each unique building and the lives of Western New Yorkers in the 19th Century.
Genesee Country Nature Center
The Genesee Country Nature Center is a fantastic place to explore the flora and fauna of the Genesee Valley Region. Take a hike on a nature trail (ranging from .5 – 1.3 miles), learn from a resident naturalist, meet animals up close and personal, and so much more.
John L. Wehle Gallery
Home to an extensive collection of 19th-century clothing and sporting and wildlife art, the John L. Wehle Gallery includes three rotating exhibits and serveral smaller displays. Exhibits include:
- An Extraordinary Attraction: 50 Years of History, Art, and Nature [NEW in 2026)
- Color Me Calico: A Taste for Prints and Parties
- Perceived Realities: Wildlife, Land, & Myth
Food & Beverage
Stop into these locations for a bite to eat or something to drink!
- Depot Restaurant
- Open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (grill closes at 3)
- Grab a wrap or burger and a drink.
- Freight House Pub
- Open from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Grab a small bite and a craft beer or cider.
- D.M. Munger Confectionery
- Open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Located on the Square in the Historic Village
- Stop in for Village-made cookies, candy, hand pies, and more!
- Pavilion Garden Restaurant
- Located in the Historic Village
- Ice cream, hearty sandwiches and more!
- Hosmer Taproom
- Located on the Square in the Historic Village
- Stop in for fresh hand pies, homemade shrub, and more.
Shopping at the Flint Hill Store
Be sure to stop in the Flint Hill Store, where you’ll find a variety of products in addition to our Village-made goods, fudge, GCV&M merch, and more.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.