The 2026 series begins as part of Sudbury 250th Day on Saturday, May 16 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM! Gather at the First Parish of Sudbury (327 Concord Road) at 1:00 PM for an engaging performance hosted by the Sudbury Historical Society. Afterward, enjoy a reception at the c. 1730 Loring Parsonage, home to the Sudbury History Center and Museum in historic Sudbury Town Center.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration not required.

Declaring Independence: Then & Now brings to life the Declaration of Independence as a forum for civic dialogue and engagement through a forty-minute performance and ensuing moderated community conversation. The script, written by public historian Mary B. Fuhrer, utilizes primary source material researched by citizen historians to reveal how individuals within Massachusetts towns debated and responded to the question of independence in the spring and summer of 1776, followed by an annotated reading of the Declaration itself.

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 15 community-hosted performances are scheduled across the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area during the spring and summer of 2026. Find a performance near you!

Declaring Independence: Then & Now is supported, in part, by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati