America’s 250th Birthday Celebration at Whippoorwill Academy

A Full Day Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday

Whippoorwill Academy and Village in Ferguson is planning an America’s 250th Birthday Celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 19, bringing together live music, dance, local history, art and hands-on demonstrations across the historic village.

Visitors are invited to do more than watch. Guests can bring a cake for the community birthday-cake table, dress as a favorite figure from American history and spend the day moving between performances, demonstrations, exhibits and historic characters.

What’s Planned

• Live music throughout the day
• Dance performances
• Art activities and games
• An art exhibit featuring America’s National Parks
• A new film about Laura Foster
• An Author’s Lane featuring writers
• A petting zoo
• Old-time saw demonstrations
• Blacksmith demonstrations
• Spinning-wheel demonstrations
• Visits with characters including Daniel Boone and Martha Washington
• A genealogy booth and additional history programming
• A community birthday-cake table and cake cutting
• A “George Washington Fizz” toast

Music, Dance and Living History

Public updates from Ferguson list musicians including Jack Thompson, Bob Watson and friends, R.G. Absher, Jesse Smith, Laura Coston and Michael Riggs. Dance performances are planned from the Freda DeGruchy Dancers and the Historic Burke Dance Troupe.

The event also leans into living history. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed as a favorite person from American history — not limited to political figures, but potentially a musician, actor, writer, astronaut or another person connected to the American story.

Bring a Birthday Cake

Guests are invited to bring a cake for America’s birthday table. Organizers plan a cake cutting around 11:30 a.m., giving visitors a shared community moment in the middle of the day’s programming.