Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois America 250 Commission at Navy Pier on Wednesday to unveil plans for commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence. The Illinois America 250 Commission features volunteers from civic, nonprofit, educational, arts, and business sectors, along with Native and tribal leaders.
The statewide initiative will focus on uplifting local stories, with programming that includes a youth art contest, an archival project to record Illinois residents’ reflections in the Library of Congress, and a major volunteer engagement effort launching on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Gabrielle Lyon, commission chair and executive director of Illinois Humanities, noted strong enthusiasm for the celebration, with 200 organizations already signed up as partners and 68 counties involved in planning.
Hundreds of museums, cultural institutions, and historic sites across Illinois are also set to host events tied to the anniversary. The state’s tourism office is collaborating with the Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Association of Museums to create a commemorative “passport” featuring historic and culturally significant sites throughout Illinois.
Special focus will also be given to recognizing tribal histories and contributions that predate the Declaration of Independence. That effort will be led in part by commission member Dorene Wiese, a member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation and CEO of the American Indian Association of Illinois.
Officials hope this anniversary celebration will boost tourism, building on last year’s record: Nearly 113 million people visited Illinois, spending $48.5 million, according to Catie Sheehan, deputy director of the Illinois Office of Tourism.
For more information or to get involved with Illinois America 250 events, visit the public calendar at www.il250.org/events