TEXAS — Days away from the Fourth of July holiday, which will mark America’s 250th birthday, cities across the country and in Texas are hosting celebrations to mark the occasion. The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston hosted a free family event called Patriot Day on Wednesday, kicking off the America 250 celebrations.
The Heritage Society is known for its efforts to preserve and share the rich histories of Houston and Texas, so organizers said it’s even more significant to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with events and exhibits paying tribute to those histories.
Activities included demonstrations, a scavenger hunt and a free tour of the historic Kellum-Noble House on Dallas Street, which is considered the oldest surviving building constructed in Houston. It’s one of 10 homes the organization has preserved or restored over its more than 70-year history.
A traveling exhibit called the American Revolution Experience was also part of the Patriot Day activities, and it will be on display through July 18. It’s located inside the Heritage Society Museum and was created by the American Battlefield Trust and the Daughters of the American Revolution. The exhibit showcases the lives and contributions of ordinary people during the Revolutionary War. Jill Brooks, a Heritage Society board member, said three exhibits are making their way around the United States, including this one.
“We feel like we won the lottery to get this at this time period, but we worked on it several years,” Brooks said. “We put our bid in right at the beginning, and since we’re such a large city and right now with the World Cup being here, it’s just the perfect place to showcase the American Revolution.”
She said the exhibit opened during Juneteenth and also highlights lesser-known patriots, including African Americans and Native Americans, as well as Spanish ties to the revolution.