Free America 250 Concerts and Museum Admission in Springfield
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is throwing a block party to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, complete with free concerts, a “kids and pets” parade and an array of food trucks.
The day starts at 9 a.m. with free admission to the museum all day long, where you can connect with America’s greatest president. They’ll also find the special exhibit “The Second American Revolution,” which reveals how the American Civil War and the era of Reconstruction transformed the United States. The exhibit includes the pen Abraham Lincoln used to sign the Emancipation Proclamation and a copy of the 13th Amendment signed by Lincoln and his congressional allies who abolished slavery.
Kids and pets can parade around Union Square Park, across the street from the museum, at 3:30 p.m. with decorated wagons and strollers. Kids young and old can also play with streams of bubbles and foam (and even have a bubble form around them) with Foam and Flight from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Food trucks will be selling drinks, all-American favorites and a few other tasty surprises.
The free concerts begin at 4:15 p.m. with the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band, an authentic re-creation of the actual Civil War Era band that was mustered at State Normal University in 1861. The band’s uniforms, sewn from natural wool fibers, are authentic in every detail and are patterned from actual specimens worn by the Union soldier.
The main event is a rousing performance by 3rd Coast Brass, Chicago’s premier symphonic brass band. They take the stage at 6:00 to blend the rich tradition of brass music with a bold, innovative repertoire. Made up of some of Chicago’s top musicians, 3rd Coast Brass has been praised as “amazing,” “superb” and one of the best brass band ensembles in the Midwest, with “a big, gorgeous, golden sound.”