BURRILLVILLE – Across America, planning is now underway at the federal, state and local levels for events and activities to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, and a group of dedicated volunteers is working to ensure that Burrillville has a fitting honor for the landmark birthday.
The Burrillville 250 Commission says the town will offer a year-long calendar of events to mark the occasion, including a parade, fireworks, a giant bonfire and more.
But step one is marketing and branding, and so this week, the group announced a contest to create a logo for the celebration with resident-designed artwork and/or graphics.
“People need to know that we exist and that the celebration is coming – and they need to see that continuity,” said Commission Chairperson Lisa Rabideau.
The country’s semiquincentennial birthday officially takes place on July 4, 2026, but Committee member Michael Gingell noted that the celebration in town will likely begin before then.
“I think you might see some things even start in 2025,” Gingell said.
Town officials put a call out for volunteers more than a year ago, and the two were among several in Burrillville to step forward. Rabideau said she saw the blurb and her first reaction was to look up “semiquincentennial.” Reading about the landmark U.S. birthday, she said, brought back memories of celebrations of the bicentennial in 1976.
A student at the time in Kathan Lambert’s 5th grade class, Rabideau recalls taking part in plays and other events to celebrate the history.
“I was 11 years old. I loved it,” Rabideau said. “Everything in town was patriotic.”
“I remember, from my 11-year-old eyes, seeing the country united, and that it was truly a celebration of America,” she said.
The town’s volunteer commission has now been meeting for about five months, and also includes Betty Mencucci, Jason Rhodes and Christopher Toti.
“We have a great committee,” Rabideau said. “Now we’re look for volunteers to help put all of this planning we’ve been doing into effect.”
Help will be needed for various elements of Burrillville’s celebration, including a parade tentatively planned for sometime next May to feature local schools, organizations, businesses, scouting groups, public safety and more. That month is the anniversary of Rhode Island’s independence, and will also ensure that Burrillville does not have to compete with events in neighboring towns.
“It takes several people to organize something like that,” Gingell said. “The committee for the town – there’s a lot of energy, but we will need more help to pull all of this off. We’re going to look for people to assist on a couple different subcommittees.”
Those interested are asked to email [email protected].
Gingell is also representing the town in the larger statewide effort and has been attending meetings regularly with that group.
“It’s a national movement, and that movement has been passed down to the state,” he said. “There’s a diverse group of 250 committee members for the state of Rhode Island. They want the cities and town to take charge in their local community.”
Burrillville, he notes, is a bit ahead of other municipalities in the state in terms of planning, and Rhode Island, it seems, is ahead of many other states in the country. Through one initiative dubbed the Liberty Project, one Red Maple tree will be planted in each of Rhode Island’s 39 municipalities. And the 250 committee has not only decided that Burrillville’s tree will go on the grounds of the Assembly Theatre in Harrisville, but also that five more will be purchased to be planted in Pascoag, Mapleville, Oakland, Nasonville and Glendale. Tentative plans envision a banner with the logo to be hung in each location, along with information on the village.
“We decided you can’t just go to Burrillville without recognizing the villages, because that’s what makes up this town,” Rabideau said.
Such planning shows how events will take place at multiple levels under the larger national umbrella.
“I think that this celebration – it’s about unity,” said Rabideau. “The whole country is celebrating the same thing at the same time. You’re a part of something much bigger than yourself. We’re all celebrating the same goal of the anniversary, but we can still main our own autonomy in that.”
Fundraising initiatives are also in the works including creation of a semiquincentennial challenge coin to be kept as a collectible.
“It’s not a t-shirt that’s going to wear out and get thrown away,” Rabideau said. “They’ll be in people’s collection forever.”
The logo contest, they hope, will be the start of major community involvement, with submissions coming from schools and other community groups. The contest has no age restrictions but is limited to Burrillville residents, and both hand-drawn and computer-aided images will be accepted.
“I’d like to see everything, from a kid drawing something in crayon, to a graphic artist that has it ready to go,” Rabideau said.
For inspiration, the committee suggests artists visit the websites for both national and statewide planing at America250 and RI-250. The winning entry will be used on event t-shirts and merchandise, along with social media posts.
Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] or dropped off at the Burrillville Police Department at 1477 Victory Highway marked to Rabideau’s attention. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 12 at noon.
It is the start of Burrillville’s effort to create a celebration honoring the nation, and the town’s place within the country as a source of pride.
“I won’t be around at the tricentennial,” Rabideau said. “Some people are only going to see one of these celebrations so we want it to stand out. We want it to be memorable. We want it to be something that people can look back on and remember.”
Those interested in helping are also invited to attend the Burrillville 250 Commission meetings, held in the community room of police headquarters on the third Monday of every month starting at 7 p.m.
