celebrate life
Freedom Rings In Southeast Idaho
COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE TO SHAPE IDAHO’S ROLE IN 250TH ANNIVERSARY
by susan stucki
In 2026, communities across Idaho joined a nationwide moment of reflection and celebration as America marks 250 years since the founding era. In southeast Idaho, that spirit will take center stage at an America250 in Idaho Freedom Festival designed to bring the community together around a shared theme: freedom is remembered best when it is practiced through service.
The gathering will celebrate the Constitution, recognize the sacrifices of veterans, and invite residents to continue to “remember by serving.” The statewide initiative encourages Idahoans to honor the ideals of the American Revolution, deepen community connections, and reflect on Idaho’s place in the nation’s story.
A Festival Rooted In Freedom
The Freedom Festival will begin on September 11, 2026, at 6 pm at the Bonneville County Fairgrounds in Idaho Falls. 9/11, National Day of Service was designated to remember and honor those who lost their lives and those who helped save lives on September 11, 2001, 25 years ago. The evening is planned as a patriotic community event, blending music, ceremony, and an opportunity for residents to remember the freedoms protected by the Constitution. National Day of Service motto is: Remember by Serving.
Honoring Veterans & Community Traditions
- The American Legion Flag Ceremony will open the program with a formal tribute to the nation’s colors.
- A Tribute to Veterans will recognize the men and women whose service has helped preserve American freedoms. We invite the entire community to create Thank a Vet cards we will present to our local veterans.
- A history trivia competition among local business teams, and the creation of the America250 in Idaho Time Capsule will be the focus of the evening.
- Musical and performance highlights include Eagle Rock Pipes and Drums, Jay Osmond, the Bonneville High School Band, and Extreme Ballroom Company.
- The Idaho Liberty Bell will be on display at the event as it makes its way through the state. The bell is an icon of Idaho’s commitment to freedom. One of 53 bells cast in France in 1950, it was displayed in every part of this state. Recently refurbished, it is again traveling to all 44 counties to be viewed. Idaho’s liberty bell will once again take its place in front of the State Capitol as the inspirational symbol of Idaho’s commitment to freedom. The dimensions and tone are identical to those of the original Liberty Bell when it rang out our independence in 1776. In standing before this symbol, we can dedicate ourselves, as did our founding fathers, to the principles of the individual freedom for which our Nation stands. But the bell ringing doesn’t stop there!
Bells Across America: Constitution Day
The celebration will continue with a Constitution Day tradition on September 17. Residents, schools, churches, civic groups, and neighborhoods are invited to join in ringing bells at 2 pm to mark the beginning of Constitution Week.
The bell-ringing tradition recalls September 17, 1787, when the signing of the U.S. Constitution was announced in Philadelphia, Pa., and church bells rang out to share the news. Today, Bells Across America invites communities to recreate that symbolic sound of liberty and to remember that the Constitution remains a living foundation for civic life.
Additional Constitution Week activities will be held throughout the community
Join The Celebrations
Residents of southeast Idaho are encouraged to attend the Freedom Festival on September 11 and take part in the bell-ringing observance on Constitution Day, September 17. Whether saluting for the flag, thanking a veteran, answering a history trivia question, placing a memory in the time capsule, or ringing a bell, every participant can help carry the sound of freedom into America’s next chapter. It is an invitation to look backward with gratitude and forward with purpose.