Hunterdon County 250th Parade Is Sunday, June 14!

The Hunterdon County Historical Society will be among the organizations participating in America’s 250th Anniversary parade on Sunday, June 14 in Flemington. The parade begins at 2 p.m. and will run down Main Street. The parade will be led by a George Washington re-enactor and feature veterans organizations, first responders, marching bands, civic groups, scouting groups, community organizations, and Revolutionary War re-enactors for a patriotic celebration honoring the nation’s founding and Hunterdon County’s role in American history.

The HCHS wagon will include representation from The Red Mill, Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum, Rural Awareness, the East Amwell Historic Preservation Committee, the Mt. Amwell Project, historians from Readington Township, and the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The parade is being organized through a partnership between Hunterdon County, the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, and the Hunterdon 300th Committee.

The last time Hunterdon County had a celebration like this was June 5, 1976. The Hunterdon County Bicentennial parade was held in Ringoes and featured 150 units. It took almost four hours to get the 54 floats, 14 musical units, 30 antique vehicles, marching bands and more south from Larison’s Corner and past the site of the Ringo’s Tavern, down the Old York Road to just below the village where routes 179 and 202 meet.

Antique airplanes buzzed over the village. Hot air balloons ascended and 18th-century music entertained the parade-goers. There were several historical reenactments including a signing of the 1774 Hunterdon Resolutions against King George III.

The below photographs from the parade are part of HCHS’s corporate files collection.