The first annual SUMMER FEST will be held at Vancouver National Historic Reserve and feature a day full of music, food and fun from morning to night on Sunday, July 3.
VANCOUVER, Wash. (May 10, 2022)-The Historic Trust will commemorate the Declaration of Independence with a range of fun, new, in-person events for all ages.
Join us on Sunday, July 3rd, 2022, as we all return LIVE to the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site for the first SUMMER FEST powered by The Historic Trust, City of Vancouver, and National Park Service.
The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will sparkle with a full day of activities aimed at families and people of all ages.
“The Trust’s partners are excited to welcome our community in Vancouver and Southwest Washington to this gorgeous park for smiles, laughter, wide-open spaces, as well as all of the movies, dancing, games, food, and music you might expect in July,” said Amy VanCamp, Events Director for The Historic Trust.
Free and open to all, SUMMER FEST attendees will enjoy a day of live music, games on the lawn, and more. Attendees can expect to ride in military vehicles for historical tours, timely tunes from local musicians, and an abundance of lawn games—including a corn hole tournament—as well as a “Movie in the Park” (film to be announced) at dusk. Bring a picnic or purchase some of the tastiest of food from local vendors, along with beer and cider tastings behind the historic Grant House.
SUMMER FEST will kick off at 11 am, Sunday, July 3rd, and continue throughout the movie screening at dusk.
The planned mix of smaller events in July allows the organizations that operate in the Reserve to minimize the toll large public events have on stretched public safety and transit networks and to prioritize the health and safety of the community by allowing for COVID flexibility if new variants emerge.
HISTORIC SITE SUMMER FUN HIGHLIGHTS
•The City of Vancouver will be offering family games and a movie night at the Fort Vancouver NHS Parade Ground on the evening of July 8th.
• The Historic Trust will be hosting additional movie nights every other Thursday beginning July 21st through September 1st, also at the Parade Ground.
ON THE DECISION TO CANCEL FIREWORKS AT FORT VANCOUVER
“How to safely wish America "Happy Birthday" in 2022 has been a challenge for cities across the country, as many urban places, especially in the West, are grappling with increased fire hazards,” said Amy VanCamp, Historic Trust Events Director, commenting on the many cities and towns banning all personal fireworks, and relocating or canceling big fireworks shows.
VanCamp also shared about the risk assessment and decision-making process that happens 8-10 months before the 4th of July: “In addition to the increased risk of fire and understaffed public safety departments, we had to weigh the risk of spending significant dollars on fireworks while we were still at the height of the Omicron wave of COVID in the United States."
The Trust and its partners are celebrating America’s Independence with a range of events happening for all ages! Keep a lookout for more announcements from The Historic Trust, the City of Vancouver, and the National Park Service on new experiences, big and small, coming to the Reserve this July—and all summer.
Check back at www.thehistorictrust.org to see the latest summer activities!
Funding has been provided by Humanities Washington and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARA) approved by the U.S. congress and signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden.