As America prepares to ring in its 250th anniversary next year, Pennsylvania is poised to take center stage.

That’s why the state has been preparing for the event since 2018 when the Legislature established the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.

Yet, some say the state needs to do more to draw attention and resources to both the event and the infrastructure required to support hosts of visitors from around the world.

“Other states are doing transformational things, big things,” said Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia. “New Jersey – $25 million investment, infrastructure. Virginia – $47 million investment in infrastructure. And if you go back to prior celebrations, they understood the importance of these American moments to do transformational things.”

He noted that Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed a $65 million investment for the celebration, while Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has proposed $100 million. The city is also poised to host both the Major League Baseball All-Star game and the FIFA World Cup next year, which culminates on the 4th of July.

Solomon reminded a meeting of the state’s Tourism, Recreation, and Economic Development committee that Memorial Hall in Philadelphia received one out of four Americans during the nation’s centennial celebration in 1876. He went on to list some of the massive lifts of previous national anniversaries that built museums, stadiums, and landmarks and honored significant historical moments.

“What are the big transformational things we have planned?” asked Solomon.

The commission has engaged all 67 counties to celebrate the semiquincentennial. The state’s Freemasons have sponsored the planting of “liberty trees” in each county which are propagated from the trees the nation’s founders met under to organize and engage in their first acts of resistance.

Each county will also be home to at least one bell commemorating a historical event that happened there as part of the “Bells Across PA” art series. In addition to engaging the state’s local artists, the project has given students a chance to contribute to the celebration. In Elk County, every student has added splashes of color to the bell.

The opportunity to enhance the state’s historical education, civic engagement, and sense of patriotism isn’t lost on many within the committee and on the planning commission. Several speakers recalled the impact the nation’s bicentennial in 1976 had on them.

“This is more than a birthday party, man,” said former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker, who co-chairs the commission. “This is a massive civics lesson that we’re trying to endow and inspire about what it means to be free people, what it means to engage in free enterprise, you know the notion of democracy.”

Schweiker noted that the past weekend’s nationwide protests represented “the sound of democracy,” though some remained concerned that the current political climate could dampen the event.

“For Philadelphia, we’re not letting it give us a reason to not celebrate all that brings us together, which is precisely why we are making sure that we offer a slate of programs that really unites people,” said Michael Newmuis, 2026 director for the city of Philadelphia.

His team has engaged marketing consultants to align their efforts with current public sentiments, which he says will hopefully not only engage people but encourage them to contribute to solving the problems they see in their communities.

At the state level, the project is currently being managed by a group of eight full-time staff, something they say is intentional as the event has a finite end. For this reason, they’re largely relying on engagement from county commissioners, local tourism boards, and organizations like the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. Their big ask is for legislators to leverage their reach and power to support the effort.

“Pennsylvania is on a national and an international stage, which is why it’s so critical that we do this right,” said Gene Barr, who sits on the commission and is a former CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber. “I encourage all of you as elected officials to talk with your local groups.”