Tuesday, July 4, 2023 @ 2:00 pm
On July 4, 2023, Ridgefield Historical Society will again be celebrating Let Freedom Ring, a long-standing tradition in which local individuals and institutions ring their bells 13 times at the stroke of 2:00pm to celebrate our freedom and independence.
The Historical Society will be leading the way, ringing bells at the David Scott House (4 Sunset Lane), the Society’s headquarters, and the Peter Parley Schoolhouse (at the intersection of West Lane and Route 35), and — especially satisfying — clanging the old fire bell on Bailey Avenue.
Count Your Blessings and Ring Your Bells
All Ridgefield individuals and organizations are encouraged to join the Historical Society at any of our locations or ring a bell of your own. Whether you’re a kid with a bike bell; a church with a steeple, a driver with a horn; a drummer with a drum, almost anybody with a cell phone, join the fun and find a way to recognize and celebrate our fortune and freedom. #LetFreedomRingRidgefield2023
About the Tradition
The Let Freedom Ring tradition was made official in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy proclaimed July 4 to be “National Bell Ringing Day” through U.S. Congressional Resolution Number 25, where all across the nation Americans would ring bells to celebrate freedom and patriotism, as the founding fathers would have done when the Revolutionary War was won in 1783. Historic sites like the Liberty Bell, many National Parks, Pearl Harbor, and the Alamo have participated in this event, as well as local historical societies nationwide. Typically, bells are rung 13 times, representing the 13 colonies that fought for freedom and independence in 1776. New Hampshire! Massachusetts! Rhode Island! Connecticut! New York! New Jersey! Pennsylvania! Delaware! Maryland! Virginia! North Carolina! South Carolina! and Georgia!
