Fireworks, Drones & America’s 250th on the Delaware
New Hope and Lambertville come together July 3–5, 2026 for a three-day America 250 festival featuring Revolutionary-era theater, a synchronized fireworks and 200-drone sky show, live music, a Freedom Parade, dragon boat racing, and church bells ringing across both river towns.
Friday Night: Fireworks & 200 Drones Over the Delaware
Friday, July 3 closes at 9:00 PM with a 20-minute spectacular over the Delaware River. Fireworks launched from two boats anchored mid-river will pair with a 200-drone patriotic light show and a fully synchronized soundtrack of patriotic music.
Stadium-quality speakers will be installed throughout downtown New Hope and downtown Lambertville so everyone walking either side of the river hears the same music at the same moment as the same fireworks burst overhead and drones form patriotic images in the sky.
Best Viewing Spots
- New Hope–Lambertville Bridge sidewalk
- New Hope towpath
- Lambertville waterfront
- Ghost Light Inn promenade
- Riverside restaurants in either town
9:00 PM
Full Weekend Schedule
Revolutionary-era theater, children’s programming, ballet, musical performances, and the 9:00 PM fireworks and drone show.
Children’s Author Talk: The Young Federalists
📍 New Hope River PromenadeAuthor Abigale Readlinger leads a discussion, with free copies of the book provided to the public.
Period-Actor Portrayals on Both Banks
Characters include George Washington, Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Admiral DeGrasse, General Henry Knox, and other Revolutionary-era figures.
Roxey Ballet: NJ Ballad
📍 Lambertville Station StageWith Music Mountain Theatre performing “Stars and Stripes” between shows.
Fireworks & 200-Drone Show
📍 Delaware RiverAmerica’s actual 250th birthday includes a ticketed Revolutionary Pub Crawl and a live evening concert at the New Hope American Legion lot.
Revolutionary Pub Crawl Departs
📍 Lambertville StationReenactors playing George Washington, Anna Strong, Samuel Adams, and a Continental Army soldier lead the crawl across the bridge into New Hope.
Pub Crawl Arrives at Concert Site
📍 New Hope American Legion lower parking lot (41 New Street)Live Concert
📍 New Hope American Legion Lot | Entry: $10Food tents and full bar on site. Featuring The Sam Ryan Band, Forever Donna (Donna Summer Tribute), and Dancing Dream (ABBA Tribute).
The festival closes with a cross-river Freedom Parade, a dragon boat race between America and Great Britain, readings of the Declaration of Independence, and church bells ringing in unison.
Freedom Parade
📍 Starts: New Hope American Legion | Ends: Lambertville StationRelentless Dragon Boat Race
📍 Launches under the bridgeOne boat carries the colors of America, the other carries the colors of Great Britain.
Declaration of Independence Readings
Mayors and dignitaries deliver dramatic readings on platform stages on both shores.
“God Bless America” + Church Bells
Singers perform simultaneously from both sides of the river while church bells ring in unison across both towns.
Why New Hope. Why Now.
- New Hope was known as Coryell’s Ferry during the Revolution.
- It was a highly strategic Delaware River crossing.
- Congress ordered the crossing defended in spring 1777.
- Major General Benedict Arnold established his Continental Army headquarters at the Logan Inn before his treason.
- George Washington stayed at the Logan Inn multiple times during the war.
- The Logan Inn, originally the Ferry Tavern, was built in 1727 and still operates today.
- The basement where dead Continental soldiers were stored through frozen winters until the ground thawed for burial is still there.
Most people who pass through New Hope don’t realize they’re walking through Revolutionary history. The buildings are still here, the stories are still here, and 250 years later we’re still here. Working with America Celebrates, we built this weekend so everyone gets to see the town the way we see it.
Help Put Your Name in the Sky.
The drones, fireworks, stages, speakers, production crew, security, permits, and cross-river programming make this a regional celebration at a regional scale. Local businesses and community partners are invited to help support the weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Friday, July 3, 2026 at 9:00 PM. The show lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Over the Delaware River between New Hope, Pennsylvania and Lambertville, New Jersey. Fireworks will be launched from two boats anchored mid-river.
Yes. The fireworks will be paired with a 200-drone patriotic light show and synchronized patriotic music.
Yes. Friday programming and the fireworks/drone show are free to the public.
Recommended viewing areas include the New Hope–Lambertville Bridge sidewalk, New Hope towpath, Lambertville waterfront, Ghost Light Inn promenade, and riverside restaurants in either town.
Arrive early. For the fireworks, visitors should plan to find a riverside spot before 8:30 PM.
Most events are free. The Saturday Revolutionary Pub Crawl is separately ticketed, and the Saturday evening concert at the New Hope American Legion lot has a $10 entry fee.
New Hope American Legion lower parking lot, 41 New Street, New Hope, PA.
The Freedom Parade starts at the New Hope American Legion lot at 10:00 AM, crosses the bridge, and ends at Lambertville Station.
America Celebrates, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce are producing the festival with more than a dozen regional non-profit and community partners.
Community Partners
Stay current with America Celebrates.
The full official schedule, ongoing updates, the children’s book details, and the Pub Crawl ticket page are all on americacelebrates.org. For sponsorship questions, see our sponsor program.