Johnston County will celebrate America's 250th
Johnston County is joining the nation and the state in celebrating America’s 250th birthday.
Johnston County will join the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
County Commissioners heard a rundown of events during their meeting on Feb. 16.
“In the late spring we’re anticipating having historical bus tours of the County that will feature historical buildings with an architectural focus,” said Allison Elsee, chairwoman of the committee planning Johnston’s celebration.
The celebration’s big event will be June 27 on the Smithfield campus of Johnston Community College.
“It’ll be an all-day celebration,” Elsee noted. “And conveniently, the very next day would be Johnston County’s 280th birthday.”
America will turn 250 years old a few days later, on July 4.
Elsee said the event at JCC would feature a living history encampment by Camp Flintlock. “They’ll have a parade, cannon firing, period costumes,” she said. “It’ll be like going back in time to the Revolutionary War era.”
The County’s Arts Council and Heritage Center will join forces on a display blending art and history. “Historical banners will tell our story,” Elsee said.
The day will also offer a puppet show, carriage rides, food and craft vendors, and information booths from local organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution. “So there will be opportunities to find your genealogical connection to historical veterans,” Elsee said.
A highlight of the weekend will be a production of the Broadway musical “1776.” Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. June 26-27 and 3 p.m. June 28 in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium on the JCC campus.
Still to come are dates for the dedication of Revolutionary War-focused historical markers in Smithfield and the Meadow community. “We’re waiting to have those in hand before we schedule the date for the dedication,” Elsee explained.
Also on the schedule is the dedication of a mural to the Tuscarora, a Native American tribe that called Johnston County home.
The mural adorns the side of a building in the 100 block of South Third Street in downtown Smithfield. The dedication will feature storytelling, music and dance by members of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina.
Finally, celebration organizers will plant a “liberty tree” on the grounds of JCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility in Four Oaks. Proceeds from the purchase of the tree will go to reforestation efforts in Buncombe County, which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, Elsee noted.
County Commissioners agreed to contribute up to $30,000 toward the cost of the celebration.
Page last updated on: March 13, 2026