Lt. Gov. urges local leaders to join the state’s 250th celebration

At Connect 351, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll urged local leaders to become involved in the statewide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

“That’s a big point of pride in Massachusetts,” she told hundreds of local officials during the general session on Saturday, Jan. 25. “You know, we were the troublemakers that threw the tea in the harbor.

“We want to make sure we’re having a big celebration. We’re going to talk a lot about that. … I’d encourage you to get a little bit more involved.”

Last September, state and local officials, legislators, and representatives from the Massachusetts arts, culture, and tourism industry gathered at the State House to launch the statewide Massachusetts 250 campaign, which will highlight the state’s history and amplify untold stories of the Revolution through hundreds of cultural and community events over the course of 2025 and 2026.

At that time, the administration announced $1.5 million in grants to 37 organizations through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to support the development of projects that promote Massachusetts’ Revolutionary War history.

“We want to make sure we tell these revolutionary tales in every community across the Commonwealth, not just in the places that all of us read about in our history books,” Driscoll said at the MMA conference. “So we’re relying on you to help us tell those stories. … We will help promote it. We will help market it.

“We want to make sure … that people really recognize that Massachusetts — this place that is known for a lot of things — really did spark the revolution that created this country. … This is also a great way to bring visitors to your community, get those hotels filled, restaurants filled.”

Also at Connect 351, members of the administration held a special session to talk with local leaders about opportunities to participate in the 250th celebration.

The Massachusetts 250 creative campaign will collaborate with municipalities, community groups, businesses, and local organizations. Library programs, Revolutionary Weekends, and signature events will highlight the untold stories of Native Americans, women, and people of color who played crucial roles in shaping America and Massachusetts. The creative campaign will include billboards in Times Square in New York City and other out-of-state markets, as well as digital and social media ads.