Lexington, Concord officials seek state funding for 250th anniversary of the American Revolution

Each Patriots Day, thousands of spectators from near and far flock to Lexington and Concord for a parade and reenactment of the “shot heard ’round the world,” that took place on the cold morning of April 19, 1775.

The 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord — the first armed conflict of the American Revolution — is anticipated to draw much larger crowds, and officials from both towns say they need state support to ensure a safe and memorable celebration.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that looks to create a special fund to help Lexington and Concord cover security protections and operational expenses for anniversary celebrations in 2025 and 2026 — the semiquincentennial of the battle and America’s birthday.

Henry Dane, chairman of the Concord Select Board, is helping organize the 250th anniversary of the battle in town. He anticipates the celebration to be similar to major remembrances held in the past, but the number of attendees and costs to be “substantially greater because of higher expectations.”

The professional management needed to ensure the event lives up to those expectations, Dane said, is “well beyond the resources of any town of some 16,000 residents, no matter how, apparently, affluent it is.”

The organizing committee, Concord250, has prepared a detailed budget which indicates the cost to soar over $2 million, Dane said. It has raised less than half of that so far from local resources, he said.

“At present, we have no other recourse than to ask the Legislature to make a significant contribution so that we can pay due respect to those who gave their lives and limbs so that we may live together as free men and women,” he told the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development last week.

State Reps. Michelle Ciccolo and Simon Cataldo, from Lexington and Concord, filed the bill jointly, asking for creation of a special fund that doesn’t expire until after 2026 since preparations for the events will take longer than a year, and security operations recurring over several years.

If the bill is approved, Ciccolo said, it would pave the way for “very major fundraising from potentially foundations and corporations,” and money raised would go into the state fund.

A coalition of organizers from Arlington, Lexington, Concord and Lincoln has been meeting regularly to work out the logistics and prepare, Ciccolo said. For the bicentennial in 1975, streets closed down and shuttles were used to get from place to place, she recalled.

“This is something that small towns are not necessarily used to doing on a regular basis,” she said.

Reenactments and parades are planned for 2025 and 2026, but the anniversaries are also expected to include lectures, exhibitions, concerts and other family friendly events, said Doug Lucente, a member of the Lexington Select Board.

“We expand the scope of activities in Lexington and integrate the vision of Concord partners, the financial calculus becomes glaringly obvious,” he said. “Adequate funding is crucial.”