EXETER — Under a hot July sky, residents and visitors packed Water Street as a mounted rider pushed through the crowd and announced the arrival of a scroll that would be carried up the hill to the historic Ladd‑Gilman House. The document, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, was central to a reenactment commemorating the moment Exeter first learned of independence 250 years ago.
"Make way!"
The annual delivery and public reading of the Declaration, staged by the American Independence Center, drew thousands to the downtown festival and served as the centerpiece of Exeter’s American Independence Festival. After the scroll reached the Ladd‑Gilman House, Greg Gilman — a descendant of John Taylor Gilman, who read the Declaration to Exeter residents in 1776 — performed a stirring reading.
New traditions alongside old
Organizers opened the festival with a new event: the inaugural Pursuit of Happiness 5K. At 8 a.m., the race began to the reported sound of musket fire and drew a broad field of runners.
| Statistic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Participants | 205 runners |
| Top finishers | Luc Santos (men), Kelley Foley (women) |
Winners Luc Santos of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Exeter’s Kelley Foley received Betsy Ross flags, bouquets from Cymbidium Floral and the distinction of setting the initial course records for future races.
Family-friendly pageantry and historical displays
About an hour after the 5K finished, a Patriotic All‑Wheels Youth Parade rolled through the streets, featuring children on bikes decorated in red, white and blue. The procession was led by the Piscataqua Rangers Jr. Fife and Drum Corps, directed by Thomas Merriam, which paused at the Exeter Bandstand to perform several patriotic tunes, including "God Bless America." Military demonstrations, historical reenactments and an Independence Marketplace with more than 40 vendors filled the rest of the day.
- Reenactment of the Declaration delivery and reading at Ladd‑Gilman House
- Inaugural Pursuit of Happiness 5K — 205 participants
- Youth bike parade led by Piscataqua Rangers Jr. Fife and Drum Corps
The festival — one of Exeter’s longest-running civic traditions — linked the town’s Revolutionary-era history to contemporary civic celebration and community events that appeal to multiple generations. For many attendees, the day was both a reminder of Exeter’s place in early national history and a call to keep local civic life vibrant.
Organizers said the reading and pageantry are intended not only to remember the events of 1776 but also to encourage younger people to engage with democratic traditions. The mix of historical reenactment, family parades and a competitive road race underscores how New Hampshire towns are blending commemoration with new public rituals as the nation observes its 250th anniversary.
