Morris County will hold a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and Rockaway residents are invited to take part in the milestone event.
The reading takes place on the front lawn of the historic Morris County Courthouse at 56 Washington Street in Morristown. The program begins at 5:45 p.m., and the reading starts promptly at 6 p.m. That is the same moment communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories will read the document together as part of the nationwide “Sharing the Spirit of America” initiative.
The ceremony marks the 250th anniversary of July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly in Philadelphia and later that same day in Trenton. It also closes out Morris County’s weeklong “Light to Unite” campaign, which began July 2 and asked residents, businesses, schools and local governments to light up their homes and buildings in red, white and blue.
Members of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners will read alongside county constitutional officers, including Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Sheriff James M. Gannon, County Clerk Ann F. Grossi and Surrogate Heather J. Darling, and Assignment Judge Stuart A. Minkowitz. The Colonial Musketeers Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps of Hackettstown will perform, and the historic courthouse bell will ring 13 times just before 6 p.m.
After the reading, attendees can enjoy free Bomb Pop treats, view the Morris County 250th Traveling Mural and explore a special 250th anniversary exhibit inside the courthouse. Rockaway groups that cannot make the trip to Morristown are encouraged to organize their own synchronized readings at exactly 6 p.m. In case of rain, the ceremony moves to the historic courtroom on the courthouse’s second floor.
