Celebrating 250 years of independence

July 4, 2026 marks 250 years of independence for the USA. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, although not signed by all delegates until August 2 of that year. This declaration of independence meant that the USA cut all ties with Britain and served to further support the Revolutionary War that had already started a year earlier. Americans wanted to be free of British rule. The Declaration of Independence established the USA as an independent nation. 

We have celebrated July 4 for as long as I can remember. When we were children, our parents took us to the grounds of Washington Irving junior high school in Tarrytown to watch the fireworks once it got dark. An orchestral concert preceded the fireworks, playing all sorts of marching band songs and establishing the mood for this important day in American history. The entire town turned out for the concert and fireworks and did so for many years until the fireworks were discontinued for some reason. 

Since I moved to Oslo, I've tried to commemorate July 4th as best I can. My American friend and co-worker Liza and I discovered the American Coordinating Council of Norway (ACCN) in the early 2000s and would meet on the grounds of Frogner Park for a picnic/barbecue at the ACCN celebration of Independence Day. The ACCN used to organize an Independence Day Celebration at Frogner Park which was attended by thousands of people each year. The celebration included concerts, raffles, games, and multiple food stands. The highlight of each year was seeing the classic American cars that were exhibited, thanks to their owners who were rightfully quite proud of them. My husband and I used to enjoy these celebrations, although we were not able to participate each year.   

After Liza passed away, I continued attending the celebrations in Frogner Park, and I fully expected that there would be a huge celebration this year since the USA was turning 250 years old. To my surprise, I discovered that there is not to be a celebration at all. It was cancelled this year, which is absolutely surprising because it will be fifty years until the next major milestone (300 years old). There could  possibly be a 275 year celebration if that counts as a major milestone. The ACCN posted the following on their Facebook page: 

Dear Supporters of ACCN,

After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year's Independence Day Celebration at Frogner Park, originally scheduled for June 28.

A combination of factors, including ongoing security concerns and event logistics, led us to conclude that we could not deliver the safe and successful celebration our community deserves.

While we are disappointed not to gather this summer, we remain deeply grateful for the support of our members, volunteers, sponsors, and the broader Oslo-American community who have made this event a cherished tradition for nearly four decades.

We encourage you to stay connected with ACCN as we share updates on future events and opportunities to gather throughout the year. If your contact information has changed, please take a moment to update your details to ensure you receive future announcements.

We look forward to reconnecting with you soon and hope to see many of you at our October community gathering, where we will discuss the future of ACCN and the opportunities ahead.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

With gratitude,

ACCN

And just like that, no celebration. They cite ongoing security concerns, and I've got to wonder if that is a major consideration, since we do live in strange times. The USA has become a strange and forbidding country to some, led by someone who seems to have only his best interests at heart. That has created animosity and confusion. Even within the USA, the national celebrations organized by the current administration don't seem to be generating much interest, whereas the individual state celebrations are doing so. There is so much nonsense at the national level that people must deal with on a daily basis. Many of them simply ignore it and the person responsible for it and focus on the local and state activities that are happening. Perhaps warranted. I find it sad that there won't be a celebration in Frogner Park this year, but I can understand it on a pragmatic level. Hopefully there will be other celebrations during the rest of this year. 

July 4th celebration in Frogner Park

The American Coordinating Council of Norway (ACCN, http://accn.no/#sthash.Ex6JoZol.dpbs) sponsors an American Independence Day celebration each year in Oslo’s Frogner Park. This year was the 30^th annual such celebration, and my husband and I were there to check it out on July 4^th. The celebration last for about five hours, enough time to enjoy the festivities, eat some food, listen to music, and check out the different exhibitions. We’ve been there once before, about fifteen years ago, together with my American friend Liza and her daughter Inger. At that time, we walked around, checking out the different exhibits and stands, but opted for grilling our own hotdogs and hamburgers rather than buying any food at the different food stands. This year, we bought some great burgers at one of the burger stands advertising chili burgers and Santa Fe burgers; they were excellent. There were long lines for most of the food stands—burgers, barbecued ribs, chili dogs, pancakes and the like. Ben & Jerry’s was there as well, as was The Nighthawk Diner (Oslo’s American-style diner that I wrote a post about back in June 2010). There were also two really good bands that played during the afternoon—Moving Day and Project BrundleFly. We also checked out the Classic American Cars exhibition; there were some incredibly beautiful classic cars that both my husband and I enjoyed looking at (Jean, check out the black Trans Am). I took a lot of photos and am including some of them here. A cheerleading exhibition by the Viqueens, as well as a watermelon eating contest, pony riding for the kids, and several raffles, were also on the agenda for the day. In other words, there was plenty to do, see and eat—something for everyone. I have to admit that when I first attended this celebration fifteen years ago, I had a different feeling about it then than I do now. At that time, I took my American heritage more for granted and was perhaps a bit blasé about it all. Now, there is a much more visceral response to what I value and love about being American, and I was very in tune with most of what was going on around me. I wonder if that has to do with my getting older (am I getting more nostalgic for all things American), or if I simply appreciate my country more, for all the little things that are part of my culture, that make life enjoyable and fun. Whatever the reason, I find that such experiences remind me of some of the enjoyable times in my childhood—when my family would attend the July 4^th fireworks celebration in Tarrytown. We would get to the Washington Irving junior high school bleachers early in the evening in order to get seats and listen to the band play all the patriotic marches until it got dark enough for the fireworks to begin. 

I really enjoyed being in Frogner Park this year; it was a gorgeous day in Oslo—sunny and warm—and it was just pleasant to sit on the grass, listening to music and watching the people mill about. The only thing I missed was fireworks, but that would be difficult to offer, since it would mean hanging around until 11pm or so (about the time it starts to get dark in Oslo during the summer months). Check out the photos below, and you’ll get an idea of what a lovely day it was and of how many people attended the celebration. And of course, how gorgeous some of the classic American cars really are. I fell in love with one of them—Chrysler’s The New Yorker. Is that so surprising?

Trans Am

Chrysler's The New Yorker