Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett today announced plans to celebrate America 250 and Tennessee’s 230th birthday with the Tennessee State Library & Archives hosting free events as part of the 2026 Statehood Day Celebrations.
“This year’s Tennessee Statehood Day celebration is both special and historic as we celebrate America’s 250 years as a country and Tennessee’s vital and numerous contributions in helping to shape the path of the United States of America,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “We hope Tennesseans will join us in celebrating our state’s rich history, which will be on display at the Library & Archives.”
Statehood Day Celebration activities will commence at the Tennessee State Library and Archives at 10:00 am Saturday, May 30. Activities and events are family-friendly, free to the public, and will include a showcase of items from the Library & Archives’ collections, story time, crafts, an instrument petting zoo, musical performances, living history interpreters, and behind-the-scenes tours with a stop at the robotic automated storage and retrieval system.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol Honor Guard will present, honor, and guard the three original constitutions at an opening ceremony at 11:00 am, and the ETSU Old-Time Ramblers will be performing the National Anthem.
“We hope families across Tennessee will join us for this historic celebration at the Library & Archives,” said Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist Jamie Ritter. “This is an opportunity to learn more about the Library & Archives and to experience and understand Tennessee’s history in an interactive and fun way.”
As part of the extended Statehood Day celebration, the Tennessee State Library & Archives will host a special Brown Bag Lunch lecture on Monday, June 1, featuring Tennessee State Historian Dr. Carroll Van West. Dr. West will present a program exploring Tennessee’s history and its significance in the broader American story as the state marks its 230th anniversary. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The Library and Archives’ Statehood Day Celebration events will take place at the Tennessee State Library & Archives building, 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N., on the northeast corner of Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville.
For more information about the Library and Archives Statehood Day Celebration, visit Save the date: Celebrate Tennessee’s 230th birthday with us — Saturday, May 30 at the Tennessee State Library & Archives | Tennessee Secretary of State.
