Plans kicked off for the 2025 celebration of the Shot Heard Round the World last week as the Executive Committee of Concord250 gathered at the Concord Museum.
The celebration will honor the Concord’s contribution to liberty and justice, according to Henry Dane, Select Board member and emcee of the gathering.
“That shot still reverberates,” said Dane. He said the town has marked April 19, 1775 every 50 years since the late 19th Century with observations in 1875, 1925 and 1975.
Dane said the town had a “responsibility” to its forefathers.
“The people of Concord, either by choice or birth, have received this historic gift as an awesome and sacred responsibility, together with the obligation to preserve and transmit its undiminished blessings to future generations,” Dane said.
Superintendent of Minute Man National Historical Park, Simone Monteleone, offered her support.
“I’m thrilled to act as liaison to the Executive Committee,” Monteleone said.
Her words were echoed by Lt. Col. Geoffrey Love, archivist with the National Guard, who said the Armory would get back in action as the setting for various events surrounding the celebration, including a high-level military speaker to mark the occasion. “The National Guard wants to be part of Patriot’s Day,” said Love.
Executive Committee member Rob Munro wears several hats which he hopes will intersect with the events. He is co-president of the Caesar Robbins House board, an administrator at Concord Academy and on the DEI Commission.
“The town looks different than it did in 1975,” said Monroe. He hopes to highlight the “breadth of diversity” that exists today.
The town is invited to a public forum on Nov. 3 at 7p.m. at the Concord Public Library to stay updated on the plans.
In closing remarks, committee member and communications chair, Diane Proctor, noted the similarities between Concord’s notable history and today’s fight for liberty and justice.
“In many ways, we are at such an inflection point in history, and the excitement of gathering to find a truthful way to celebrate the founding of our country rests with us, in this room, and the citizens of Concord,” she said.
