A Major Cultural Celebration Linking Ulster and America Announced for July 2026
The Independent Loyal Orange Institution, has announced the launch of the Faith & Freedom 250 Festival, a landmark programme of events marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence. The festival, which will run from 3 – 13 July 2026, promises to be one of the most ambitious cultural celebrations ever staged by the organisation, bringing together heritage, music, faith, scholarship, and community life under the unifying themes of Faith, Freedom and Foundation.
Speaking ahead of the launch, a festival spokesperson said the excitement within the organising team has been “building for months” as plans have taken shape.
“This is more than a festival, it is the birthday party of a nation and a celebration of the deep and enduring connections between Ulster and the United States – connections forged through shared faith, a shared love of liberty, and the foundational role played by Ulster-Scots emigrants in shaping the American nation. We want the community to come, enjoy themselves, learn something new, and take pride in a heritage that spans the Atlantic.”
McNeillstown Hall Management Committee which runs a community museum and heritage programme has taken a lead securing funding from the Ulster Scots Agency and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The Festival will be run in a range of venues across North Antrim and offers something for everyone.
The festival opens on Friday 3 July with a formal launch at the Braid Centre in Ballymena. Events will highlight the rich cultural and personal links between North Antrim and North America, and will be marked with a reception hosted by the new Mayor Thomas Gordon. That evening festivities will kick off with community cookout at Killycoogan Independent Orange Hall that evening at 8pm. Organisers describe the opening day as “a warm invitation to the entire district” and a chance to set the tone for a festival. “We want the very first day to feel like a homecoming,” said the spokesperson. “A reminder that our story is part of a much bigger trans-Atlantic story.”
The centrepiece of the festival arrives on Saturday 4 July, when the Independent Loyal Orange Institution headquarters in Ballymoney will host a full day of American-themed activities. The morning begins with a Big American Breakfast, followed by musical performances and talks exploring Ulster’s influence on the American Founding Fathers. One of the speakers, George Dallas, will address local emigration stories and the personal stories of those who left Ulster not just to make a new home in American but ultimately to make a new nation.
“People are often surprised to learn just how many of the Founders had Ulster roots. This festival gives us the opportunity to tell that story with pride.”
At midday, the Faith & Freedom Exhibition will open, followed by an official festival launch ceremony led by the Imperial Grand Master. The afternoon will see a parade through Ballymoney featuring banners, bands, re-enactors, colour parties and children in period costume. Edward Street will then transform into an American-style county fair, complete with inflatables, games, food stalls, heritage displays and a mystery history trail. A Liberty Ceremony will include a Lambeg Drum Tattoo, musical recitals, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the raising of the Colours.
The day continues with a music stage throughout the afternoon with American Country and Ulster Scots music woven together to showcase the very best of that Ulster influence. There will be fun for all the family with street food, entertainment and activities for kids and a great opportunity to celebrate the birth of a nation. The day will conclude on a high note with an evening concert at The Manor Hotel, featuring the high octane Tartan Riot whose performance fuses Ulster Scots with modern classics.
The festival continues on 5 July with a Somme Memorial Parade and Drumhead Service, with a parade to Portglenone Marina. On 9 July, the McNeillstown Community Museum will host the Foundation Forum, a cultural conference examining Ulster emigration as a foundation of the United States. It will focus on local emigration and the common culture and community organisations we exported to America. In the evening of 9 July the focus will shift to Rasharkin District who are hosting this years Independent Orange Twelfth. An Ulster-American concert has been organised at Keers Memorial Hall in Finvoy featuring the world famous Willie Drennan, and the Trans-Atlantic Hillbilly Band, Finvoy Pipers and Moorfields Flute Band. The musical programme will trace the influence of Ulster Scots music and culture taking the audience on a journey across the Atlantic to the New World.
The Eleventh Night will be marked on 11 July with a Family Fun Night at McNeillstown Independent Orange Hall, including a Lambeg Summer School, a Boston Tea Party-themed event, exhibitions, live folk music, children’s activities, free street food and the traditional beacon lighting. This family friendly event will set the tone for the Twelfth, it will mix the traditional with the new as Tartan Riot return for a smaller gig in the hall, joined by Ballymoney Fife and Drum.
On the Sunday 12 July, 3pm the Independents will gather for a special Boyne Thanksgiving Service at Garryduff Presbyterian Church. The parade and service marks the victory at the Boyne and with it the securing of liberty and the freedom that the festival celebrates.
The Twelfth itself is in Rasharkin beginning in the morning with a number of local feeder parades, followed by the Rasharkin Main Parade. The Twelfth Field celebrations on 13 July, will include children’s activities, marching band performances and a Lambeg Tattoo.
Festival organisers emphasise that the three themes-Faith, Freedom and Foundation-run through every event. “Faith reminds us of the Reformed Protestant tradition that shaped both Ulster and early America,” said one committee member. “Freedom speaks to the constitutional liberties secured in the Glorious Revolution and echoed in the Declaration of Independence. Foundation honours the Ulster-Scots emigrants who carried their convictions across the Atlantic and helped build a new nation. These themes are not abstract-they are lived, shared, and celebrated in our communities.”
As anticipation grows, the message from McNeillstown HMC and the Independent Loyal Orange Institution is clear: come join us as we celebrate the 250th Birthday of the United States of America and commemorate the role Ulster has played in that story. “This festival belongs to the whole community,” the spokesperson said. “Whether you come for the music, the history, the faith, the family fun or simply the atmosphere, you will be part of something special. We are celebrating a story that stretches from the Bann Valley to the American frontier-a story of courage, conviction and community. We want people to feel that connection and take pride in it.”
The Faith & Freedom 250 Festival runs from 3-13 July 2026, with additional events and exhibitions continuing throughout the year. Full details will be available on the ILOI website www.iloi.org , social media and through the local media.
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