Celebrating The USA’s 250th Anniversary in Willimantic, CT
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This post is a paid partnership with the Connecticut Office of Tourism. All opinions expressed are my own.
This year, the Connecticut Office of Tourism asked me to cover the Windham, CT Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary event in Willimantic, Connecticut. As an Eastern Connecticut State University alum, I was happy to spend my Fourth of July in Willimantic. During my five years at the university, the city and surrounding area really grew on me. It’s a town I still love to spend time in.
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Find more ways to celebrate the 250th Anniversary around Connecticut: Connecticut Celebrates The Nation’s 250th Anniversary
Breakfast in Town
While the Windham, CT Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary event didn’t kick off until 12:30pm, I decided to get to Willimantic in the morning. I started my morning off with breakfast at Blondie’s Diner. When I recently posted about how to spend a day in Windham, Connecticut, many commenters on social media told me that I needed to try Blondie’s Diner. I’m always down to try new places, so I decided to check it out!
When I go to Willimantic, I tend to stick to Main Street when it comes to dining. Blondie’s Diner is about two miles from downtown, so that’s probably why I never knew it existed. The nice thing about it not being in downtown is that it has its own parking lot! While downtown has plenty of public parking lots, it’s always nice to have parking right where you need to go.
Since I like to make sure I get protein, I didn’t go with the pancakes or waffles that looked delicious (I saw some getting delivered to other tables). I got myself a western egg sandwich. This used to be my go-to omelet before I became an egg sandwich girly. I was very pleased to see a western sandwich as an option and that it came on a hard roll. 10/10 would order again.
And while it was 90 degrees out, I got a hot chocolate. I wasn’t going to because of the heat, but the AC inside was doing its job a little too well. So, I got a hot chocolate to warm up. It came topped with the most whipped cream I’ve ever seen on a hot chocolate!
All in all, I can see why the locals love this spot. The service was quick, the staff was friendly, and the food was pretty darn good.
The Boom Box Parade
After breakfast, we headed back into downtown for the Boom Box Parade. By the time we finished, the road was closed for the parade. Thankfully, I know my way around pretty well. Funnily enough, we parked in the parking lot for the freshman dorm I stayed in. It brought back a lot of memories for me! And, it was a short walk to Main Street.
Due to the heat, I was looking to find a shady spot to watch the parade. Initially, we were hiding in the shade of a tree next to Windham Town Hall. But, as the parade grew nearer, I knew we needed to find a spot to actually watch the parade. As we made our way to the street to start looking, I saw that most of the spots that were shaded by buildings were already taken.
Then I remembered that there’s a porch of sorts at the front of Windham Town Hall. I wasn’t sure if we were allowed to go up there to watch the parade, but I saw someone else up there. That was enough for me to go up there as well! Not only did it provide shade, but it also gave me a good vantage point to watch the parade!
This year was the 41st annual Boom Box Parade. I’d never been before, but it is the largest parade of its kind in the world (or so they say). This unique parade started in 1986. No marching band could be found for Windham’s Memorial Day Parade, and that was what planted the idea.
Five weeks later, the concept for the Boom Box Parade was born. WILI-AM radio decided they would play marching band music on the air. While people marched and watched, they would loudly play their radios for the parade. The idea stuck and it has become a well-loved tradition in the community.
The floats in this year’s parade were creative, patriotic, and on brand for Willimantic with lots of frog themed floats and characters! For those who don’t know, Willimantic is known for its Battle of the Frogs. There was no actual battle.
Instead, the townspeople were scared to death by the sound of dying frogs because they thought they were the sounds of enemies coming. The story spread far and wide, and Windham became known for frogs. They even have a frog bridge!
Below are some of my favorite photos I took at the parade!
If I were to do it again, I’d probably bring a tent or umbrella and chairs like everyone else!
Windham, CT Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary Event
After the parade ended, we made our way over to Jillson Park for the Windham, CT Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary event. I was shocked to see how quickly Main Street cleared after the parade, but given the high temperatures, I could understand why.
When we got to the park, my first order of business was getting water. We stopped at one of the food trucks and got ourselves waters. I had anticipated getting myself something to eat from one of the food trucks during my visit, but it was so hot, the thought of eating anything was not appealing to me. The only thing I wanted was water.
After we got our water, we headed over to the area where the re-enactors were. Thankfully, they had tents to provide shade for them and for us visitors. I was really impressed that there was even a small building that was set up to be like a house in 1776! Inside the house, we found a Betsy Ross re-enactor!
We spent a lot of time checking out old guns in this area. The man who was displaying them was extremely knowledgeable and welcome to any and all questions! My boyfriend and many others kept the questions coming for him, and I learned a lot of interesting things!
We learned a lot about the weapons and how they would have been used strategically during the Revolutionary War. It was a great glimpse into what the soldiers went through while fighting for our freedom. These weapons left a lot to be desired, and they were nothing like modern rifles. Needless to say, they did not make things easy.
By the time we wrapped up with the kind gentleman with the guns, the show was starting on Shaboo Stage. I hustled us over towards the stage just in time to hear the opening remarks.
The first performance was from Grammy award-winner, Zaccai Curtis and his Quartet. Zaccai Curtis won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for his album Cubop Lives!, which was released in 2024. I really enjoyed their performances throughout the day.
There were also some great performances by the nearly 100 member Windham Concert Band under the direction of Kathryn M. Niemasik. They even did a song with Zaccai Curtis!
In addition to the live music, there were also video presentations and a national bell ringing for the original 13 colonies. Many people in the crowd brought their own bells to ring!
During the event, Willimantic Brewing Company was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for their creative floats in the annual Willimantic Boom Box Parade. There was a video with Willi Brew’s past parade floats set to the tune of “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles to showcase their creative talent. This year’s float made a special appearance when the award was being presented! Below are some close-up photos of the float.
We didn’t stay for the whole event because the heat was starting to get to us. Unfortunately, there was very little shade and while I had a large sunhat, it just wasn’t enough. I wish I had brought a tent and some chairs to relax in and to stay out of the sun.
I was bummed to miss the performance by Bruce John’s Windham Troubadours, but thankfully I was able to see it online on the Windham, CT Celebrates America’s 250th Facebook page. You can watch the performance here.
I commend all of the performers, re-enactors, and speakers for putting on a great event in the extreme heat. I’m sure it was not easy, but I definitely enjoyed it! I appreciate all of the time and effort that went into the event from the people in the event to all of the organizers and people who worked hard behind the scenes. This was truly a great community event that I was really happy to attend.
Other Ways To Dive Into Windham’s History This Year
While the actual 250th anniversary was only one day, you can dive into the rich history of Windham all year long. As someone who loves history, below are some of my picks for exploring more of the history in town.
The Windham Textile & History Museum (The Mill Museum)
Somehow, I’d never been to this museum until this year. My mom and sister went last year without me, but it has been on my list since they told me about it. I was so impressed by this museum. There are two different buildings, so there’s plenty to see.
It was also kid-friendly with an entire hands-on crafting section! This section was fairly new. It had not been there when my mom and my sister went. My sister could have easily spent hours in that section alone. Even as an adult, I was really interested in the hands-on activities, and it gave me some new crafty hobbies to explore!
Garden on the Bridge
This is across the street from the Windham Textile Museum. From the bridge, you can see some of the old mill buildings in the area. The Mill Museum has a lot of great information about these buildings on their website. The Garden on the Bridge is located on the old Thread Mill Square and Stone Arch Bridge.
The Frog Bridge
The Frog Bridge (officially known as Thread City Crossing) features four frogs on thread spools. It pays homage to Willimantic’s dominance in the textile industry, which was shaped by the American Thread Company, and the Battle of the Frogs. You’ll likely drive over this bridge to come into Willimantic. If you don’t, it’s worth seeking out to take a peek at. It’s the most well-known landmark in town.
Jillson House Museum
This museum operates on limited hours, but it’s worth peeking at if you’re in the area, even if it’s not open. It was built in 1825 from gneiss granite that was quarried from the nearby Willimantic River. If you’d like to go inside, reach out to the Windham Historical Society via email to set up a time to visit.
Windham Center Historic District
There are some very cool historic buildings in this historic district. The Windham Preservation Inc. created brochures with eight separate self-guided tours to help you explore some of the buildings in the area. There’s even an America 250 specific tour map!
While there are a ton of really cool buildings here, I personally think the most interesting one is the tiny, yellow Dr. Chester Hunt Office next to the library. Built circa 1790, it was originally the sheriff’s office. In the mid-19th century, the building was used by Dr. Hunt as an office and medical dispensary. You can find this little building on the grounds of the Windham Free Library.
Dine At Willimantic Brewing Company
I know this one might have you scratching your head, but hear me out. For starters, this brewery is housed in a historic post office. The post office is a beautiful granite and limestone building that was originally built in 1909. It’s such an interesting piece of architecture that one of my professors in college walked us down to Main Street to draw this building.
Secondly, this business has been in the community for a long time. Willimantic Brewing Company was created in 1997, so it’s been around for almost 30 years. The company is a staple in the community. Oh, and their brews and food are pretty good too.
