Rome’s annual Honor America Days event is slated for late July and will focus on celebrating America 250, according to organizers.
“This year’s theme, ‘Celebrating 250 Years of America,’ honoring our community’s resilience,heritage, and shared pride in the American spirit — made extra special as our nation marks 250years of independence,” expressed the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce in a statement. “This year’s main sponsor, Revere Copper Products, Inc., continues its longstanding tradition of community leadership and commitment to the City of Rome as they celebrate their 225th anniversary.”
Revere Copper, a historic Rome manufacturer, joins the nation in celebrating a milestone anniversary of over 200 years in 2026, as the main sponsor of the America250 Honor America Days celebration and the proud inspiration of Rome’s national nickname as “the Copper City” marks its own 225th anniversary.
Rome’s Honor America Days are slated for the weekend of July 24.
Honor America Days history
While 2026 marks the 43rd “Honor America Days” celebration in Rome, this celebration rebranded to engage more of the community began as “Fort Stanwix Days,” in the 1970s, borne of a renewed pride in being home to the historic revolutionary-era “fort that never surrendered.”
It was then Rome Mayor Carl Eilenberg, who aspired to elaborate on Fort Stanwix Days, imagining a larger, longer event blending patriotism and nostalgia into a beloved community tradition.
The rebranding took hold in the 1980s as “Honor America Days” and this year – its 43rd celebration – honors the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The event, as evidenced by attendance last year of over 3,000 people, is a cherished tradition of gathering Romans and residents of neighboring Mohawk Valley towns in a resounding celebration of the region’s pride in its part in American history.
Info on annual run
The annual Honor America Days 5K is the primary fundraiser for the non-profit Copper City-based running organization, the Rome Roadrunners is on its mark at 8 a.m. on July 25, beginning with the Kids Run, followed by the main 5K event at 8:30 a.m., concluding at 9:55 a.m., just before the Honor America Days parade.
The race has been a Rome tradition as long as Honor America Days itself, with the first event held in 1971, when it was originally dubbed the Fort Stanwix Days 20K, with the route stretching from Fort Stanwix down Route 69 to the Oriskany Monument, looping around it, and back. There were no water stops along the almost 12.5-mile course run in the month of July.
“Local residents were encouraged to set up water hoses for the runners,” shared current Rome Roadrunners President Matt Moore.
“That race was won by Moses Mayfield from Philadelphia in a time of 65:52,” said Moore. “The third-place winner was Ralph Thomas of Gardner, Maine who hitchhiked to get there and began hitchhiking back right when it was over.”
Registration for Kids Run event is free but is still required by July 25, by 8 a.m. Register on the Roadrunners website.
The early registration fee to run in the 5K Parade Run is $30.15 (including a $3.15 online processing fee. There will be a fee increase for registration after June 29, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Register online on the Rome Roadrunners website.
Proceeds benefit the runners and programs of the Rome Roadrunners.
Honor America Days parade
“It’s just small town goodness,” said past parade-goer Jack Bethke of the beloved community march featuring featuring flags, floats, first responders, marching bands, veterans and “hundreds of bags of candy.”
“You’ve got all the kids out here with the bands, the old folks, the veterans showing out — it’s Norman Rockwell small-town goodness,” he said.
The annual Honor America Days Parade will feature local marching bands, veterans’ groups, civic organizations, and colorful floats saluting both Rome’s past and its bright future.
It starts to march at Chestnut Street at North James Street at 10 a.m. on July 25, proceeding down N. James Street, turning at West Embargo Street to pass the reviewing Stand before concluding on corner of N. George Street and W. Dominick Street, a block from Fort Stanwix National Monument.
Registration for the parade is now open; applications can be found on Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce website. The deadline for applications is July 15.
Ending in song
After performing eight “evenings of live symphonic music under the summer sky” across Central New York, including the Mohawk Valley communities of Herkimer, Hamilton, and Cazenovia, the Syracuse Orchestra will perform the finale concert of their 2026 “Summer Songs” tour at Fort Stanwix National Monument as part of the almost half-a-century tradition that is the Rome America Days celebration.
The program will feature “an entertaining blend of light classical favorites, patriotic selections, Broadway hits, and beloved popular standards,” said a Syracuse Symphony statement. To learn more about Summer Concert Series locations, area restaurants, and fun sites to explore before and after the Orchestra’s performances, music lovers are invited to visit SyracuseOrchestra.org/tourism.
“These concerts are a wonderful summer tradition,” said Pam Murchison, Executive Director of The Syracuse Orchestra in a statement. “They’re fun, welcoming, and a great way for communities to experience the joy of live orchestral music together.”
Annual fireworks show
The annual Honor America Days Fireworks show will begin shortly after the conclusion of the Syracuse Orchestra, approximately 10 p.m.
Food trucks and other vendors will be staged during the concert-fireworks events across from Fort Stanwix in the Liberty Street city parking lot.
Event organizers are still seeking Food Trucks to serve the concert and fireworks events on the evening of July 25. Applications are available at the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce website.
Sponsors of the 2026 Rome “Honor America Days” celebration include Rome Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Rome, National Park Service, Revere Copper, AmeriCU Credit Union, NYSTEC, Orgill, Bank of Utica, Adirondack Bank, Nascentia Health, Sovena, with Partnership Support from the Community Foundation.
For more information about the event, visit the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce website or Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Rome’s Honor America Days set for July 25
Reporting by Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
