It will be a Friday, a Saturday and a Sunday packed with learning, fellowship and community pride. The Celebrate Lititz Weekend organized by the Lititz Historical Foundation (LHF) will be a once-in-a-lifetime weekend that leaves indelible marks and creates unforgettable memories.

"The whole idea is to promote the rich history of Lititz," said Cory Van Brookhoven, who's been the president of LHF for 13 years. "We've had special events, live music and presentations before, but not to this magnitude. We've never had this robust of a weekend. This is our biggest weekend. For the whole year, we're celebrating four big milestones. Throughout the year, we have a lot of special events on tap."

In 2026, Lititz is celebrating America's 250th birthday, the 270th anniversary of the town's founding, 65 years of LHF's existence and 30 beautiful years of the organization's Mary Oehme Gardens. To celebrate the momentous occasion, LHF is conducting and sponsoring four distinct events on the weekend of Friday, June 12, to Sunday, June 14.

LHF is located at 145 E. Main St., Lititz.

"It's a celebration of Lititz and our history and our town," said Van Brookhoven. "The vibe is family friendly. All four events are free."

LHF will kick off the patriotic weekend with its Founder's Day celebration, which recognizes the exact date Lititz was officially named, on June 12 beginning at 5:30 p.m. within the confines of Mary Oehme Gardens, 137 E. Main St., Lititz. The 90-minute event will feature a flag ceremony; addresses from local leaders and government officials; refreshments, including a special birthday cake; and live music.

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Then, on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., LHF will conduct a history festival in and around its museum at 145 E. Main St. As many as 800 visitors are expected at the festival, which will include 10 different local history organizations, demonstrations, re-enactors, artisans, guided tours and food trucks.

The festivities will continue from 3 to 5 p.m. on June 14, with a Moravian Sing Sturde at Lititz Moravian Church, 8 Church Square, Lititz. That event will offer a singing hour in the church's sanctuary followed by a tour and demonstration of two Colonial pipe organs in the church's fellowship hall.

LHF's Celebrate Lititz Weekend will reach a crescendo at 6:30 p.m. on June 14, when the Lititz Community Band will perform patriotic tunes as part of its "A Star-Spangled Salute to America" at Mary Oehme Gardens. A couple hundred residents of Lititz and surrounding areas are expected to enjoy the 90-minute toe-tapping concert.

Donations benefiting LHF will be accepted at all events that weekend.

"We've never had a weekend where we've done four events back-to-back-to-back before," said Van Brookhoven. "I'm looking forward to the Founder's Day and the history festival. We had the Colonial festival before, and it was well attended. We've never had a Founder's Day celebration before.

"They're all community events," continued Van Brookhoven, a resident of East Petersburg. "People will see neighbors from the community, and they'll learn about local history. Lititz has a rich history. Hopefully these events will get people more tuned into their history and their local neighborhoods."

LHF, which preserves, promotes and advocates for local history, conducts dozens of programs, tours and talks annually, including presentations at the Lititz Public Library.

"Lititz is a Colonial town," said Van Brookhoven. "Lititz is older than the country. When people think of America250, they think of July 4 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I think people should remember that this is a yearlong celebration."

For additional information, go to http://www.lititzhistoricalfoundation.com.