Helena plans free Fourth of July celebration at Centennial Park

A helicopter-delivered 30-by-50-foot American flag will anchor Helena’s free Fourth of July celebration at Centennial Park, alongside a salute to 95-year-old World War II Marine Corps veteran Bob Henkel and a civic program for local families. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 4, with the main program from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and formal remarks beginning at 11 a.m.

The day opens with children’s activities, then welcome remarks from former Helena Mayor Jim Smith. The program also calls for the Magpie Drummers, a helicopter arrival from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation carrying the giant flag, and remarks from Mayor Emily Dean on the nation’s 250th anniversary and the meaning of the flag. A Jefferson High School junior will sing the national anthem and America the Beautiful, a Jim Darcy School first grader will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and Henkel is expected to comment on the Old Glory Landmark’s construction.

The celebration will also hand out small American flags through the Daughters of the American Revolution and feed the crowd with free hot dogs and root beer floats. The Dan Henry Band is scheduled to close out the formal program, and the event is being supported by 40 business sponsors, along with the Montana 250 Committee.

July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 2023 Montana Legislature created the Montana 250th Commission to coordinate statewide commemorations and civic-education work. State records show the commission has distributed $520,000 to 73 organizations statewide, including $100,000 to 40 organizations in one sponsorship round.

More than 2,000 residents attended the landmark’s dedication in 2003, and the flag display sits about 150 feet from Last Chance Gulch, where roughly 20,000 drivers pass each day.