Grace Pak bakes America’s Birthday Cake for semiquincentennial celebration

Grace Pak’s America’s Birthday Cake was unveiled in Washington, D.C., as America250 pushed one of its most visible efforts to turn the nation’s 250th anniversary into a shared ritual. The confection sits inside a commemoration that Congress established in 2016, and America250 has cast the project as part of a bipartisan, nonpartisan campaign to mark the semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026.

America250 said Pak, also known as Grace “Grey” Pak, was selected to create the cake, which was inspired by America’s Field Trip and designed to serve as both a civic symbol and a dessert centerpiece. The organization said the July 4 programming ran across July 3 to July 5, with the cake meant to stand alongside a broader holiday rollout in Washington and other cities. America250 also said the Congressional America250 Caucus reached 400 members on April 29, 2026, a figure it described as nearly three-quarters of Congress.

The cake was assembled with help from lawmakers and volunteers, including members of Congress from both parties and Marine Corps Enlisted Aides. America250 said the finished piece included decorations representing all 50 states and four U.S. territories. Rep. August Pfluger’s office said the Texas section featured an oil derrick and pumpjack made from modeling chocolate and edible gold paint, underscoring how each state’s contribution was built into the final display rather than left as a generic patriotic motif.

Pak’s role carried personal significance as well. The Institute of Culinary Education said Pak is the founder of Duchess of Cameron and an Official Programming Partner of America250. It also said her husband serves as a Marine reservist in the Marine Innovation Unit, a connection that placed the project at the intersection of military service, food craftsmanship and national ceremony.

The Library of Congress, which is marking 2026 under the theme “It’s Your Story,” has framed the anniversary as a nationwide observance that reaches beyond Washington through state and local efforts. It said “The Declaration’s Promise” opened July 3, 2026, with Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address among the featured materials. The library also said its America250 web archive has been collecting related sites since 2023, preserving the digital footprint of a celebration meant to unify a polarized country around a single birthday.