This weekend’s Philly Fair 250 sets the stage for the nation’s big anniversary

The authors of the Declaration of Independence wrote a preamble to set the tone for the document following it. Now, Philadelphia will have a preamble event ahead of the nation’s 250th celebration to match.

From Saturday through Monday, Wawa Welcome America and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will host Philly Fair 250, a free series of family-friendly events including fireworks, musical performances, a trapeze experience, and a full-size replica of the Liberty Bell anyone can ring.

Philly Fair 250 will be held in Fairmount Park’s Centennial District, in front of the Please Touch Museum. Events will run from 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.

As a Philly Fair 250 partner, the Please Touch Museum will be free Saturday and Sunday.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson said it was exciting to host the event in the area where the city welcomed visitors for the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, the first world’s fair located in the United States. She said the fair was meant to celebrate “democracy, freedom, and all the opportunities you have here in the city of Philadelphia.”

There should be something for everyone at Philly Fair 250. The event will honor U.S. history with 13 food trucks, each offering food representing one of the original colonies. Philadelphia’s own Pink Sweat$ will headline an array of music performances on Sunday, and trainer Noel Davis will lead a workout on each weekend date.

And no summertime event would be complete without fireworks. The Science History Institute will have shows on Saturday and Sunday nights, as an extension of its new “Flash! Bang! Boom!” exhibition detailing the history and chemistry behind fireworks. While most people know fireworks originated in ancient China, much of the chemistry behind the modern style and color was shaped in the United States, said David Allen Cole, president and CEO of the Science History Institute.

“Really, since the birth of the American republic, fireworks have been a big feature of our lives,” he said.