The Avon Congregational Church & Avon’s America 250
Pastor Chris Solimene
UNITED CHURCH of CHRIST
8 East Main Street, Avon, CT (860) 678-0488

May 31, 2026: Carillon Concert & Bring-Your-Own Picnic
Church Lawn, Sunday, May 31, 2026 Noon - 1:00 p.m.
RAINDATE: Sunday, June 7
No reservation necessary. Free. Drinks and Popsicles provided.
Recorded music from the steeple
Avon Museum Open, nearby at 8 East Main Street,
The museum is always open on Sundays from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Free: donations welcomed.
Welcoming Carillon-Goers on both May 31 & the rain date of June 7
Contact: Sue Crowther [email protected]

 June 5, 2026: First Friday Dinner
Decorations and Menu on the 250th Theme
Church Fellowship Hall, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. $20 per person.
Drop in - No reservation necessary; take-out available
Contact: Betsy Van Loon at [email protected]

July 4, 2026: Ringing the Church Bell 13 times (one for each colony), July 4, 2026
From the church steeple, July 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Free.
Contact: Nora Howard at [email protected]

October 17, 2026: ACC Quilt Show and Craft Fair: Celebrating 250 Years
Sat. Oct. 17, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Sun. Oct. 18th, Noon - 4:00 p.m.
Admission Adults $10; free to children age 12 and under
Contact Susan Elliott: [email protected]

A dramatic portrayal entitled “A Revolution of Her Own!™ Deborah Sampson” will take place in the sanctuary of the West Avon Congregational Church.

Sampson was the first woman to fight in, and be honorably discharged from, the American military after serving, as a man,
for one and a half years in the American Revolution. Sampson’s life began as an indentured servant growing up in a man’s world where women were treated as second-class citizens. She was self-educated but felt a strong urge to fight for liberty, enlisting as Robert Shurtlieff in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Army.

The performance, by Judith Kalaora of History at Play LLC™, will take place in the sanctuary of the West Avon Congregational Church, a historic 1818 meetinghouse in what is the geographic center of Avon, CT.

Join us on Sunday, May 17th, 12:00 pm for a Commemoration and Grave Marking event at the West Avon Cemetery, adjacent to the West Avon Congregational Church. The event will feature the unveiling of a plaque entitled “Honor Roll of Northington Men Who Served in the American Revolution 1775-1783.” The plaque contains the names of 80 men from Northington, the original name of Avon, who fought for liberty and justice in the emerging new nation. A reading of the roll call honoring these brave patriots will be done by members of the Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth Branch No. 7, CT Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), the Abigail Phelps Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in Simsbury, and the Ruth Wyllys Chapter of DAR in Hartford. Seven of the men on the plaque are buried in West Avon Cemetery. The DAR members present will install commemorative 250 flags at their gravesites while a brief history of each soldier is read. The Honor Roll plaque is sponsored by the M&T Charitable Foundation. A reception will follow in the church. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in the church sanctuary.

In case you missed the event, a PDF copy of the booklet is available at this link.

The Farmington Historical Society’s acclaimed “Odyssey of the Amistad: A Trail to Freedom” returns for its fifth season with new perspectives and expanded storytelling. Following the opening presentation, guides lead a 1.5-mile walking tour tracing the footsteps of the Mende through historic Farmington and along the Underground Railroad.

Bob Kagan taught Communications and film at Manchester Community College, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford for over 40 years. He has been leading film discussions at the Avon Free Public Library for the past 8 years. Please register once for the series, even if you can’t attend each session. Sponsored by the Friends of the Avon Library.

Wednesday, June 10 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm The Searchers, 1956.
Directed by John Ford. John Wayne is at his best as a Civil War veteran who embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches. This western is considered a classic of American cinema. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

June 17 – Twelve Years a Slave, 2013. Directed by Steve McQueen. Based on his memoir, Solomon Northrop, a free black man, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender give compelling performances in this powerful film. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

June 24: Platoon, 1986. Written and directed by Oliver Stone. Stone, who left Yale to enlist and serve in Vietnam, has authored one of the definitive Vietnam era films that explores the horrors and absurdities of that war. Featuring stellar performances by Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe, this film remains relevant today. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

June 29: Special in-person screening of Rocky. Register for this event separately by clicking here

July 15: There Will Be Blood, 2007. Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This sweeping tale of family, religion, wealth, and madness is often compared to Citizen Kane. Based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, the film features stellar performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

July 22: Forrest Gump, 1994. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. In one of his most endearing roles, Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump, who manages to parachute into the major events of the last half of the 20th century. Robin Wright and Gary Sinise wonderfully complement Hanks in this film, best watched with a box of chocolates. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

July 29: The Social Network, 2010. Directed by David Fincher. Working from a script by Aaron Sorkin, this film takes us to the birth of Facebook, showing Mark Zuckerberg creating a platform that has changed the way we communicate. Jesse Eisenberg gives an unforgettable performance as the protagonist. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

August 5: Minari, 2020. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung. Named for the green herb used in Korean cuisine, Minari follows an immigrant family as they move to rural Arkansas and search for the American dream in the harsh soil of the Ozarks. A moving tale of family and resilience, Minari remains highly relevant today. Available from the library and for rent on Amazon.

Renowned storyteller Andre Keitt portrays William (Billy) Lee, an American enslaved man who was the personal assistant of George Washington, before, during, and after the American Revolution. “Billy Lee, ” began serving Washington as a young boy, stood by his side as a valuable servant until he was an elderly man. He was the only one of Washington’s slaves freed immediately by Washington’s will. Mr. Keitt brings a unique insight into his story, life and relationships.

Listen up at 2:00 pm!  Avon’s church bells will ring 13 times for the 13 colonies as part of the America 250 National Commemoration. Bells will ring at the Avon Congregational Church, 8 East Main Street, Avon, CT (860) 678-0488

Contact: Nora Howard at [email protected]

250 Star-Spangled Seconds: An Audio Time Capsule – 250 seconds = 4 minutes, 10 seconds. Share your thoughts on this 250th commemoration in 250 seconds for an AVON TALKS Podcast to be produced and published later in the year. Open to all ages. Join us from 1:00- 4:00 pm in the Avon History Museum. RSVP at: [email protected]

Meet the Connecticut signers! On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read in public for the first time. Now, 250 years later, Avon invites you to experience the historic moment together. Join us for an interactive community reading featuring the descendants of Connecticut's four signers of the Declaration - Roger Sherman, William Williams, Samuel Huntington, and Oliver Wolcott. The event will take place in the Avon Senior Center. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Series funded by Pat Moran, and sponsored by the Avon Historical Society, Avon Library, and Avon Senior Center.

July 9, 2026: When the Connecticut River Decided the Revolution

We know that the CT River divides Red Sox and Yankee fans, but did you know it also determined Connecticut’s revolutionary outlook? There existed in the colony a distinct East of the River, West of the River outlook on everything from economics to religion to land availability, all of which shaped a violent and politically driven revolt on the part of the East.
Matthew Warshauer is a professor of history at Central Connecticut State University, where he has studied and written extensively on what he calls “the American paradox,” the conflicting ideological beliefs and practices of the United States. Learn more here.

This is the first in a series of three. Please register for each event separately.

July 16, 2026: Connecticut’s Declaration of Independence

Did you know that Connecticut has it’s own Declaration of Independence? Did you know that its timing was unique to the larger events going on in June of 1776 and reflected the quickly changing sentiments of the day. The Connecticut Courant and the pamphlet “Common Sense” played a significant role in shaping the push for independence in Connecticut.

This is the second in a series of three. Please register for each event separately.

THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE WEST AVON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

July 23, 2026: The American Revolution Wasn’t Fueled by Water! Rum, Cider, and the Punch of Independence”

The bottle says it all: “Samuel Adams, Brewer * Patriot.” And though “Sam the Maltster” wasn’t particularly business savvy, his attention to the Sons of Liberty and American independence went far beyond his fleeting attempts at brewing. Fortunately, there were plenty of other opportunities to quaff the large quantities of alcoholic beverages that fueled the fire of revolution. Join Dr. Matt Warshauer, professor of history at Central CT State University, for an intriguing exploration of how the American Revolution was plotted in taverns.

This is the third in a series of three. Please register for each event separately.

Please register so we can set the community room up with appropriate seating.

Family event in the Children’s Library from 11:00-11:30 am. A local history teacher will bring the Declaration of Independence to life for children. There will be an opportunity for each child to sign a life-size copy of the Declaration and go home with their own keepsake copy, too.