UTAH250 COMMUNITIES TOOLKIT

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A Starter Kit to Become an Official Utah250 Community

Welcome! America250 Utah aims to partner with Utah’s 250+ municipalities, county governments, and Tribal nations to create hundreds of exciting and engaging opportunities to commemorate and celebrate local events and everyday Americans who have shaped our history.

For America’s 250th anniversary, towns and cities are set to come alive with programs and events to inspire, showcase arts, culture, and science, and highlight places and public spaces.

An official America250 Utah Community logo and license and non-competitive funds will be available exclusively for official communities that commit to these three easy steps:

1

Create an Official Utah250 Community Committee

2

Pass a

Resolution

3

Submit an

Idea

Funds are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Get started today!
Start your Official Utah250 Community Application

Timeline

  • November 2024 - February 2025: Call for Official Utah250 Community Applications (Apply Here)
  • March 2025: America250 Utah Toolkit Available for Utah250 Communities
  • April 2025: Commemorate Two Lights for Tomorrow (Browse Ideas)
  • April 2025 - July 2025: America’s Field Trip (Browse Ideas)
  • July 2025: Kick off Utah’s Year of Celebration and Service with America250 Utah
  • August 2025 - December 2026: America250 Utah Signature Programming Window
  • June - July 2026: America250 Utah Statewide Roadshow Relay

In March 2025, America250 Utah will release non-competitive funds and a toolkit for communities to take their plans to the next level. Along the way, America250 Utah will be hosting quarterly check-in calls to coordinate, support, and inspire committees and designated planners. 

A group of people gathered in a community center

Step 1

Create an Official Utah250 Community Committee

Utah250 Community Committees should be between five to ten people and include municipal leaders or tribal commissioners. 

America250 Utah encourages committees to contain membership spanning age, local geography, and skills to ensure events will reach the widest variety of audiences. These members could include a representative from a cultural institution or non-profit, youth advisory council, tourism agency, local business, veterans group, or school district.

We also encourage you to give your committee an official name and assign one designated point of contact. We suggest using [County/Tribal] Utah250 Committee. [However, committees are free to select a different name.] All official Utah250 Communities will be listed on the america250.utah.gov website, so don’t hesitate to make your committee's name original.

Group of people gathering and learning
Signing a paper

Step 2

Pass a Resolution

To be officially recognized by America250 Utah and to be eligible to receive a community logo and license and non-competitive funds, municipal and tribal governing bodies must pass and sign a resolution recognizing and approving your Utah250 Community Committee and support for America250 Utah’s mission and pillars of education, engagement, and unity. 

A sample resolution can serve as the official designation for the group. Here is our sample resolution. However, it is your community and feel free to align the text with your vision and values.

Our Official Utah250 Community Application requires you to upload the text of your resolution and the minutes from the public meeting when it was adopted.
A person signing a document
4th of July Parade on Lower Main Street Park City

Courtesy Visit Park City

Step 3

Submit an Idea

To be officially recognized by America250 Utah and to be eligible to receive a community logo, license, and a modest funding stipend, please submit a summary of your current ideas for the commemoration and celebration activities in your community. 

As a result of a conversation or survey with our team, you may have already started thinking about your plans for an existing community event. We’re here to help you designate and envision programs and events that are authentic to your community, free, and open to the public. 

Review our Community Programming Guide to see if there are ideas that resonate with your committee.

4th of July Parade on Lower Main Street Park City

Courtesy Visit Park City

Ten Ideas that Align with America250™ or Utah’s Signature Programs*

America250 Utah is committed to amplifying your local community events and programming through a statewide media campaign. In addition, events will be listed on america250.utah.gov through a partnership with Now Playing Utah. 

*Ideas include those still in development by America250 Utah.

Museum of Utah

1. Commemorate Two Lights for Tomorrow on your Municipal Building

On April 18, 2025, two lights will be displayed at the Utah State Capitol and state houses across the country to commemorate Paul Revere’s ride. This is a reminder that the message of light shining out in the darkness is not just something that mattered in the past, but is something that matters today and for tomorrow.
The Peoples of Utah Revisited

2. Encourage Submissions for America’s Field Trip and Share What Is Unique About Your Community with the Winners

America250’s America’s Field Trip is a new, nationwide scholastic contest encouraging students in grades 3-12 to reflect on what America means to them. The contest runs through May 2025 and first-place awardees from each grade level category will receive a free trip to a select historical or cultural site in the United States. Ameria250 Utah is seeking unique experiences within our state to award participants who receive honorable mentions.

3. Design a Community Service Project

Be a part of building community and connections by creating service projects in your municipality. Service could be connected to a Main Street economic development initiative, school program, or non-profit organization.

4. Incentivize Neighborhood Unity Gatherings

Block parties are one way municipalities can create incentives to help neighborhoods connect with one another. America250 Utah is working to create a statewide day of unity with block parties in every community. On Sunday, July 5, 2026, neighbors will come together to share food and connection. In partnership with America’s Test Kitchen, a recipe will be developed, and we encourage local communities to work with area restaurants or prominent chefs to ask for and share their spin on the recipe.

5. Highlight a Trail

Bike and walk paths not only connect neighborhoods, but many connect communities within our state. Walk250 Utah challenges every Utahn to walk 250 miles within the calendar year of our nation’s 250th-anniversary celebration. Work with your trails coordinator and local non-profits to identify three landmarks within your community's valleys, benches, or peaks that can be included as recommended options as part of our signature initiative.

6. Host a Discussion

Work with America250 Utah to request a trained facilitator to host a guided discussion in your community. Let us know if there are specific themes or topics of particular interest in your area.

7. Identify Parade Partners

Building on Utah’s Olympic legacy, America250 Utah is re-envisioning a July 2026 relay from county-to-county in the form of statewide parades of all kinds. Identify partners in your community such as motorcycle, historic and low-rider car groups, equine clubs, off-road vehicle teams, and even yacht clubs to make this relay span the state.

8. Capture Famous and Unknown Stories

America250 and many state partners are working to collect oral and visual stories. Nominate a storyteller in your community or work with a cultural organization to host an event to have people of all generations share their stories with others.

9. Crowdsource a Playlist

Each of us has a unique and important connection to music in our lives. Use your Utah250 Community Commission to crowdsource a playlist of songs that make each contributor proud, hopeful, optimistic, or thankful for being an American. Share this playlist on your social media channels, at community events, and with America250 Utah!

10. Add a Movie Screening

Many communities in Utah already host summer movie screenings. In the summer of 2026 consider adding a movie with themes of our American democracy in mind or a connection to locations in Utah, part of America’s film set for the past 100 years. America250 Utah is also in the process of creating a movie suggestion list.
Stars

Thank You

Thank you for taking on this opportunity to represent your community in our nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration and celebration. We look forward to working with you!