Declaration reading, parade set for Sunday

Weston residents have a chance to step back into history this weekend.

On Sunday Sept. 13, the Weston Historical Society will host a parade to celebrate the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in town 250 years ago. In 1776, the Massachusetts Bay Council ordered it read in every parish across the state, according to the Weston Historical Society. The Rev. Samuel Woodward read it at First Parish Church on Sept. 8, 1776.

Diana Chaplin, one of the event organizers, said it was important to mark the occasion and highlight the hard work that has gone into making Weston what it is today.

“We’re bringing the future to the past,” she said. “This happened and it’s noteworthy and we have this institutional memory to help others experience the history of where they live.”

This weekend’s events, which will include appearances by George Washington and Abigail Adams, are part of a weeklong celebration of the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

On Sunday, The Rev. Jeff Barz-Snell will read the Declaration on the First Parish Church lawn at noon, followed by a reading at the Josiah Smith Tavern at 2 p.m. The parade begins at Golden Ball Tavern at 1 p.m. and finishes at the Josiah Smith Tavern, where there will be carriage rides, food, vendors and Colonial-era games for the whole family.

The stroll is open and free to all. Period garb is encouraged. For more information, visit westonhistory.org.