Lafayette Returns: Morristown Commemorates Bicentennial of Hero’s 1825 Visit with Parade, Music & Celebration

Celebrate July 12–14 with a parade, music premiere, exhibits, and family-friendly fun.

MORRISTOWN, NJ, UNITED STATES, June 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Morristown, known as the “Military Capital of the American Revolution,” will host a grand celebration on July 12, 13, and 14, 2025, commemorating General Lafayette’s 1825 visit as part of the American Friends of Lafayette’s (AFL) nationwide reenactment of his Bicentennial Farewell Tour. The celebration includes a parade, public programs, musical premiere, historical exhibits, and family activities — all honoring the legacy of Lafayette as a patriot, supporter of democratic ideals, and enduring symbol of Franco-American friendship.

The festivities on the Morristown Green begin at noon on Sunday, July 13, where exhibitors, history and lineage groups will be available to engage with the public. At 1:00 PM, a parade will step off in honor of Lafayette and escort him to the stage for proclamations, toasts, and speeches. The event will also include bells, cannon fire, musical salutes, and a family-friendly atmosphere featuring a historical flag display, children's activities, and free ice cream.
A unique feature of the program will be the world premiere of the “Lafayette Suite,” composed by Maestro Robert W. Butts especially for the occasion. Members of the BONJ (Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey) will debut the new composition. This free public event concludes at 3:30 PM.

“We’re thrilled to welcome General Lafayette back to Morristown,” said Carol Barkin, co-chair of the event, which promises to be the largest heritage program of the summer, and a kick-off to the America250 festivities. “This is more than a reenactment. It is a moment to celebrate our Revolutionary history, our community spirit, and the timeless values Lafayette stood for.”

On Monday, July 14, 2025, Bastille Day and the exact 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s 1825 visit to Morristown, a symposium will be held from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Morris County Library.

Community members, reenactors, and Lafayette scholars will explore his lasting contributions to human rights, democracy, and the abolition of slavery. Registration is available through the AFL website.

Wendy York, another co-chair, has planned a reenactment of the 1825 male-only banquet held at the Sansay House in Lafayette’s honor. York says “that volunteers from Macculloch Hall will once again provide the floral décor, but women will be invited to attend it this time!” The Sansay House (c.1807) still stands today on DeHart Street.

Lafayette first visited Morristown on May 10, 1780, when he delivered news to George Washington at the Ford Mansion that France would send vital support – money, armaments, soldiers, and ships – turning the tide of the war. His return on July 14, 1825, drew great public fanfare and marked a celebration of America’s independence, with Lafayette hailed as the “Hero of Two Worlds.”

Two hundred years later, volunteers in the same 24 states Lafayette visited are reenacting the tour day-by-day, according to Lafayette’s original tour diary. The journey began in Sandy Hook, NJ, in August 2024, and will continue through September 2025.

Currently, a Lafayette exhibit is on display at the Morristown National Historical Park Museum (30 Washington Place.) A special “pop-up” museum will be available 11 AM to 5 PM at the Women’s Club of Morristown (51 South Street) on Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13, featuring art and objects from the collections of three serious Lafayette collectors.

Ryan Dawson, the third co-chair, said, “I’m pleased the community and local businesses are supporting the event so we are able to provide all the events free to the public. We are hoping to see a large, enthusiastic crowd along the parade route cheering Lafayette as they did in 1825.”

You can learn more about the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour at lafayette200.org. The American Friends of Lafayette, founded in 1932, is a historical society dedicated to honoring Lafayette’s life and promoting friendship between America and France.
For updates, follow @Morristownloveslafayette on Facebook and Instagram.

Carol Barkin
Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour
+1 201-602-2598
barkin.carol@gmail.com