Helena, Mont. — A crowd gathered Wednesday at the Flag Plaza outside the Montana State Capitol to take part in a nationwide community reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The event marked the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Organizers brought the celebration to the capital city as communities across the country held their own recreations.
East Helena residents Rachael Howard and JP Howard said they liked seeing people of different ages take part.
"It really enjoyed it. It was a really great program. It was so cool to see different community members reading the Declaration of Independence," Rachael Howard said.
"It’s a great way to get everyone in the community involved with all different age groups and that’s what I really enjoyed about it," JP Howard said.
Helena Mayor Emily Dean also read part of the Declaration during the event. She said she felt proud to watch the community come together around a shared piece of the nation’s history.
Dean described the moment as a chance to look back and think about the future.
"I think this is a really unique opportunity 250 years on to reflect about how our country really came to be and how we continue to pursue every opportunity to make it better for everybody in our community and across the nation," Dean said.
Live music and food trucks were also part of the gathering.