Lancaster Capital Day
SATURDAY • SEP 26 • 2026
Capital Day is a new downtown festival celebrating Lancaster's unique history & culture, from 1776 to today.
For over 250 years
Lancaster Makes History.
As America celebrates 250 years, the people of Lancaster County will gather to highlight their own unique history and culture, including Lancaster City's brief tenure as Capital of the United States on Saturday, Sept 27th, 1777.
A crossroads of culture
Lancaster County has always been a meeting place: of town and countryside, old roads and new arrivals, local trades and global traditions. From its markets, farms, workshops, churches, and neighborhoods, generations of people have shaped a culture that is practical, creative, generous, and distinct. Lancaster Capital Day celebrates that shared heritage — and the many communities still adding to it today.
By 1789, Lancaster was not merely remembered as a one-day wartime capital. General Edward Hand, a Revolutionary officer and 'Chief Burgess' of Lancaster, helped put the city forward as a serious candidate for the permanent capital of the United States, submitting a proposed ten-mile-square federal district that included the borough of Lancaster. His proposal reflected the city’s strengths as an inland crossroads and market town -- strategically located within a short distance of major coastal cities, well supplied by surrounding farms and craftspeople, and known for its warm and welcoming people.
A Welcoming Culture
A Tradition of Craftsmanship
A Strategic Location
SAVE THE DATE
26 SEPT 2026
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