Mars Borough is transforming its traditional Fourth of July celebration into a two-day community festival this year as part of America’s 250th anniversary, adding historical tributes, cultural performances, youth activities, a movie night and expanded programming throughout the community.
Mayor Gregg Hartung said the nation’s 250th anniversary, also known as the semiquincentennial, provided an opportunity for the borough to create something special for residents and visitors.
“In it being America 250, the town council and mayor felt this is something special for us to be part of as a community,” Hartung said. “The county and Experience Butler County really encouraged communities to be engaged and involved in celebrating America.”
Organizers have already raised more than $20,000 in donations and sponsorships to support the event.
Communities across Pennsylvania are planning special events leading up to the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, and Mars officials said they wanted the borough’s celebration to highlight both the nation’s history and the local stories that helped shape the Mars community.
One of the mayor’s favorite additions to this year’s event is a special cultural presentation highlighting the region’s earliest inhabitants.
At 8 p.m. on July 3, the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center will present a dance performance at Marburger Field honoring the Lenape and Seneca people who lived in the Breakneck Creek Valley long before the founding of Mars.
“I find that we’re able to help people reflect back to 250 years ago when the Breakneck Creek Valley was inhabited by the Lenape or Delaware and Seneca indigenous Native American people,” Hartung said.
Another highlight of the expanded celebration will be tributes to two local figures with deep ties to the community.
The borough will honor Chester Marburger, the longtime baseball coach and former postmaster for whom Marburger Field is named, as well as Carl Wood, a Mars native, former Mars football player and Tuskegee Airman who served during World War II.
Hartung said both men represent important chapters in the community’s history.
“There’s lots of pride and dedication in honoring those who have gone before us, for people who served our country and the community,” he said.
Traditional Fourth of July activities will continue on July 4 with downtown events, a patriotic ceremony at the U.S.S. Mars bell and the dedication of a new flagpole in the town square.
Additional activities include a petting zoo, vendor market, food trucks, sidewalk sales and family games throughout the afternoon.
The annual Mars Fourth of July Parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. from Marburger Field and proceed through downtown before festivities return to the field for a community cookout.
The celebration will conclude with the borough’s annual fireworks display at approximately 9 p.m. Spectators will be able to tune into 88.1 FM for a synchronized patriotic soundtrack during the show.
Hartung said he hopes the event encourages residents to appreciate the history that helped shape the Mars community.
“There is some profound history here in the Breakneck Valley known as the Mars area,” Hartung said.
“We thank everyone for their generous donation,” Hartung said.
Additional information, sponsorship opportunities and vendor registration forms are available through Mars Borough. The deadline for vendors and sponsors is June 26.
For a complete schedule of activities, visit Mars Borough’s website.