RUSHVILLE, Ill. — The City of Rushville is marking a once-in-a-lifetime milestone this
spring: its 200th birthday. On Friday, April 24, 2026, the community is invited to gather
on the Rushville Square for an evening of celebration, music, ice cream, and history —
and the timing couldn’t be more fitting. Rushville’s bicentennial falls during the 250th
anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document signed just
50 years before the city’s founding.
The celebration is organized by The City of Rushville, the Schuyler Jail Museum, and
the Hub – Arts & Cultural Center, proud partner organizations of Illinois America 250.
Rushville is an official Illinois America 250 community, joining communities across the
state in honoring the nation’s semiquincentennial with local events that connect the
American founding story to the living history of their own communities.
The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a free Ice Cream Social on the Square. At
6:30 p.m., an official proclamation designating April 24th as “City of Rushville Day” will
be read. Following the proclamation, attendees will be treated to live performances by
the Hub’s Ukulele Club and the Community Band. Residents are encouraged to bring a
lawn chair and enjoy the evening outdoors.
The celebration extends beyond the Square. Led by the Rushville Chamber of
Commerce, a number of local businesses will decorate their windows with historical
scenes from Rushville’s past, and several will remain open late in honor of the occasion,
offering residents and visitors an opportunity to stroll downtown and experience the
city’s rich history.
In the event of inclement weather, the Phoenix Opera House has graciously offered to
host the event upstairs. Organizers note that “you can’t change the day you turn 200,”
and the celebration will proceed rain or shine.
Event Schedule
6:00 p.m. — Ice Cream Social begins on the Rushville Square
6:30 p.m. — Official Proclamation of “City of Rushville Day”
Following — Live performances by the Hub’s Ukulele Club and the Community Band

All are welcome. The event is free and open to the public. Community members are
encouraged to share this event with family and friends and join in making Rushville’s
bicentennial, celebrated in the very year America turns 250, one for the history books.