Reading's 275th anniversary celebration gets underway in March
Feb. 15—With Reading's 275th anniversary a little less than a month away, city residents and officials are getting ready to celebrate.
The observance, themed "Our Home, Our Heart," kicks off the week of March 12, with the arrival of delegations from Reading's sister cities in Reading, England, and Reutlingen, Germany, the anniversary committee has announced.
Reutlingen Lord Mayor Thomas Keck and others will visit area businesses and colleges and participate in the festivities throughout the week.
The celebration formally gets underway March 15 with a gala at the Reading Public Museum.
The ticketed event will be presented by Customers Bank and was organized by Reading High School's Community Knights service club.
It promises a unique opportunity to visit the museum at night and a chance to view pieces from the permanent collection, specially chosen for their significance to Reading and displayed for the occasion.
The night at the museum also is a chance to meet and greet the English and German delegates.
The gala also will feature performances by Reading High's String Ensemble and the Hot Club of Reading and food and drinks provided by area establishments.
Proceeds from the ticket sales will go toward neighborhood block parties to be held in the summer.
Fireworks over the Pagoda on Mount Penn are scheduled for March 15. Sponsored by Berks Festivals, the display will take place at 8:50 p.m. weather permitting.
The official anniversary date, March 16, will be marked by a live-streamed ceremony at City Hall.
The anniversary committee and Mayor Eddie Moran will deliver a proclamation. They will be joined by the visiting delegates.
Community birthday parties are planned throughout the day at locations across the city, including the Reading Public Library branches, local churches, Reading Recreation Commission, The Real Deal 610, Olivet Boys and Girls Club, Berks Encore and LGBT Center of Reading.
These parties are made possible by the support of Redner's Markets.
Celebrations of the city's history and diversity will continue throughout the year.
City's history
Now the fourth largest city in the state, Reading was incorporated as a municipality on March 16, 1748.
The site — bounded on the west by the Schuylkill River, on the east by Mount Penn and on the south by the Neversink Mountain — was home to the native Lenape people prior to European settlement.
The 115-year-old Pagoda on Mount Penn serves as the area's signature landmark.
An industrial powerhouse in the mid-19th century, Reading was renowned for its namesake railroad, once the largest corporation in the world, and remains home to Carpenter Technology Corp., a Fortune 500 company.
The city also has been home to a number of literary and cultural figures, as well as minor league sports franchises and the 109-year-old Reading Symphony Orchestra.
The population of 95,112, as of the 2020 U.S. census, is made up of immigrants and generations of immigrants' descendants, representing more than 45 nationalities.
For more information, go to readingpa.gov/visitors/275.
