A Day of Thanksgiving at Valley Forge

June 27, 2026

In Honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence

Free Admission! Starts at 2pm outdoors.

On June 27, 2026, a special day of thanksgiving and worship is planned at Washington Memorial Chapel: The Nation’s Chapel at Valley Forge located on private property within the Valley Forge National Historical Park—one of America’s most hallowed places. The event will honor America's 250th anniversary and the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of patriotic Americans who over the years have given their lives so that others can live in freedom and peace. 

The day will begin at 2:00 PM with a FREE viewing of the Sight & Sound film “A Great Awakening” telling the story of The Reverend George Whitefield’s powerful preaching during the first great awakening to tens of thousands of Americans and his unlikely friendship with Benjamin Franklin. The film reminds us of the vital importance of faith & morality for the formation of our nation — especially the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Washington Memorial Chapel is one of the sites on which the movie was filmed!

Following the movie, at 5:00 PM, there will be a special Evensong from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (the same prayer book that shaped George Washington’s faith). Brigadier General Ed Brandt, former US Army Deputy Chief of Chaplains for the Army National Guard and Chief Chaplain, National Guard Bureau, and current Sr. Pastor for United Church of Marco Island, Florida, will give the sermon on this occasion of thanksgiving for God’s Providence in the formation of these United States of America. Plans for the event include live streaming and an outside screen for viewing due to limited chapel seating. Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs for the movie and in the event chapel seating is unavailable, overflow will be on the lawn at the outdoor screen.

The liturgy of the evening will offer thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed on America over the course of the nation’s history to include special thanks for the bravery and patriotism of General Washington’s soldiers who greatly suffered at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778. Over 2,000 of these soldiers suffered and died while encamped at Valley Forge due to sickness from lack of adequate food, clothing, and shelter. 

The chapel honors not only George Washington but all patriots, civilian and military, who struggled and sacrificed for the freedoms Americans enjoy today. It expresses the belief held by the nation’s Founders and summarized by Washington himself in a letter to Pastor John Rogers on 11 June 1783: “Glorious indeed has been our contest…but in the midst of our joys, I hope we shall not forget that to divine providence is to be ascribed the Glory and the Praise.”

The Washington Memorial Chapel was built by and for the American people; it has never received any government funding and is truly the people’s chapel. Among other things, the coats of arms of all 50 states are embedded in the chapel’s wooden ceiling. As an architectural gem on the National Register of Historic Places, Washington Memorial Chapel preserves the sacred memory of the faith and resilience of the men and women who birthed a nation. It has stood since 1903 as a reminder and symbol of our great nation.

For further information, contact:

The Rev’d Tommy Thompson, Rector, Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge

2000 Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406

Email Fr. Tommy  tele: (610) 783-0120

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 98, Valley Forge, PA 1948

Day of Thanksgiving Sponsors:

(Funds received in excess of event expenses will be used for essential chapel repairs and maintenance)

Diamond Mind Foundation Dallas, TX

Pennsylvania Society Sons of the American Revolution

Site & Sound, Lancaster, PA