DAR chapter invites the Hill Country to ring bells for the nation’s 250th on July 4

A local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is inviting Hill Country residents to ring bells on Saturday, July 4, as part of a coordinated nationwide celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary.

The Major James Kerr Chapter is organizing the event so that communities, churches, organizations and families can take part — at a central gathering, in church parking lots or from their own yards. In Kerrville, the chapter will gather at Zion Lutheran Church, 624 Barnett St. It is also coordinating sites in Medina, at Medina Community Church, and in Bandera, at Grace Lutheran Church, and is encouraging other towns, including Ingram and Center Point, to organize their own spots.

The timing is set to line up with the national moment. Communities will gather at 1:30 p.m. for a brief ceremony, and the bell-ringing begins at 1:50 p.m. Central time — 2:50 p.m. Eastern — the moment designated for the nationwide ringing. Bells will toll 13 times, once for each of the original 13 colonies, to close the ceremony.

Participants can use traditional bells, handbells from home, bell-simulator phone apps, or any loud combination, the chapter said. Churches are encouraged to hold their own simultaneous bell-ringings for their members.