A party 200 years in the making: Lafayette celebrates its Bicentennial in 2025

When the champagne corks pop and the calendar flips to 2025, a celebration of a whole different magnitude will begin. The City of Lafayette turns 200 in 2025, and it is NOT going to do that quietly.

“Some cities never make it to 200,” says Mayor Tony Roswarski. But thanks to an auspicious site on the Wabash River and significant movers and shakers in its early days — Moses Fowler, David Ross, Cyrus Ball and John Purdue to name a few — Lafayette has always flourished and is currently the 10th largest city in the state.

Nearly three years ago Roswarski set his sights on an extended Bicentennial celebration, not a day or a weekend, but a whole year.

“I thought it would probably take that long to talk about all the milestones and the history,” he says.

Perhaps most importantly, the city started putting money aside for it. A committee headed by David Huhnke, director of communications and marketing for the City of Lafayette, was formed, and work began on everything from logos, videos and portable history panels to a major public art piece at Ninth and South streets that will be a permanent reminder of the Bicentennial.

Plans began for a costume ball (dress in your favorite decade) now set for June 28, and a Sydney Pollack (yes, he was born in Lafayette) Film Festival at the Long Center on his July 1 birthday.

Six months out from the start of the Bicentennial in January 2025, this emerging calendar of events is only expected to swell as the time nears and enthusiasm builds. The actual date of the city’s founding by William Digby is May 25, 1825. In 2025 that date falls during Memorial Day weekend, which will be celebrated with community events at Columbian Park that range from discounts on the park’s attractions to a movie night, concerts and formal ceremonies.

The Haan Museum leads the way among the arts organizations by committing to several special art exhibits tied to Lafayette’s history and two afternoon teas on its grounds. Other cultural institutions, such as the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette and Civic Theater, have yet to announce their contributions but are working on them.

Besides special programming, annual events like Riverfest and the Christmas Parade will boast a Bicentennial spin.

Roswarski’s favorite parts of the Bicentennial celebration lie in sharing Lafayette’s history with school children and instilling a sense of community pride in them. Activities in that direction kick off in January with commitments by the Lafayette and Tippecanoe school corporations to provide 200 hours of community service to local non-profits as a celebration of William Digby’s birthday that month.

During “Rock It Out,” students from both school corporations will paint and hide 400 rocks provided by Wrede Rocks throughout the community. In April, art students will paint scenes from history on the windows of downtown businesses. Poetry and essay contests are scheduled for the fall of 2025.

The Tippecanoe County Historical Association (TCHA) looks to reach out to elementary schools with programming. An award-winning picture book telling the story of the town’s namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette, will be given to elementary school libraries in all public and parochial schools. “Revolutionary Friends,” the story of the close relationship between the Marquis and George Washington, was written by Selene Castrovilla who, courtesy of the Lafayette School Corp., will visit the city during the Bicentennial.

Leading the way among local businesses announcing special plans are Exploration Acres,which will design a special Bicentennial corn maze, and the Flora Candle Company on Main Street that will designate two official “Bi’scent’tennial” candles.

Purdue graduates Nolan Willhite and Troy Weber founded Flora Candle Company. Willhite says the duo fell in love with the friendliness of the city during their time on campus and wanted to invest in the downtown. Eager to soak up Lafayette’s history, “We took a downtown tour with Sean Lutes (president of the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission). We must have walked 10 miles that day. It was great and just made us fall in love with Lafayette even more.”

As a creative business, creating a Bi’scent’tennial soy candle was a natural. “We had worked with the city before and wanted to be involved,” Willhite says.

“Hoosier Heartland,” with scents of musk, denim, vanilla and lavender, is one of the special candles. The other, with heavier floral scents, is still in development and has yet to be named. They will be sold at their Main Street store, at different Bicentennial events and are available wholesale for others who would like to sell them.

“We’re just super excited,” says Willhite. “It is super special to see the community come together to celebrate something as exciting as a Bicentennial.”

Antique Candle Co. is working on a candle promotion as well, with scents still in the works.

What’s the most important element to the year-long celebration? History.

“Lafayette really has been a community that’s built on prior generations’ accomplishments, and I think that is very special and should be celebrated. I think a lot of people don’t know a lot of the city’s history,” Roswarski says.

“I think it’s important to have fun during these celebrations but to also learn about our history.’’

In that vein all kinds of historic tours are in the works from Lafayette evening Lantern Tours, to Cemetery Tours that divulge secrets from our long ago past and Haunted Lafayette Tours that delve into spooky folklore. An exploration of Lafayette’s participation in the Underground Railroad will be the Bicentennial contribution of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The TCHA and its new director, Claire Eagle, play a pivotal role in everything history for the celebration. A Bicentennial coffee table book, fat with historical photos and dotted with short stories focused on fascinating bits of Lafayette’s past, is the association’s star project.

Eagle feels the Bicentennial could be a very special moment for the community and the association. “Remembering where we came from is important,” she says. “A lot of time it sparks thoughts for the future and brings key players together looking at the next 200 years.”

When Lafayette celebrated its Centennial in 1925, the historical fervor generated by that milestone directly led to the creation of the TCHA. She’s betting that partnerships formed, and conversations started, during the Bicentennial will propel new ideas forward. “Who knows what will come out,” she says. At TCHA as they work to diversify and expand their programming, “we hope to use any of this to our advantage.”

If there’s a hidden goal in the planned celebrations for Roswarski, “it’s bringing generations together to talk about the past, the present and the future, what the city is looking to do and has done. We really want to showcase where we’re going, what was accomplished and can be accomplished so that pride makes some of our young people want to stay here.”

“We are standing on other people’s shoulders, and we hope people will stand on our shoulders to move this community forward. We all have a part and a role to play. Not everyone’s going to be a John Purdue or a David Ross, but we all have a part to play.” ★

A year for celebrating in Lafayette

Look forward to these events during Lafayette’s 2025 Bicentennial year. And this is just the beginning. Details and dates may change. Go to lafayette.in.gov/bicentennial for up-to-date information.

★ JANUARY

• William Digby’s birthday in January 1802, kicks off 200 hours of community service for the year provided by area schools.

• Specialty retail items introduced

★ FEBRUARY

• “200 Reasons We Love Lafayette” banners, created from community input, are hung

• Bicentennial pop-up history exhibits open at Lafayette City Hall

★ MARCH

• Kick off of Bicentennial “Walk and Talk” tours downtown; tours continue through October

• Rock It Out: Students paint and hide rocks donated by Wrede Rocks

★ APRIL

• April 5, Afternoon Tea at Fowler Mansion

• Downtown window painting with local history themes

★ MAY

• May 3, Generations 2025 Fine Arts Exhibition and Sale, opening event Haan Museum, 2-5 pm; exhibition and sale runs May 4-31

• May 24-25, special Memorial Day weekend activities at Columbian Park

• May 25, Founder’s Day activities

• TAF’s Quilting Connection: Lafayette Quilters at the Bicentennial

• May 26, Memorial Day ceremonies with local Veterans groups. Possible community picnic. Evening Citizens Band Concert.

★ JUNE

• June 8, Afternoon Tea at Haan Museum

• June 12, "Celebrating 200 Years of Arts & Culture," opening reception, Haan Museum, 6-8 pm; exhibit runs June 13-August 9

• June 25, Taste of Tippecanoe

• Bicentennial Costume Ball (Date and location TBD)

★ JULY

• July 1, Film Festival at the Long Center honoring film director Sydney Pollack on his birthday

• July 12, Bicentennial Riverfest

• TAF exhibit by Michelle Wood-Voglund, “Grand and Gone: Lost Buildings of Lafayette”

★ AUGUST

• Two exhibits open Aug. 21 at the Haan Museum: “Hoosier Heritage on Canvas: Indiana Farms & Gardens” and “The Best of Scott Frankenberger,” noted local ceramic artist

• Kick-off of poetry and essay contests in local schools

★ SEPTEMBER

• Sept. 6, dedication of Bicentennial public art work in conjunction with the Marquis de Lafayette’s birthday

• Sept 21, Afternoon Tea at the Haan Museum

• Bicentennial-themed corn maze at Exploration Acres opens; continues through October

★ OCTOBER

• Haunted Lafayette Tours in conjunction with Halloween

• Last month for “Walk and Talk” tours

★ NOVEMBER

• Bicentennial Christmas ornaments available

★ DECEMBER

• Dec. 6, Bicentennial Parade with prizes and period costumes in conjunction with the Lafayette Christmas Parade