The countdown is on! The National Bell Festival returns this New Year’s Day with an incredible lineup of events and experiences for the whole family – all free, all open to everyone, and all to ring in the New Year.
As an extension of the friendship between Tibet and D.C., the National Bell Festival is honored to gift His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama a cast bronze bell based on traditional temple bell profiles from the Tibetan imperial period. It will ring for the first time this New Year’s Day in a special blessing ceremony with Tibetan Buddhist monks.
This New Year’s Day also marks the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation – that momentous document that liberated people held in bondage in rebel states. To mark this occasion and to reflect on 160 years of civil rights progress, the National Bell Festival will resolutely toll a very special bell. Mark your calendar!
Throughout the festival, we’ll also be highlighting the rich heritage and bell ringing traditions of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Learn about bells in the UK.
But that’s not all! The National Bell Festival is excited to announce the construction of a new bell tower in Washington, D.C. Where will the structure be located? Why is the bell tower being built? How many bells will the new tower hold? When will the project be completed? All great questions – and all will be answered during a special press event hosted by the director of the National Bell Festival and community leaders.
Plus, we’ll have resounding performances on bells from carillonists, change ringers, and handbell ensembles around the globe. There’s no better way to ring in the New Year – literally! – than with the National Bell Festival. Grab a friend, meet a neighbor, and let the tintinnabulation of bells from on high wash over you.
