City Tavern's Independence Day

Sat., July 4, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., free, City Tavern, 138 S. Second St., citytavern.com.

by Carlene Majorino

[ festival ]

Ben Franklin is so clearly our boy: In 1777, on the country's very first Independence Day, he celebrated by getting hammered. It was at City Tavern, a place that still stands tall today and pays tribute to Franklin's party-boy spirit each July 4.

At this year's celebration, guests can eat hot dogs and hoagies, and drink "Ales of the Revolution" — Yards Brewing Co. beers made from original Founding Fathers' recipes. Also, Fort Mifflin re-enactors decked out in period garb will set up tents to replicate a military campsite, and demonstrate what it was like to be a colonial soldier by playing simple games and teaching calligraphy lessons.

With all those activities combined, you can replicate Franklin's July 4 experience pretty closely. Except for one thing — the beers he drank were so high in alcoholic content that they no longer fit the legal definition for beer. What a shame.

Sat., July 4, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., free, City Tavern, 138 S. Second St., citytavern.com.