This Fourth of July, there are two dueling national organizations that will be celebrating America’s 250th birthday –– but only one was created with the help of President Donald Trump.

Both “America250” and “Freedom 250” say they are nonpartisan organizations to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but Freedom 250 has been mired in controversies since Trump created this task force after his reelection.

Similar names and stated goals can make it difficult to distinguish between the groups. Here’s how to spot which event for America’s 250th birthday is MAGA-branded under Trump’s leadership.

The origins of America250 and Freedom 250 have one huge difference.

America250, an official, bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2016 to honor America’s semiquincentennial, has existed through four presidential administrations, and its honorary national co-chairs include former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

America250’s goal is to “renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite as a nation,” according to its website. Each state also has its own separate commission to plan commemorative events for America’s 250th birthday.

Even though America250 has been planning events for the upcoming anniversary for years, the Trump administration created a separate commission to lead its own charge for this big milestone last year. Under Trump’s executive order in 2025, the White House launched Freedom 250 as a task force to commemorate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. Freedom 250 raises money through a public-private partnership with the nonprofit National Park Foundation that is the official fundraising partner for the National Park Service.

Freedom 250 has faced criticism from Democratic senators over its “opaque financial disclosures, its funding structure, and the potential interaction between taxpayer funds and privately raised contributions.” According to a New York Times report, people who donate $1 million to Freedom 250 have the opportunity to interact with Trump.

One of the easiest ways to spot which group is hosting an event is to look at the logo of the stickers and banners for it. The two national organizations have similar names but different logos. The America250 logo features the word “America” in serif and a red, white and blue ribbon that spells out the number 250.

Meanwhile, “Freedom 250” puts the number 250 inside a circle of 13 stars similar to the original U.S. flag.

And semantically, there is no space between “America” and “250” for the name America250, but for Freedom 250, there is.

Perhaps the most valuable difference is in the programming each group is offering.

In a statement to HuffPost, America250 explained its “programming is values-based, underscored by common American principles such as giving, service, innovation and community. Our programming has unanimous support from our bipartisan commission.”

To celebrate America’s birthday, the Times Square Ball in New York City will drop eight times to mark midnight in every U.S. time zone and there will be live celebrations and charity concerts for “America’s Block Parties” in multiple U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, Charleston, South Carolina, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A time capsule with contributions from each state and territory will get buried in Philadelphia on July Fourth and be reopened in 2276.

Meanwhile, Freedom 250’s events have been full of muscular displays of strength and Trump-dominated. Beyond events set for the Fourth of July, Freedom 250 was also involved in programming for Trump’s birthday UFC cage fight and a prayer event on the National Mall called Rededicate 250. In August, Freedom 250 is planning an IndyCar race in the nation’s capital and “Patriot Games” athletic competition for students.

One of Freedom 250’s signature events is the Great American State Fair to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with live performances and exhibits through July 10. Not every state will be represented, as at least 10 have declined to send staff or funds to this event, citing financial concerns. In an interview with Boston Public Radio, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) called it a “ridiculous” use of taxpayer money.

Freedom 250 also has mobile “Freedom Truck” museums that have been accused of sanitizing history and centering Christian faith.

Freedom 250 is pushing “a historical narrative of our country being founded as a Christian nation, which is completely false from a historical point of view,” Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, vice president of programs and strategy at Interfaith Alliance, told HuffPost. “It is, I think, an invented history to serve a political extremist ideology.”

Graves-Fitzsimmons said, for example, that Freedom Trucks have included a false idea of George Washington kneeling down to pray at Valley Forge “when actually Washington was a firm believer in our religious freedom.”

Americans should be proud of the institutional division between religion and government created in their democracy, Graves-Fitzsimmons said. “From the very beginning, the first 16 words of the First Amendment guarantee religious freedom for all,” he noted.

Asked about the critique that it is promoting untrue Christian messages about America’s founding, Freedom 250 spokesperson Julia Friedland said in response that “Faith has played a significant role in America’s founding and enduring strength, which is why Freedom 250 has incorporated faith-based programming into many of our signature events.”

“At the same time, Freedom 250 welcomes Americans of all faith traditions and beliefs as we come together to celebrate our shared history and the values that unite us,” she continued.

If you’re finding the two competing events for America’s 250th birthday too confusing or partisan, you’re not alone.

Artists have dropped out of Freedom 250-backed events, citing its “misleading” partisan nature. Young MC, Bret Michaels and Martina McBride publicly withdrew from the “Freedom 250” concert series in Washington, D.C., for example. Instead, Trump headlined his own kickoff rally for the Freedom 250-backed Great American State Fair.

So this Fourth of July, before you go to a nationally organized 250th birthday event, double-check which group is backing it. Who is sponsoring which event might make all the difference in whether it’s an activity you want to attend.

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