Northwood University invites residents from the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond to see history come alive at the March 20 Freedom Lights the Future Festival. The event will culminate in a free concert headlined by Jedi Mind Trip and featuring Brayden Lape, a Northwood student who appeared on NBC’s The Voice.
The Freedom Lights the Future Festival is the hallmark of Northwood’s nearly year-long effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Events will include student showcases, contests, and an array of historical reenactors from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Mall Walk.
Specific daytime programming highlights include:
• The Four Seasons Space will be transformed into an exhibit about how the Declaration gave birth to a moral, philosophical, and economic idea that still shapes the world.
• Historical reenactors will portray Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton.
• Members of a new Revolutionary War militia unit will perform demonstrations.
• A pop-up contest will be held for Northwood University students to translate the Declaration in today’s vernacular. The winner will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to view the original document at the National Archives Museum.
• Northwood will unveil the winners of a contest sponsored by the Bauervic Foundation. Students competed for over $5,000 in cash prizes by creating videos about “Our Republic: Can We Keep It?” The winning videos will be streamed in the Four Seasons Space near the Abe Lincoln Statue on the Mall Walk.
• A faculty panel will be held prior to the Mall Walk activities, starting at 10 a.m. in Plaster 120/121. The panel, We Hold These Truths: How the Declaration of Independence Shaped America, will feature esteemed faculty Dr. Brett Decker, Dr. Glenn Moots, Dr. Timothy G. Nash, and Dr. Michael Makovi. It will be moderated by Northwood Economics Chair Dr. Dale Matcheck. Individuals interested in watching the panel can participate virtually here.
The evening celebration, held in the Hach Student Life Center in the Bennett Sports Complex, will bring the community together for a Freedom Lights the Future Concert headlined by Michigan-based cover party band Jedi Mind Trip. The concert will feature:
- An opening performance by Brayden Lape, a Northwood football player and former contestant on NBC’s The Voice
- Free concert swag and light-up accessories
- Adult beverages available for purchase through Tavern 59
- The Wolf Den restaurant open with a full menu
Doors will open at 4:45 p.m. for students and at 5:15 p.m. for members of the general public. Jedi Mind Trip will perform from 6 to 9 p.m., and there will be an intermission performance by Steeler Leep, a Northwood football player.
“Freedom Lights the Future is Northwood’s way of honoring a once-in-a-generation milestone in our nation’s history,” said Dr. Lisa Fairbairn, co-chair of Freedom Lights the Future and assistant vice president and dean of the DeVos Graduate School of Management. “The Declaration of Independence articulated principles that unleashed human creativity, innovation, and enterprise. Through Freedom Lights the Future, Northwood invites our community to celebrate those ideals in a way that is educational, welcoming, nonpartisan, and exciting.”
Additional Freedom Lights the Future observances planned throughout 2026 include academic partnership programming, immersive learning experiences, and community celebrations that extend beyond Independence Day.
There is no cost to attend the March 20 Freedom Lights the Future Festival. Concert tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and attendees can reserve tickets online here in advance of March 20.
For more information, visit northwood.edu/freedom-lights-the-future/
