August Quarterly Festival

First celebrated over two centuries ago, the August Quarterly Festival—also known as the “Big Quarterly,” or the “Independence Day” of Delaware—commemorates the founding of the first African American Union Methodist Church by Peter Spencer in 1813. Today, the annual festivities continue to be hosted by Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, Delaware, and include music, dance, food, health awareness initiatives, and educational programming. The celebration honors religious freedom for all people, recognizing in particular the enduring struggle for freedom and dignity among African Americans across the United States.