Thursday, October 1, 2026
Rain forced this year's annual Independence Day Readings indoors, but it did little to dampen a two-decade tradition that celebrates the nation's founding through history, literature and civic reflection.
The free community event, hosted by the Oceanside Library, moved from Schoolhouse Green to the library's theater on July 6 after inclement weather. Although attendance was smaller than organizers had anticipated for the outdoor program, longtime organizer Tony Iovino, a former assistant library director and Oceanside resident, said the event remained a meaningful success.
"We still wanted to do it," Iovino said. "It wasn't the huge crowd we would have gotten outside, but it was nice, and we did some nice readings."
The annual barbecue that typically accompanies the event was postponed and will instead be held Aug. 10 on Schoolhouse Green in partnership with the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association. The celebration will feature local poets alongside a tribute to Whitman.
The readings themselves opened, as they have every year since the tradition began 20 years ago, with a public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
"I think it's one of the greatest documents ever written," Iovino said. "The most important part is reading the names of the men who risked everything for us. I think that's appropriate every year."
From there, the program branched into a variety of historical and inspirational works tied together by a loose annual theme. This year's selections reflected both the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary and the excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup.
Participants read quotations from soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović, excerpts from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden's "Pyramid of Success," Theodore Roosevelt's writings on civic responsibility and conservation, portions of James Madison's Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances, and selections from Jim Valvano's iconic ESPY speech.
The program also included Walt Whitman's poem "I Hear America Singing," excerpts from Leaves of Grass, the Bill of Rights, quotations from Benjamin Franklin and concluded with Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Unlike many formal readings, community participation is at the heart of the event. Iovino divides each text into manageable sections, while longtime volunteer Judy Turk distributes the pages to audience members who wish to read aloud.
"It's completely random," Iovino said. "People volunteer, I call up the page numbers, and they come to the microphone and read."
Although the Declaration is the only reading that appears every year, Iovino said he refreshes the remainder of the program annually by developing a subtle theme. Past years have focused on topics including women's history, courage, civility and community.
"The goal is to present great words and great idea," Iovino said.
As the nation marks the lead-up to America's 250th anniversary, Iovino said the readings serve as both a celebration and a reminder of the country's enduring ideals.
"I think it's important for us to remember that the world didn't start with YouTube," he said with a laugh. "There are great words and great lessons that existed long before video."
He also hopes the readings encourage people to appreciate the depth of America's historical documents and speeches while recognizing that the nation has weathered difficult periods before.
"We've gone through tough times," Iovino said. "We've gone through times when the country's been divided, and it takes special people — leaders of men and women — to step forward and help correct the situation. We've had that happen in the past, and I like to celebrate that."
