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Idaho Liberty Bell Tour kicks off in East Idaho

KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 hour, 18 minutes AGO
by KAYE THORNBRUGH
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | September 1, 2026 5:00 PM

The 2026 Idaho Liberty Bell Tour will kick off with three stops in East Idaho this week before it continues its journey through all 44 counties.

The bell, modeled after the cracked original in Philadelphia, will be in Pocatello from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, and from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Sept. 4, at the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. It will then travel to Blackfoot on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the Eastern Idaho State Fair and Parade. 

The Idaho Liberty Bell was one of several replicas that were distributed to U.S. states and territories to promote the sale of U.S. savings bonds. It arrived in Idaho in 1950, toured the state and found a permanent home in front of the Idaho State Capitol in November 1951. 

As part of Idaho's America 250 celebration, the bell was restored and sent on a tour that will take it across the state this year, giving Idahoans a chance to see the symbol of American liberty in their own communities. 

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