What the bell?

Explore the weird, the wonderful, and the whimsical at BellFest – from exclusive events and happenings, to behind-the-scenes access at some of the most fascinating historical sites in Washington, D.C.

Why Are Bells Ringing Today?

If you’re merrily sauntering through the park on a lazy weekend afternoon or hustling down a busy city road, you perchance may have heard the jingling, bonging,...

Bells Not Bombs: The Ruins of Hamburg’s St. Nicholas Church

Just after midnight on July 24, 1943, a bomb dropped on Hamburg – followed by one more, and then 10 more, and then 100 more, and then 1,000 more. For eight days and...

American Legion Presents Commendation to National Bell Festival

This weekend, the American Legion, Department of the District of Columbia, presented Paul Ashe, the director of the National Bell Festival, with a special...

Ship’s Bell from USS Indianapolis Tolls in Remembrance

The ship’s bell from the USS Indianapolis rang out on the afternoon of May 26, 2023, in remembrance of U.S. Marine Captain Matthew Tomkiewicz, who lost his...

How Bell Ringers Defied the Nazis

It was August 1934 and Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg was dead. A national hero, von Hindenburg had led the Imperial German Army through...

Pages

#BellFest