Children of the American Revolution reenactors on float in the Freedom Festival parade. The Evansville Freedom Festival was an annual festival in Evansville, Indiana that celebrates the Fourth of July. What began in 1970 with only a handful of events has grown to include unlimited boat racing, airshows, food booths, dances, and music culminating with a fireworks show over the Evansville riverfront. In recent years the Freedom Festival has been renamed, struggled financially, been sponsored by other organizations, and at times cancelled. The Children of the American Revolution (CAR) was founded on April 5th, 1895 by Harriett Lothrop. The idea was proposed February 22, 1895 at the Fourth Continental Congress of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The organization was promptly chartered by the United States Congress, and CAR, is now the nation's oldest and largest, patriotic youth organization. CAR offers membership to anyone under the age of 22 who is lineally descended from someone who served in the Continental Army or gave material aid to the cause of freedom in the American Revolution.