American and Don�t Tread On Me flags at the Freedom Festival. The Don't Tread on Me flag is also known as the Gadsden flag, named after American general and politician Christopher Gadsden (1724�1805), who designed it in 1775 during the American Revolution. It was used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag. 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.