Are you ready for the 250th Meck Dec anniversary?

Events are planned this week to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence — also known as the “Meck Dec.” According to local legend, the citizens of Mecklenburg County declared independence from Great Britain on May 20, 1775 — more than a year before the rest of the American colonies. However the document is said to have been lost in a fire in 1800 — leading some historians to question the story. A ceremony will be held Tuesday in uptown, from noon to 2 pm, at Trade and Tryon streets.