On April 18, Providence will host a first-day stamp ceremony that’s part release party, part marketplace and part postcard swap. The U.S. Postal Service is rolling out its new Happy Birthday forever stamp with an event that looks less like a solemn dedication and more like a neighborhood fair for paper lovers.

## Where To See The Happy Birthday Stamp In Providence
Track 15, the food hall inside Providence’s old Union Station, is the venue. The stamp dedication and a larger pop-up run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the location means food trucks and multiple vendors will be on hand, so you can pick up a slice of pizza between chats about cancels and card designs.

### Pop-Up Party Blends Greeting Cards With Stamps
The Postal Service teamed up with the Greeting Card Association to stage a retail-meets-exhibit event. Independent stationery brands—many of them decorated with industry honors like the Louie Awards—will bring greeting cards, stickers and other paper goods to sell. That’s a chance to talk directly with the people who design and print these items, and to see current trends in paper design up close.

Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is involved with one of the vendors, the New England–based 2021 Co., which highlights how the card business sometimes intersects with entertainment and celebrity-led products. Expect to meet designers, find limited runs, and pick up fresh artwork you won’t see at the chain stores.

#### Food And Venue Details
Track 15’s setting in Union Station gives the event a lively, public feel. Multiple food vendors will be available inside the hall. The space is easy to reach for stamp collectors bringing First Day Covers (FDCs) and for casual visitors who just want to browse.

### Postcrossing Meetup And Postcard Exchanges
Organizers are also hosting a Postcrossing meetup during the event. They’re working to provide inexpensive postcards so attendees can swap cards and covers with fellow Postcrossing members on site. For anyone new to the project, Postcrossing is a community focused on sending and receiving real mail around the world—this meetup is a practical way to connect with that global network.

## The Happy Birthday Stamp Design And Collectible Notes
The image on the new forever stamp was created by illustrator Lisa Congdon, with art direction by Greg Breeding. The artwork shows a white cake topped with colorful candles and the stacked text “HAPPY BIRTH DAY!” The Postal Service notes this is the first U.S. stamp in five years made expressly for birthday mail, a small but noteworthy gap for collectors and people who still send cards the old-fashioned way.

Collectors will want to know the first-day ceremony offers standard opportunities: first-day cancellations, the potential to buy sheets or panes, and the chance to have covers postmarked on release day. If you bring FDCs, you can get them cancelled at Providence and then add a local flavor to your collection. Keep an eye on line-ups, though—crowds can form when designers are signing or vendors launch a limited run.

### Registration And Attendance
The first-day event is free and open to the public. If you plan to come with guests (up to four), the USPS suggests registering online ahead of time. That helps with crowd management and makes it easier to secure a spot for the dedication itself. Expect friendly staff on site to handle sales, meetups and any small issues—like a mispelled name on a cover if you don’t double-check the address.