Events

This community event celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States across Highland County. The central gathering occurs at the historic courthouse in Hillsboro, featuring living historical portrayals at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, free guided courthouse tours (reservation required), and family-friendly educational presentations.Additional activities take place in the villages of Leesburg, Greenfield, and Lynchburg. The day concludes with an evening performance by the Hillsboro Military Band on the courthouse lawn, sponsored by the Highland County Historical Society.

A limited time opportunity to have real Tin Type photos taken of you and your loved ones. Professional service provided from HighLife Tin Type Photography of Columbus, Ohio. Please register at the link provided as time slots will be limited.

Join us for the Soprema Senior Center's Patriotic "Christmas in July" Car Show & Craft Fair with over 40 cars spanning multiple decades! Start your Christmas shopping early with TWO rooms full of hand made items from local senior crafters. Enjoy great food specials in the Soprema Cafe. There will also be chances to WIN great prizes as we celebrate our country's birthday, plus lots more to experience! Open to the public of all ages. Feel free to wear your "red, white, & blue!"

This docudrama celebrates the freedom fighter spirit by retelling the story of Philip Partridge, a County Engineer who stood trial for burning down the Lincoln School in Hillsboro, Ohio. Following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling that declared school racial segregation unconstitutional, Hillsboro maintained separate educational facilities—white children attended Washington or Webster elementary schools while Black children attended the poorly-maintained Lincoln School. Despite community need for improvements, voters approved funding only for the white schools. On July 5, 1954, Partridge set fire to the Lincoln School, ultimately forcing integration in this rural community.The production combines lyrical passages of The Hillsboro Story, written by Susan Banyas, with a dramatic staging of Mr. Partridge's trial. Susan Banyas and Rainee Angles developed this one-night-only performance. Admission is complimentary.Sponsors: Paul and Mae Jane Pence Trust Patron of the Arts Fund through Southern State Foundation; America 250-Ohio Commission.

The Battle of Buffington Island, occurring July 19, 1863, represented "the largest Civil War battle in the State of Ohio." Confederate General John H. Morgan led over 1,900 cavalrymen attempting to cross into West Virginia while pursued by Union forces and Navy gunboats. The 950-mile raid began July 2, 1863, and concluded July 26, 1863, when Morgan was captured near Pennsylvania.The battle proved significant as two future U.S. Presidents—William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes—were present, and Union Major Daniel McCook sustained mortal wounds.The event celebrates the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation's efforts and includes memorial services, historical marker dedication, historian presentations, period music by the 73rd OVI Regimental Band, and a community picnic.RSVP by July 11, 2026 to cwrtmov@gmail.com.

Celebrate America 250 at the Historic Cleveland Grays Armory Museum at "Welcome Back to Ohio and the Cleveland Grays."Join the fun. Free Tours of the Historic Cleveland Grays Armory Museum, an 1893 Romanesque style building with exhibits showcasing the military heritage of Cleveland.Live musical entertainment, including a vintage Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ and a Civil War Song VocalistOld fashioned games with prizes for the childrenSnacks and beverages available for purchaseFree Parking at Cleveland Grays Armory parking lot (space limited)Reservations requested: 216-621-5938. RSVP by July 15th, 2026.

Event featuring statewide elected officials and candidates and family-friendly activities. More details to come...

Explore fair history alongside Lorain County Historical Society's Kayla Clark, beginning in the 1830s. The program traces the development of the Lorain County Fair and its evolution over nearly two centuries.This event aligns with America 250's August theme, "Ohio Goes to the Fair," part of the country's 250th anniversary celebration.Free admission.

This lecture examines how World War II fundamentally reshaped athletics, as major sporting events were suspended, athletes were drafted into military service, and leagues were forced to adapt for survival.Topics include the cancelled 1940 and 1944 Olympics, the World Cup, the rise of women's professional baseball, team mergers like the Steagles, and military base athletics. Despite wartime challenges, sports remained a crucial source of morale and unity on the home front.The lecture will be presented by Sam Sprunger, President of Lounge Media Group, a history educator with more than 15 years of teaching experience and a sports coaching background.Cost: Free for members; $7 for non-members (includes self-guided museum tour).

The event celebrates the unveiling of an Ohio historical marker honoring the Centennial Oak, planted by the Newbury Woman Suffrage Political Club on July 4, 1876.Programming includes suffrage re-enactments, historic readings of the Declaration of Sentiments and the 19th Amendment, poetry, and music on the Chapel grounds alongside the dedication ceremony.The site holds significance as headquarters for women's reform associations and the location of the "Newbury Nine" voting attempt in 1871, as well as an 1919 suffrage march.Cost: Free

This is the ninth installment in the Great Depression Lecture Series, an America 250 program. This is a Wood County Park District lead event, in partnership with the Wood County Museum.

In the oldest home on the Big Darby Creek resides the area's first settler. An odd, weathered old man who is said to have once lived with the Mingo. Many have heard his name but few know him personally. This is the story of the first settler in Madison County, Jonathan Alder.While some historians have included tales of Alder's life in their collections, none can tell it quite like the man himself. This one-man play features Jonathan, seeing his world and health fade around him, finally deciding to share his story publicly, just as he remembers. He can't help but get caught up in the episodes, too, reliving the memories with the audience. But, as the night progresses, he begins to fear his years have grown short and that the truth will soon become myth.By the end of his story, he leaves the audience with a plea and a choice; will they lead a path of hope? Or, will their path lead to despair?Based on his dictated and family accounts, witness Central Ohio's earliest settler share what life was like for the rest of us amidst a revolution.