Events

Endorsed by America250 and the National League of Cities, Light to Unite is a nationwide initiative inviting communities to illuminate local landmarks, buildings, and public spaces in red, white, and blue on the evening of July 4, 2026.The coordinated display serves as a symbol of unity during the U.S. Semiquincentennial commemoration. Hundreds of cities and towns have committed participation, with expansion efforts ongoing nationwide.Communities, organizations, and property owners may participate by illuminating prominent structures in patriotic colors.How to Participate:Commit to illuminating a local building or landmark on July 4Submit confirmation of participationShare photos of illuminated landmarksEncourage additional partners to joinLearn more and register at nationalflagfoundation.org/light-to-unite.

An America 250 Heritage Day celebration featuring historical textiles, including an embroidered Pickering Family quilt, a WWI memorial flag with soldiers' names stitched as stars, and a woven throw with family names.Third-graders from Heritage Elementary created a paper quilt for the occasion. Visitors can arrange to have their names added to an America 250 quilt destined for a Bicentennial Time Capsule, "not to be seen again until the time capsule is opened in 2076."A model train display from The Big Roadshow is also on view.Admission is free. Wheelchair access is available via the rear lift.

America turns 250 on Saturday, July 4, and the site of America's first presidential library has a day full of old-fashioned events and its annual Independence Day Concert to celebrate. Enjoy a day of nostalgic fun with a picnic or food truck fare; the concert performed by the Toledo Concert Band, featuring members of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra; deeply discounted admission of $2.50 for a site pass to tour the Hayes Home and museum; games and crafts; historical talks and more.The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for self-guided tours. Hayes Home tours begin at 9:30 a.m., will last a half hour and cover the first floor of the home only. The tours will include information about President Rutherford B. Hayes' ancestors and their ties to colonial and Revolutionary War era history.Food trucks include Jimmy G's barbecue, Frozen Paradice, Tim's Bar and Grill Food Trailer and the Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor Traveling Root Beer Stand. The USS Spiegel Grove Association will dedicate a new exhibit area for the ship's bell at noon. The Independence Day Concert runs from 2 to 3:30 p.m., featuring the "1812 Overture" with cannon fire.

The City of Mansfield invites the community to participate in a daylong observance marking America's 250th Anniversary. The celebration features Fourth of July programming that honors national history while highlighting Mansfield's local heritage. All activities are complimentary and accessible to the general public.Featured activities include rededication of the historic 1881 Vasbinder Fountain, a park picnic with live music and refreshments, a time capsule opening, and Mansfield Speedway activities running throughout the day, concluding with a fireworks display at 9 PM.

This program examines how daily life evolved in the colonies from the arrival of Columbus to the formation of the United States. Presented by Hayes Presidential Historian Josh Dubbert, it contrasts the modern American landscape with the vast wilderness populated by a multitude of Indigenous cultures encountered by early European settlers.The 30-minute presentation takes place in the museum's History Lab.Cost: $2.50 for non-members; free for Hayes Presidential members.Partial funding provided by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.

Kicking off the day will be our spectacular America's 250th Birthday Bash Parade through downtown Ashland and we encourage local businesses, organizations and families to deck their floats in red, white and blue to commemorate this momentous occasion. The parade will kick off around 10:00 a.m. at Claremont Avenue and College Avenue, travel North and turn onto E. Main Street and continue through to Union Street.

Join the city of Hamilton for their 4th of July celebration! The parade kicks off at the Butler County Fairgrounds, filling the streets with festive floats, marching bands, and community organizations. In the evening, enjoy a free concert at RiversEdge Amphitheater, followed by the annual Hamilton Firework Show.

In 1776, 56 delegates representing each of the 13 colonies signed what would become one of the most daring, revolutionary and complex documents in human history.The program explores how losing the Revolutionary War would have made the Declaration a death warrant for these men. Historian Josh Dubbert presents well-known and lesser-known signers and their roles before and after American independence.The presentation takes place in the museum's lower level.Cost: $2.50 (non-members); Free for Hayes Presidential members.Partial funding provided by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.

Groups in town are encouraged to create floats to join the parade or just to watch the parade.

Rededication of the 1881 fountain, Picnic in the Park with free ice cream and live Jazz music and opening of Bicentennial time capsule with fireworks at dusk at Mansfield Speedway.

Join the Hopewell Chapter, NSDAR, and the Liberty Township Historical Society for a Freedom Bells observance commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States. Held at the historic Hughes Schoolhouse in Liberty Township, this community observance will include reflections on the Declaration of Independence, historical readings, bell ringing at 12:00 noon as part of the nationwide Freedom Bells initiative, and opportunities for community fellowship and reflection.Freedom Bells is a coordinated national observance marking July 4, 1776, and celebrating the ideals of liberty, self-government, and civic remembrance that continue to shape our nation 250 years later.This event is free and open to the public.

Public ceremony begins at 12:00pm. The unveiling of the 1976 Galion Time Capsule artifacts display will be held near the time capsule monument by the Gill Avenue entrance.Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch or grab a bite from the food vendors at the Pickle Run Festival. Bring your own blankets or chairs.Enjoy a meaningful ceremony with patriotic music and speakers from the Galion History Center, the Lion's Club, and the City of Galion.