NORTH CENTRAL OHIO — North central Ohioans looking for history, celebration and community connection during the nation’s 250th anniversary won’t have to travel far to find it.

Todd Kleismit, executive director of the America 250-Ohio Commission, said the state’s year-long celebration highlights nationally significant sites, local stories and community pride across all 88 counties.

He pointed to Ohio’s 76 state parks, national landmarks and local tourism destinations as examples of attractions residents may overlook in their own communities.

“Sometimes you just need to be reminded you’ve got really cool places right here in your own back yard,” he said.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced the commission on Ohio Statehood Day in 2022. The 29-member commission prepares Ohio for the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration, which culminates on July 4, 2026.

Kleismit said the commission wants to use all of 2026 to showcase how Ohio contributed to the United States through innovation, creativity, agriculture, transportation and history.

“There’s a lot we can work with here so we are delighted to have the support from so many,” he said.

Communities across Ohio prepare for 2026

Kleismit said communities across Ohio continue finding unique ways to participate in the celebration.

“The variety of ways communities are coming together this year is really inspiring and exciting,” he said. “Anybody who is interested in participating is going to find a lot of ways to plug into it. There’s not two or three things, there’s hundreds.”

He praised efforts happening locally in Richland and Ashland counties, especially preparations underway in downtown Mansfield ahead of July 4 festivities.

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“I know Mansfield has been very active,” Kleismit said. “They’re doing a lot of work downtown with infrastructure to prepare for July 4 so that’s awesome.”

He noted groups like Destination Mansfield are a lifeblood to America 250.

“These tourism assets all around Ohio bring so much to Ohio’s vibrancy and economic development,” he said. “The tourism coming from their work is really significant.”

The commission also encourages communities along U.S. Route 250 to connect their local stories to the nation’s anniversary.

Kleismit said he initially liked the connection between “America 250” and “U.S. Route 250,” but later discovered deeper historical and cultural ties between the communities located along the roadway.

“It connects Lake Erie to the Ohio River, goes through eight different counties,” he said. “We have college towns, scenic places and it connects to the Lincoln Highway.”

He added places along the route continue to reveal new historical connections, including Wooster, which takes its name from Revolutionary War General David Wooster.

“I found so many interesting tie-ins between the communities along U.S. Route 250,” Kleismit said. “We’re trying to have some fun with that.”

The commission’s online calendar already lists nearly 1,000 events statewide. Kleismit said residents can find hundreds of ways to participate through picnics, reunions, block parties and historical programs.

“This only comes around once in a lifetime,” he said. “So we think, let’s make the most of it this year.”

Showcasing Ohio’s history and legacy

Kleismit said the commission continues building long-term projects that will outlast the organization itself.

“We’re very hopeful the work we’re doing will have an impact beyond our commission,” he said.

Some projects focus on tourism and education, including driving trails centered on transportation, creativity, air and space history and routes connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River.

The commission also helped support the Ohio Women’s Monument currently under installation on the Ohio Statehouse grounds.

Kleismit said the organization has also worked to connect Underground Railroad sites across the state.

“A lot of people don’t know Ohio actually has the most certified Underground Railroad sites of any state and that should be a big deal,” he said.

He said many of those sites previously operated independently without much collaboration. The commission first brought representatives together in 2024 and plans another gathering in the fall of 2026.

“We have been a convener of the Underground Railroad sites in Ohio,” Kleismit said.

Ohio’s ties to the Revolutionary War also continue shaping the commission’s programming. Kleismit pointed to Fort Laurens as Ohio’s Revolutionary War fort and mentioned the historical significance of the Firelands region.

“I think these things are interesting,” he said. “I love history.”

Kleismit said Ohioans from both rural and urban communities continue embracing the celebration and shaping events that matter to them.

“I’m just thrilled all counties are engaged in this and it isn’t just big cities nor small towns or urban and rural, it’s both,” he said.

He hopes the anniversary gives neighbors a chance to reconnect while reflecting on the country’s past and future.

“We should be gathering with our neighbors and use this as a time to reflect on our history and figure out the right ways to look forward and shape the future,” Kleismit said.