Beginning as early as November 2024, the City of Dublin and the Dublin America250 Planning Committee have organized a series of events with an emphasis on community connection.
Dublin gathers
City of Dublin
Summer celebrations begin with the Memorial Day Ceremony, followed by a community picnic on the front lawn of Indian Run Elementary. The gathering brings together several committee members including the Dublin Historical Society, Washington Township, Dublin Arts Council and the Dublin Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Additionally, groups from all three high schools – Scioto’s Purple Star Club, the Coffman Jazz Band and the Dublin Jerome Marching Band – are leading the ceremony at the Dublin Cemetery and the procession to the picnic.
City Events Administrator Jim Loch says Dublin’s approach to America 250 emphasizes community involvement.
“America 250 is the entire country, but it takes the full community to really make anything successful here. So, we wanted to gather representatives from across the board,” Loch says.
City of Dublin
A twist on tradition
The City’s celebrations also involve combining America 250 with well-known events including Cinema Saturdays, the Independence Day parade and the Dublin Irish Festival.
“We have a good opportunity to incorporate a lot of this stuff into existing events that (community members) are already engaged in and continue to teach them the history and engage them further in the past 250 years,” Loch says.
For instance, the Independence Day parade, led by this year’s Grand Marshal John Witt, will center on major milestones in Dublin’s history and the theme of America 250, allowing for creative interpretation.
City of Dublin
“We don’t know what to expect necessarily as the community takes (the theme) in. For example, somebody could choose to do an ’80s theme because Dublin became a city in the ’80s,” says City of Dublin Director of Events Alison LeRoy. “So, there’s just a lot of different ways people can interpret it. And I’m just really looking forward to seeing how the community takes that and brings that forward.”
Additionally, the Irish Festival will include presentations focusing on the role of the Irish in the American Revolution. LeRoy hopes these celebrations will leave an impression on the community.
“I remember the events of the American Bicentennial in 1976, and I have some really fond memories of those,” LeRoy says. “I hope that kids 50 years from now have those same fond memories that I’m able to have from 1976 of the fun things that happened during that year.”
City of Dublin
Connecting past and present
Dublin Historical Society
Also commemorating America 250 is the Dublin Historical Society with its speaker series, which made a comeback last fall.
Through November, the Second Sunday Speaker Series is celebrating U.S. history and Dublin connections, welcoming speakers such as Kathleen Fulmer Waller, a past regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution (June); Kevin Woods, a professional Abraham Lincoln reenactor (September) and Dr. Chris Hariasz, the president of the Kosciuszko Foundation Ohio Chapter (November).
The Society’s President Mike Jewell says the series has been well-received, averaging around 80 attendees per event. He says the Dublin Library Branch, where the series takes place, has been a key partner.
“The ratings have been five-plus and most everybody has been very excited about the topics and how they were presented,” Jewell says. “The library’s really been a big asset for us in regards to the registration process and the feedback, and it’s just a great partnership for us.”
Jewell says the Society’s main goal with this year’s series is to support the City’s efforts in recognizing America 250.
“There’s a lot of history (in Dublin). And I’m also a fifth-generation grandson of John Sells, so I’ve got a little family history... but I really feel that we just need to give back to the City for all the support they’ve been giving us as well,” Jewell says.
In addition to the speaker series, Jewell says he’s also looking forward to the Independence Day parade where DHS is planning to pull a circus wagon celebrating the Sells Circus, in collaboration with the Historic Dublin Business Association and the Historic Dublin Civic Association.
