America250 celebrations bring patriotic spirit to Tri-Village area

With the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaching this July, the Tri-Village communities are coming together to spread national pride and camaraderie. Although the grand birthday does not fall until the Fourth, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff are planning yearlong festivities to honor both national and local history.

Upper Arlington

City of Upper Arlington

Original Legg barn, early pioneers, building the Amelita Mirolo Barn

In early 2025, Upper Arlington’s City Council passed a resolution declaring Upper Arlington an official America250 community. Shortly after, a committee was formed, comprised of the Upper Arlington Historical Society, Upper Arlington Civic Association, Upper Arlington Community Foundation, Upper Arlington Public Library, Upper Arlington Schools, Upper Arlington Education Foundation and the City of Upper Arlington.

The City officially kicked off celebrations with a dedication for the Walcutt-Legg Cemetery History Trail Sign. Walcutt-Legg Cemetery is located next to Wellington Middle School, and in this small cemetery, Revolutionary War soldier and former UA resident Elijah Legg is buried.

The City and the Historical Society partnered to revitalize the signage marking this historical site. On April 19, a ceremony was held to honor the veteran, which included a presentation from Wellington students and additional educational activities.

On May 3, The Best Day in UA: Celebrating 100 Years of July 4th, takes place at the Bob Crane Community Center. America’s 250th birthday coincides with the centennial of UA’s Fourth of July celebration, and the Historical Society is hosting a free event to showcase the parade’s history and traditions.

The celebration includes tables from various float-building neighborhoods, where visitors can explore creations over the years, along with a Miss Arlington Table – an ode to the previous tradition of featuring Miss Arlington and her court during the parade, which took place from 1949-1998. There will also be surprise guests from the parade and informational panels throughout the fifth floor of the center available through mid-June.

The following weekend, this year’s Spring Fling will mark the unveiling of new signage around the Amelita Mirolo barn, highlighting both the history of farming in UA and the story behind the barn’s construction. The sign features the story of the barn, along with recognition of those who helped make the project possible. In addition, 17 native Ohio trees will be planted in the park to reflect Ohio’s status as the 17th state.

For UA’s 100th celebration of July 4th, the Civic Association will host an all-out celebration with a special theme relating to America 250 and heightened festivities, including a 12-plus-minute drone show preceding the fireworks display, live performances and more.

What began as a way to keep residents in town for the holiday has grown into a tradition that now draws visitors in and even brings former residents back to celebrate. That evolution reflects the consistent efforts of the Civic Association.

“The Civic Association is completely volunteer-led… These guys formed 100 years ago, they decided they wanted to start having a celebration of the state’s independence and they just kept going,” Upper Arlington Community Affairs Director Emma Speight says. “At the City, we partner with them and provide a lot of support for the day, but they’re the ones with the big binders and the to-do lists and the expenses. They put it all together.”

Additional initiatives include two special art exhibitions – An American Town: Celebrating 250 Years and In Pursuit of Happiness – as well as Movies in the Park screenings featuring Ohio-connected films such as Ready Player One and Little Giants.

City of Upper Arlington

Grandview Heights

City of Grandview Heights

Preparations for the national milestone started in early 2025 in Grandview Heights as well, with a committee comprised of the City of Grandview Heights, the Village of Marble Cliff, Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society, Tri-Village Chamber Partnership, the Grandview Heights Public Library, Grandview Heights Schools, ODNR Division of Wildlife and Ohio Goes to the Movies.

The celebration began at the January 2026 city council meeting with Mayor Greta M. Kearns and City Director of Administration Adam Maxwell presenting the proclamation of Grandview Heights as an official America250 community alongside the flag. Since then, the America 250 committee of Grandview Heights has hosted America’s Birthday Party in February with games, activities and patriotic-themed cupcakes, as well as facilitated a traveling, America 250-centric frame that has popped up around town for photo ops, with council members and others taking photos around the community to commemorate the year-long festivities.

Festivities continue in May with the Memorial Day Parade on Sat., May 23, with this year’s parade emphasizing its patriotic themes with America 250-themed floats set to take off on First Avenue at 10 a.m.

In June, the national pride and spirit will continue at Wyman Woods with a Red, White, & Biz event on the 17th. Created through a partnership between the City and Destination Grandview, the event will bring together local businesses with families and the community to engage and network through special America 250-themed meals starting at 11:30 a.m. Attendees will receive a red, white or navy shirt for a special drone photo of participants spelling out “250” at noon.

City of Grandview Heights Strategy and Engagement Manager Christy Clark shares that the photo is an exciting way to bring local businesses and local residents together – and an opportunity to show off their creativity through designing their own t-shirt.

“It symbolizes unity and coming together, so whether it’s just Grandview Heights or visitors, we are all coming together to celebrate a very, very special milestone in American history, and we’re making our own history by doing this,” Clark says.

Looking ahead to Fri., July 24, save the date for the third annual Rubber Duck Derby, back this year with a Christmas in July theme and a showing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – which stars Columbus native Beverly D’Angelo – in partnership with Ohio Goes to the Movies.