America is celebrating its 250th birthday this year with a blast.
This year, people around the Canton area will be celebrating the Fourth of July to honor the historic milestone with food, music and colorful fireworks displays.
Here’s your ultimate guide to America 250 events in the region:
Where to celebrate July 4 in the Akron-Canton area
Akron: The revamped Lock 3 in downtown Akron is the home of Fourth of July fireworks in Akron. This year they’ll take place on Saturday, July 4, at 9:45 p.m.
Alliance: Fourth of July activities include a family walk through the display of 250 flags at Glamorgan Castle at 9 a.m. Refreshments will be available. At 11 a.m. will be an America 250 Picnic at Beech Creek. At 4 p.m. will be the John Hampu Band show at Miller Pavilion at Silver Park, with food trucks and other activities. At 7:45 p.m. there will be a Living History Concert with the 1926 Alliance City Band on the Silver Park stage. Joseph N. Rubin will conduct a 23-piece concert band of Northern Ohio musicians dressed in period uniforms playing a recently discovered July 1926 Alliance City Band program featuring many beloved band classics. Fireworks will be at dusk from Silver Park.
Canton: The Monumental Fourth fireworks event will be held from 4 to 10:30 p.m. July 2 at McKinley Memorial Park, outside the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and McKinley National Memorial, 800 McKinley Drive NW. There will be games, food and live music. Fireworks will be at 9:40 p.m.
Cuyahoga Falls: The America 250 Celebration and Fireworks is taking place on Friday, July 3, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Downtown Plaza. The evening will feature local craft beer, food trucks and live music from the Buck Naked Band beginning at 7 p.m., followed by a fireworks finale at 10 p.m.
Blossom Music Center will hold the 2026 Blossom Music Festival America at 250 at 7 p.m. July 3 and the 2026 Blossom Music Festival Salute to America at 7 p.m. July 4.
Green: At Boettler Park on June 27 the city is hosting Freedom Fest. The community festival is meant to kick off the July 4 holiday season. Running from noon to 11 p.m., the event includes games, food vendors, live music and, of course, fireworks.
Hudson: The city will hold its annual Independence Day Fireworks Celebration on Friday, July 3, at Barlow Farm Park, featuring food trucks, children’s activities, a DJ and live music before a fireworks display at dusk. The event begins at 6 p.m., with a rain date of Sunday, July 5.
Massillon: The Independence Day Celebration will be from 6 to 10 p.m. July 3 at Duncan Plaza, with games, face painting, a parade at 6 p.m., food trucks and live entertainment. A LaFlavour concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks will be at dusk.
North Canton: An America 250 Community Celebration and cruise-in will be from 5 to 9:30 p.m. July 4 in front of City Hall, 145 N. Main St. There will be family activities, a community picnic at noon on the Hoover factory lawn, a presentation about the Statue of Liberty at 1 p.m. in the City Hall lobby, and a drone show at 9:30 p.m. at the city square. There will be no fireworks. The North Canton YMCA July 4 race will be from 7:30 a.m. to noon; to register, visit https://tinyurl.com/bdej5k78. The movie “Hamilton” will be shown at 9 p.m. July 3 outdoors in front of City Hall.
Portage Lakes: The Portage Lakes Fireworks Association will set off its display from Portage Lakes State Park on July 11. The rain date is July 12.
Stow: The city is hosting its 68th annual Fourth of July parade on July 4. The route starts at 10 a.m. on Kent Road and ends at Holy Family Church. The city is also having its annual Firecracker Run at 7:30 a.m. July 4. Get more details here.
Know about a Fourth of July event we haven’t listed? Email Karen Sidaway at karen.sidaway@cantonrep.com.
America 250 events taking place in the Canton region
Here’s a look at America 250 events taking place in the Canton region:
Stark Stories History Trail
Visit Canton’s Stark Stories History Trail, an interactive digital passport, helps explore the history woven throughout Stark County in celebration of America 250. Participants can check in at locations across the county, solve riddles at each stop to earn points and redeem a commemorative Stark Stories America 250 T-shirt when you earn 10 points by visiting locations. Sign up for the free pass at https://tinyurl.com/yuv26we4.
Ohio Goes to the Movies
Ohio Goes to the Movies is delivering more than 250 free movie events in all 88 counties. For more information, visit https://ohiogoestothemovies.org/ogttmevents. These are the upcoming free movies in Stark County:
Carnation City Players musical
The Carnation City Players will present the musical “1776” from June 25 through 28 at the Firehouse Theater, 450 E. Market St., Alliance. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. June 25, 26 and 27 and 2:30 p.m. June 27 and 28. For tickets, visit https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/carnationcityplayers/3306.
Free patriotic music concert
The Canton Concert Band will perform a free patriotic music concert from 7 to 8:15 p.m. July 1 outside the Tam O’Shanter Park Clubhouse, 5055 Hills & Dales Road NW, Jackson Township. Bring a blanket or chair for seating. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be inside the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park, 5712 12th St. NW.
Pro Football and the American Spirit
The exhibit “Pro Football and the American Spirit,” honoring American history and celebrating the players, coaches, and contributors who served the United States during military conflicts, will be in the Pro Football Today Gallery at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2121 George Halas Drive NW, until July 12.
250 Years of First Ladies Progress and Power
The National First Ladies Library and Museum, 205 Market Ave. S, Canton, is displaying “The Eras Exhibit: 250 Years of First Ladies Progress and Power.” The exhibit runs through April 30, 2027.
Driving Forces: The Lincoln Highway Journey
“Driving Forces: The Lincoln Highway Journey” exhibit is on display at the Massillon Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, through Oct. 18. The nation’s first dedicated automobile route runs coast-to-coast through Massillon. Driving Forces is an exploration of the Lincoln Highway history and its symbolic significance, marking Massillon’s 200th anniversary and America 250.
Schoenbrunn Village 250th Celebration & Homecoming
Schoenbrunn Village, 1984 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia, will host Ohio’s 250th Celebration & Homecoming Picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 1. The event is free. Bring lunch and enjoy a community picnic on the lower level directly across Delaware Drive, within walking distance of the village. Special America 250-themed programming will take place inside the village, along with family-friendly crafts, games, and activities.
Celebrate America Community Concert
The Celebrate America Community Concert will be July 5 at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas, 300 University Drive NE, New Philadelphia. A community picnic will be from noon to 2 p.m. on the lawn. Bring your own picnic food, lawn chairs, or a blanket. At 2 p.m., the celebration moves indoors to the Performing Arts Center, where guests can browse entries from the Historic Builds: A Tuscarawas County Lego Contest, a showcase of Tuscarawas County landmarks. The concert lineup features performances from EN-RICH-MENT Steel Drum Band, the Hall of Fame Chorus, and Vane Scott’s Many Faces of Old Glory ‒ a patriotic tribute to the American flag and its history. Admission to the concert is free, but tickets are required and may be picked up at the Camp Tuscazoar booth at the Tuscarawas Valley Farmers Market or the Tuscarawas County Welcome Center, 124 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tomb of the Unknown Patriot to be rededicated
The Ohio History Connection and Zoar Community Association will rededicate the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution at 1 p.m. June 27 at Fort Laurens, Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort, 11067 Fort Laurens Road NW, Bolivar.
The Tomb commemorates the unknown soldier and 22 other American soldiers buried at Fort Laurens during its period of operation from 1778 to 1779. This rededication is part of an Ohio History Connection renovation project through 2028 for Fort Laurens.
Are fireworks legal in Ohio for the Fourth of July? How to use them safely
Ohioans can discharge fireworks between 4-11 p.m. July 3, 4 and 5, and the Friday, Saturday and Sunday immediately before and after the holiday. Only 1.4G fireworks – consumer fireworks consistent with federal regulations – are allowed, and they must be purchased at a licensed store in Ohio.
People can set off fireworks on their own property or another person’s property with their permission. However, local governments can set additional restrictions or prohibit fireworks entirely, so check with local officials first.
Fireworks cannot be set off:
Discharging fireworks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a first-degree misdemeanor. Minors are also not allowed to set off fireworks.
Most treasured views in Ohio
Cedar Point: Cedar Point has earned the moniker of “America’s Roller Coast.” The Sandusky amusement park offers views of Lake Erie along with a pristine sandy beach. But it is the park’s skyline that makes this view so treasured. Cedar Point is home to one of the largest collections of thrill rides in the world, and many reach high into the sky. But it is the park’s collection of 19 roller coasters with the addition of Siren’s Curse this summer that makes it one of the most popular destinations in all of Ohio.
Covered bridges of Ashtabula County: Ashtabula County is known to many as the covered-bridge capital of Ohio, as the area has a whopping total of 19. “Some look upon these engineering feats and appreciate the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the builders. Others are in awe of the simple beauty of the historic structure as part of the landscape: magical and colorful crossings set against the area’s rolling hills and vineyards,” the Visit Ashtabula County website read. “Covered bridges offer a one-of-a-kind look at a bygone era.”
Marblehead Lighthouse: Head north anywhere in Ohio and you simply can’t miss it: Lake Erie. With some 300 miles or so of shoreline, Ohio boasts some pretty spectacular views of the pretty Great Lake. The shoreline stretches from Conneaut, where reenactors each August storm the beach to recreate the D-Day invasion, to Toledo, where you can nosh on famous Tony Packo’s Hungarian food not far from the lapping Lake Erie waves. And there’s plenty to view from every point in between, including posing in front of the script Cleveland sign and the spectacular view offered from atop the Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial in Put-in-Bay. Ohio boasts some 18 lighthouses along Lake Erie and some are open for tours, like the one in Fairport Harbor. But one stands out as the most visited and photographed landmark in all of Ohio — the Marblehead Lighthouse.
Amish Country: Ohio’s Amish country, centered in Millersburg in Holmes County, is home to one of the world’s largest Amish populations. It’s common to see Amish buggies traveling on the roads or stopped at businesses. Around 37,000 Amish people make up Ohio’s Amish country, which covers the agriculturally rich Holmes County and the surrounding area. (Geauga County in Northeast Ohio also has a healthy Amish population.) The way of life may be unfamiliar to many, as the Amish believe in life before the implementation of many forms of modern technology.
See more of Ohio’s most treasured views here.
CONTRIBUTING: Reporters from the USA TODAY Ohio Network
This article originally appeared on The Repository: How to celebrate July Fourth, America 250 in Canton region
Reporting by Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
