Local, state and national groups are gearing up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, and local organizers are inviting the public to learn more about their efforts at the July 13 Lake County Captains game.

That night will be ‘Merica Night at Classic Park, according to the team’s schedule. The first 1,000 fans will receive a bobblehead of Mentor resident and 20th U.S. President James A. Garfield, and the Garfield Trail of Ohio support group announced that it will also have a table at the game.

The game will start at 7 p.m. against the Lansing Lugnuts.

Representatives at the Lake County America 250 commission table will discuss how they have celebrated the 250th anniversary so far, answer questions and share information about Revolutionary War veterans buried in Lake County, said Debby Kocsis and Suzanne Nahmuck, who are part of the New Connecticut chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The table will also include a poster board describing the life of one of the county’s buried Revolutionary War veterans, Kocsis added. She said that local organizers aim to complete 10 of those posters over the next two years, and the poster boards will be displayed at locations including the Lake County History Center, Madison Historical Society and Mentor Public Library.

The visit comes as local organizers consider how to celebrate the 250 anniversary, or semiquincentennial.

“We’ve been in the kind of brainstorming and planning stages, but we’re also hoping to get all the communities and those historical societies and schools involved as well on our committee, so that we can get a real initiative behind whatever events we decide to embark on,” said Dale Fellows, a member of Lake County’s America 250 commission.

Fellows added that the focus of America 250 celebrations will start before and extend beyond July 4, 2026.

“Most important to me and I think to our group too is the education of people about what was happening 250 years ago, not just in 1776, but leading up to the war and our Declaration of Independence, what was the background of it, what were our founders thinking at the time and experiencing at the time, what was the average citizen experiencing at the time?” he said.

“And then, a part of the America 250 is also to celebrate achievements since that Declaration of Independence in our particular state and communities,” Fellows added.

Kocsis added that the group is looking to get local communities and reenactors involved and to highlight events related to the American Revolution.

New Connecticut DAR started celebrating the 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial, with the dedication last July of a bronze marker to honor the 86 Revolutionary War veterans who are buried in Lake County. The marker is located in front and to the left of the Lake County Courthouse in Painesville and is surrounded by bricks honoring each of the veterans.

“One of the things that we have done with the marker spot is we plant annual flowers, not perennial flowers, and so, in the spring, new flowers were planted,” Nahumck said. “So, it keeps it looking fresh and a way to keep honoring the 86 patriots who are buried in our county.”

The DAR chapter also displayed its collection of flags at the Lake County Administration Center in June to mark Flag Day, Kocsis said.

Local organizers will also have a presence at the Lake County Fair parade and they hope to have a space at the fair, which runs from July 23-28, Nahumck and Kocsis said.

Community members who want to learn more about local preparations for America 250 can turn to America 250 – Lake County Ohio Facebook page, Kocsis added. The page includes information about promotions and events along with educational information and posts from Ohio’s statewide America 250 commission.

The state America 250 commission is offering a history pass for Ohio fourth graders that provides free admission to participating historical sites. The pass for the 2023-24 school year expires on Aug. 31, and more information can be found at america250-ohio.org.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on around the state of Ohio,” Fellow said. “If people are looking for fun trips to do, you can do some right here in Lake County, of course, but you can certainly tour around the state and focus in on some of the history in the state of Ohio.”

“So, lots to see, lots to do and hopefully people will get really interested in it long before 2026,” he added.

Elsewhere in the country, organizers commemorated the road to independence by celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in December. Nahumck said that the New Connecticut DAR sent tea to be dumped in Boston Harbor for the occasion.

More information about national celebrations can be found at america250.org, the official website of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.