America 250-Ohio Announces “Ohio Moves: Transportation” Month in April with Statewide Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2026
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America250-Ohio@fahlgren.com
America 250-Ohio Announces “Ohio Moves: Transportation” Month in April with Statewide Events
COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 31, 2026) - America 250-Ohio today announced its monthly theme for April 2026 as “Ohio Moves: Transportation,” with programs and events planned across the state celebrating Ohio’s central role in developing how people and goods moved across the country.
The events this month give Ohio residents the chance to explore its transportation culture in a myriad of unique ways, including historic driving tours, trivia, exhibits and more.
“From the first canals that carved pathways through the frontier to the cars, trains, and airplanes that connected a growing nation, Ohio has always been where movement begins. For generations, Ohio has kept America moving,” said Todd Kleismit, executive director of America 250-Ohio.
Every month in 2026 will have a theme, which will be the focus of events and activities planned and promoted by America 250-Ohio in that month. Together, the monthly themes offer a framework for showcasing Ohio’s major contributions to America’s 250 years of nationhood.
Signature Events
The centerpieces of April’s transportation theme are the Ohio Transportation Celebration and the new Transportation Trail (to be announced in April) - two statewide experiences that bring Ohio’s transportation influence to life. The state’s transportation ingenuity will be on full display at the Ohio Transportation Celebration April 25-26 in Dennison, with two days of festivities featuring an antique vehicle car show, flyovers of vintage planes, a steam train on display, food trucks, three entertainment stages and more.
The Transportation Trail is the fifth in the “Trails & Tales” series of statewide driving trails where visitors can explore significant Ohio historical contributions by visiting museums, historic sites, and other locations that tell the story of Ohioans in the topic area. The Transportation Trail will explore Ohio’s contribution to the movement of people, goods, and ideas through transportation modes including rail, area, roadways, canals, and water. The new trail will be rolled out the week of April 20 with a special dedication for the trail at the Transportation Celebration each day.
Even Ohio Goes to the Movies is celebrating the theme with an April 1 screening of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles at the Virginia State Theater in North Baltimore.
The Ohio Statehouse will also host a special historical event in April:
Reenactment: American Revolution in the Ohio Country — The Ohio Statehouse will come alive with an American Revolution encampment where visitors can step back in time to experience the sights and sounds of a late 18th-century military camp. Guests will see Captain Joseph Ogle’s Company of the Ohio County, Virginia Militia in action and feel the energy of the Heritage Fife and Drums as they fill the air with the stirring music of the Revolution. This event takes place on Wednesday, April 15 at 10 a.m.
Local Events
Communities across the state will bring the “Ohio Moves” theme to life through locally produced exhibitions, lectures, specialty programs, and interactive experiences. Here are a few of the planned events. The full calendar is online at https://america250-ohio.org/events-calendar/
Soup at Six: The Freedom Train, Steam of Democracy - Train Curator David Ziegler shares the remarkable story of Ross Rowland Jr. and his “precious freight” aboard the Freedom Trains of 1946 and 1976 during a lecture on April 9 at the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Canton. These extraordinary traveling museums carried twenty-six galleries of priceless American treasures across the country, inspiring patriotism and civic pride.
Night at the Depot - At the Wolcott Heritage Center in Maumee on April 18, visitors will enjoy interactive stations including a telegraph table where they can tap out Morse code, a lantern signaling activity, and an artifact table featuring tools, timetables, and conductor gear.
The Big Roadshow: Transportation Milestones that Shaped Pickerington - This free, family-friendly event explores how transportation helped shape Pickerington, and the nation, focusing on key milestones including Zane’s Trace, the Ohio & Erie Canal, the railroad, and Interstate 70. The Big Roadshow will take place April 24-26 at the Pickerington Senior Center.
Time Traveler History Talks: Retracing the Lake Shore Electric Railway - This presentation, taking place on April 28 at the Shores & Islands Ohio Welcome Center in Sandusky, talks about how the Lake Shore Electric Railway influenced transportation, recreation, urban development, and the economy, and explores where to find many of its remnants in today's landscape.
For a full list of programs and activities taking place throughout the state and details on other themed months, visit america250-ohio.org.
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About America 250-Ohio:
In 2026, the United States is celebrating its semiquincentennial, which is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Each state is creating a celebration and commemoration of this anniversary to reflect the unique character and contributions of each state to the nation over the past 250 years. Ohio is fully embracing this opportunity. The Ohio Commission for the Semiquincentennial (aka America 250-Ohio Commission or AM 250- OH) was created by the Ohio legislature and launched on March 1, 2022. The charge of the Commission is to “…to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United States and the impact of Ohioans on the nation’s past, present, and future.” — Ohio Revised Code (149.309). More information can be found at America250-Ohio.org.
