Logan County will celebrate America’s 250th birthday Sunday with a historic marker rededication, a major parade and a special program at the Holland Theatre.
The Daughters of the American Revolution will hold a rededication ceremony for Revolutionary War soldier and Bellefontaine founder John Tullis from 3 to 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Hall on Opera Street.
Tullis served as a private in the 3rd Virginia Regiment during the American Revolution and later received land that included what would become part of Bellefontaine.
Historical records indicate Tullis helped lay out the early town of Bellefontaine. He and fellow Revolutionary War soldier William Powell are recognized as two of the city’s founders.
A bronze marker honoring Tullis was originally unveiled in 1923. After it became detached from its stone base, the marker was eventually entrusted to the Logan County History Center.
The marker was restored and remounted in 2024 and will now return to public display as part of Sunday’s celebration.
Following the ceremony, the Logan County America250 Parade will begin at 4 p.m. at the Logan County Fairgrounds.
The parade will follow the same route as the annual Christmas Parade, traveling along Main Street from the fairgrounds to West Columbus Avenue and ending at Detroit Avenue.
More than 70 floats and five high school marching bands are expected to take part. Organizers say it is shaping up to be one of the biggest parades in Logan County.
Road closures will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday ahead of the 4 p.m. parade.
All entrances to the parade route will be closed during that time.
The streets will remain closed until the parade is finished and public safety officials determine the route can safely reopen, which is expected to be around 6:30 p.m.
Businesses in downtown Bellefontaine are being encouraged to plan ahead for the closures, including staffing, deliveries, customer access and parking.
The celebration will continue afterward at the Holland Theatre with Bellefontaine’s own Louie Vito.
Vito will share behind-the-scenes stories from his experiences with Dancing with the Stars, the X Games and three Olympic Games.
The program will also be available live and on demand through Peak of Ohio TV on Roku.
The parade lineup begins at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Logan County Fairgrounds, with the parade scheduled to leave at 4 p.m.
