A Grand Celebration of the Nation’s Birthday at Slate Run Living Historical Farm

June 29, 2026
From the Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks

Columbus, Ohio — Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks would like to invite everyone to a historical Grand Celebration of the Fourth of July and the nation’s 250th Anniversary on Saturday July 4. The free event will be held from 1-4pm at Slate Run Living Historical Farm, 1375 State Route 674 in Canal Winchester.

Activities for the event include a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a Most Beautiful Pie Contest, live music, lawn games, sack races for the kids, a Victorian archery demonstration, horseshoes, ice cream making, and more!

Costumed staff and volunteers will be on hand to host the event and contests. Visitors can enter The Most Beautiful Pie Contest, and everyone will have a chance to vote on their favorite-looking pie and other contests. Children can enjoy lawn games such as sack races, croquet, ring toss, and other silly lawn games. Everyone is also welcome to bring a blanket and a picnic lunch to enjoy on the lawn by the farmhouse until noon, when the staff will begin preparing the lawn for fun and games. Picnicking is usually not allowed on the farm grounds due to possible dangers to the livestock.

Slate Run Living Historical Farm is a restored 1880s farm that prides itself in portraying daily life and the culture on a central Ohio farm in the late Victorian era. Everything from the breeds of livestock, the varieties of vegetables grown in the garden, the fruit trees, to the horse drawn equipment and more are accurate to the 1880s as much as possible. Visitors can come to the farm Tuesday through Sunday to see daily chores, meal preparation, field planting, harvesting, and more. Special programs such as the Grand Celebration are offered throughout the year to help visitors experience and learn more about agriculture and life on a central Ohio farm in the 1880s.

“We are so excited to be hosting this unique historic event for the residents of central Ohio” said Allison Shaw, Program Supervisor at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. “The event will start at 1pm with a reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by live music and scheduled events throughout the afternoon. I can’t wait!”