Ashland Lights Up The Sky For America’s 250th Birthday Celebration
ASHLAND — Ashland celebrated America’s 250th birthday in unforgettable red, white and blue fashion Saturday night, as families, veterans, community leaders and thousands of residents gathered at Freer Field for a historic Fourth of July fireworks celebration.
The night marked the grand finale of Ashland’s full-day America 250 celebration, which included a downtown parade, the dedication of Freedom Park and the new Freedom Monument, live music, birthday cake pops, and what organizers described as the largest fireworks show in Ashland County history.
Before the fireworks began, Ashland Mayor Matt Miller took the stage to thank the many organizations, businesses and community members who helped make the day possible.
Miller recognized the Ashland Elks Club as the primary underwriter for the day’s celebration. He also thanked Culver’s, the Ashland Eagles Club, the Ashland County Community Foundation, Ashland Monument, Simonson Construction Services and many others who helped bring the celebration together.
“Our friends at Ashland Monument played a big role in installing that new Freedom Monument,” Miller said. “Simonson Construction Services played a big role in building that beautiful monument to America’s freedom.”
As the evening moved toward the fireworks portion of the celebration, Miller invited members of the Ashland Rotary Club to the stage. The Rotary Club of Ashland has sponsored the community fireworks for more than 40 years, and this year, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, the club doubled its efforts.
Rotary fireworks committee chairman Mitch Piskur said the evening was truly a birthday party for the nation.
“What a birthday party,” Piskur said. “A lot of red, white and blue out there. What a great time to be here.”
Piskur said the fireworks show, presented by Zambelli Fireworks, was designed to be bigger and more intense than a normal year. While a typical Ashland fireworks show runs about 20 to 22 minutes, this year’s show was expected to last about 27 to 28 minutes, with nearly double the fireworks packed into the display.
“It’s pretty much double the fireworks, but it’s not double the time,” Piskur said. “They’re just putting a whole lot more in there.”
Piskur also thanked the many sponsors who helped support the fireworks, including Sarver Paving, Ashland Eagles, Grandpa’s Cheesebarn, Calvary Baptist Church, the Buckingham family, Bob and Jan Archer, Firelands Electric, Simonson Construction, Paul and Seal Coating, Lake Erie Frozen Foods, WRDL, Ashland Source and Ashland County Pictures.
A special part of the Rotary fundraiser was also held on stage, as the club drew the winner of its 50/50 raffle. Only 150 tickets were sold at $100 each, and this year, the raffle sold out. Paul Kaufman was announced as the winner of the $7,500 prize.
The patriotic celebration then turned into a true birthday party for America.
Miller told the crowd that every good birthday party needs music, gifts and birthday cake. For Ashland’s celebration, that meant 3,000 birthday cake pops, each with a small candle on top.
Families across Freer Field were invited to unwrap their cake pops and light their candles together. Mayor Miller was joined on stage by his wife, State Representative Melanie Miller, who had been helping pass out the cake pops earlier in the evening.
At the count of three, candles were lit across the field.
Then, together, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to America.
“Make a wish for our future and blow it out,” Miller told the crowd.
The moment brought the community together in a powerful display of patriotism, gratitude and hope for the nation’s future.
Following the birthday celebration, Miller reminded the crowd of the meaning behind the day.
“We love the red, white and blue here in our great community and we’ll never be ashamed to say so,” Miller said. “One of the best parts about living in the great City of Ashland and Ashland County is we’re a patriotic people.”
Miller said Ashland is a community that loves its veterans, respects the American flag and understands what freedom means.
“When it comes to that flag, when it marches by, we put our hands on our hearts because we’re proud of what it represents,” Miller said. “And ladies and gentlemen, on a day like today, let us remind ourselves what that flag represents is freedom.”
Miller described freedom as one of the most precious gifts Americans have, saying it allows people to fulfill their God-given potential.
As the night reached its final moments, Miller reflected on America’s founding and the sacrifices made over the past two and a half centuries.
“Tonight, as we gather together to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, let us remember all of the brave men and women, all of the hardworking Americans who over the years have made countless sacrifices so that we might enjoy our comfortable lives here in this great country today,” Miller said.
He then called on the community to recommit itself to freedom and to building a nation “truly indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Miller closed with a prayer of gratitude for the United States.
“Lord, tonight we thank you for preserving our great country over these past two and a half centuries,” Miller said. “And God, I ask that you continue to bless our United States of America. Happy birthday, America. It’s time for fireworks.”
Then came the countdown.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — boom.”
With that, the Ashland sky erupted in color as fireworks lit up Freer Field, capping off a full day of celebration, remembrance and patriotic pride.
From the Freedom Monument dedication to the singing of “Happy Birthday” across a field filled with glowing candles, Ashland’s America 250 celebration was more than just a Fourth of July event.
It was a community coming together to honor the past, celebrate the present and look with hope toward the future of the United States of America.
