America 250-Ohio Events Centered on Transportation History and Cinema

Ohio Goes to the Movies | Feb. 11 through October 

Ohio Goes to the Movies program director Molly Kreuzman can add usher to her list of job responsibilities. When the independent film producer, director and consultant took on this year’s statewide celebration of movies with connections to Ohio, she had a hunch that “The Shawshank Redemption” would be a hot commodity among theaters. 

“I’ve been a gatekeeper to make sure the same movie isn’t showing everywhere,” she says. “I knew both ‘A Christmas Story’ and ‘Shawshank’ would get gobbled up right away, but we have a lot of big movies with ties to Ohio: ‘Air Force One,’ ‘Rain Man,’ National Lampoon’s ‘Vacation’ movies and ‘Draft Day.’”

While the Mansfield-filmed “The Shawshank Redemption” does has several showings during the series, Kreuzman says there will be a lot of variety during the roughly 250-day festival that brings 258 free, open-to-the-public screenings, with at least one in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. Part of the larger America 250-Ohio celebration, which honors Ohio’s contributions to the United States, Ohio Goes to the Movies kicks off Feb. 11 in Milan. The village is the birthplace of Thomas Edison, whose inventions helped usher motion pictures into the mainstream. 

Kreuzman, a film buff in her own right, says she is also excited about the screening of “Cool Hand Luke” at Cleveland Heights’ Cedar Lee Theater April 12. (The film stars Paul Newman, and the Shaker Heights-born actor’s daughter will be part of the Q&A.) “Best in Show,” a beloved mockumentary is showing at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington on March 27 and will have a special tie-in. 

“Rachael Harris, who’s in it, is from Worthington,” Kreuzman says. “She’s going to come home for the Q&A. ... The center is working with a dog-rescue facility, and there will be rescue dogs at the venue.”

Kreuzman and her team researched hundreds of movies, looking for connections to Ohio, uncovering scores of them as they programmed the series, which will run through October 2026. Kreuzman says one challenge of bringing at least one screening to each of Ohio’s 88 counties is the disappearance of many small-town movie theaters. But she says local libraries and other spots (including a community swimming pool) have stepped up to host screenings. Each screening event will include a pre-show gathering and a post-movie Q&A with audience participation. The hope is that the Ohio Goes to the Movies film series will not only foster pride in our state’s connection to and influence on Hollywood but also bring people together in their own communities.  

“Movies appeal to all kinds of people who may have different political views,” she says. “But while you’re sitting in that theater in the dark, you’re engrossed in this story. You are laughing at the same time as the people around you. You are sad at the same time. It humanizes us.” For more information about the Ohio Goes to the Movies film series and specific screenings scheduled near you, visit ohiogoestothemovies.org. 

Buckeye 250 Train & Transportation Celebration | April 25 & 26

The last time a passenger train barreled through the Tuscarawas County village of Dennison, the United States was eight years shy of its 200th birthday. This spring, a 14-car train powered by two diesel-powered engines (a historic steam-powered locomotive will also be at the event) breathes new life into the Panhandle Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which, at one point, carried more than 1.3 million United States servicemembers east (for deployment) or west (for training) during World War II.

“There were 3,000 people working the railroad in Dennison at one point, with 22 passenger trains a day,” says Wendy Zucal, executive director of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. “It was the Panhandle headquarters of the railroad.” 

As part of the yearlong America 250-Ohio event, the Buckeye 250 Train & Transportation Celebration at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum pays homage to not only trains, but cars and planes too. 

The first train ride leaves Columbus on April 25 to embark on a trip to Dennison and back. Aboard the train will be reenactors playing parts such as Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, as well as World War II-era soldiers. A second ride on April 26 departs from Newark on a round trip to Dennison and back, stopping in Coshocton along the way.

“If you’re looking at celebrating your state’s history, automobiles, planes and trains are all the aspects that built it,” Zucal says. “The 250 Buckeye rides will have that wonderful, nostalgic aspect.”

While tickets for the two train rides will sell out quickly, Zucal says the free Transportation Celebration at the depot gives everyone a chance to join the fun, with a classic car show, USO-style performances and airplane flyovers.

“People will be able to see the train as it pulls into the station,” Zucal says. “There’s also a steam engine display from the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum. There’s going to be so much to see here even if you’re not riding the train.” For more information about the Buckeye 250 Train & Transportation Celebration, visit dennisondepot.org.

To learn more about events going on throughout 2026 as part of the America 250-Ohio celebration, visit america250-ohio.org.

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