Great Parks Celebrates America's 250th with The Great Picnic
Great Parks will celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary by hosting The Great Picnic presented by America 250-Ohio at Miami Whitewater Forest on Saturday, July 18, with a performance by Blessid Union of Souls, a B-25 bomber flyover, a pie eating contest, bike decorating contest and bike parade, vintage baseball game and a schedule packed with more fun, activities, food and entertainment at Great Parks’ largest park.
“Great Parks is proud to work with America-250 Ohio to host an afternoon of summertime fun to celebrate America’s heritage,” said Todd Palmeter, Great Parks CEO. “Miami Whitewater Forest Harbor will be filled with people and decorated in red, white and blue as we come together as a community to celebrate all that makes this country great.”
Blessid Union of Souls, an American rock band from Cincinnati that has sold millions of records worldwide, will perform on the lawn at the harbor in the early evening. Their concert will follow the flyover of a vintage B-25 Mitchell bomber, the “Yankee Doodle.” The schedule of entertainment also includes live music from the Ohio Military Band earlier in the day.
Great Parks has several All-American competitions planned, including a pie-eating contest, a cornhole tournament, a picnic decorating contest and a bike decorating contest. Decorated bikes will be on display during a special parade through the harbor area. Entry details and rules for these contests are all available at GreatParks.org.
Great Parks will also have a wide selection of food and drinks available for purchase throughout the harbor, and the amenities typically available at Miami Whitewater Forest, such as the snack bar, boat rental, golf and miles of trails, will all be available on the event day.
A game from the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum’s 1869 Red Stockings will delight the crowd in the afternoon, and Cincinnati Metro will have a vintage 1960s bus on site. Famous mascots will greet the crowd including the Cincinnati Reds’ Mr. Redlegs and Rosie Red, FC Cincinnati’s Gary the Lion, and Furniture Fair’s Share Bear.
The picnic at Miami Whitewater Forest is one of four specially designated signature picnics throughout the state by America 250-Ohio and is done in partnership with Ohio’s Homecomings and Picnic theme month for July. Ohio is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States throughout 2026 with events and experiences across all 88 counties, giving Ohioans the chance to discover Ohio’s unique role in American history.
The Great Picnic takes place on the lawn at Miami Whitewater Forest Harbor from 4-9 p.m. on July 18, and the full schedule of activities is available at GreatParks.org. Admission to the event is free. The cornhole tournament and contests require advance registration.
Great Parks thanks all sponsors for making the picnic available, including America 250-Ohio, Cenovus Energy, The Worthington Companies Foundation, Marzetti, Furniture Fair, Air Transport Services Group and Metro.
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