A Swamp White Oak will go into the ground at Ely Square this Saturday, September 5, as Lorain County marks America's 250th anniversary with a tree planting followed by a free concert from the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and a lineup of food trucks. The ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. with welcome remarks, the tree goes into the soil at 6 p.m., and the orchestra takes the stage at 7 p.m., all at 131 Court Street in downtown Elyria.
The event is part of the America 250-Ohio Heritage Trees initiative, according to City of Elyria, Ohio. The statewide program draws inspiration from Boston's Revolutionary War-era Liberty Tree and aims to plant native white oaks in all 88 Ohio counties throughout 2025 and 2026, with financial backing from presenting sponsor Cenovus Energy, according to an America 250-Ohio planting resource guide. The program calls for native white oaks statewide.
A State Commission Behind a Local Ceremony
The Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial, known as America 250-Ohio, was established by the state legislature under Ohio Revised Code § 149.309 and was officially launched by Governor Mike DeWine on Ohio's Statehood Day in March 2022, according to the Ohio History Connection. The 29-member commission is charged with preparing Ohio for the 250th anniversary culminating July 4, 2026. Saturday's welcome and speaker segment will feature Kathryn Dean-Dielman, a commissioner with America 250-Ohio, alongside Lorain County Commissioner Jeff Riddell and Elyria Mayor Kevin Brubaker, per the event details shared by the City of Elyria.
Locally, organizers have tied the tree planting to Lorain County communities under the theme “34 Communities, One County, Growing Together,” according to the Chronicle Telegram. The Lorain County Commissioners and the environmental group Keep Lorain County Beautiful are both listed as supporters of the planting.
Cleveland Pops Performs Free Concert
Once the oak is planted, the evening shifts to a free concert from the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, presented by the City of Elyria, with conductor Carl Topilow leading the 65-piece ensemble. Topilow and his late wife, Shirley Morgenstern, co-founded the orchestra in 1996, according to WKYC. Topilow is known for combining symphonic conducting with live instrumental solos on his trademark clarinet, as noted by Cleveland Magazine.
Food trucks will be on-site at Ely Square. The gathering caps off a day that begins with civic remarks and a planting ceremony and ends with live music under the square's trees, old and new.
Ely Square's Long Civic History
Ely Square is the site of Saturday's event.
Saturday's planting connects Ely Square to America's 250th anniversary programming. Keep Lorain County Beautiful is listed as a supporter of Saturday's event.
The Ely Square gathering also fits into a broader pattern of Lorain County communities weaving the state's semiquincentennial themes into local events this year, as Hoodline has previously reported on Lorain's FireFish Festival and Vermilion's Festival of the Fish. Saturday's ceremony is included in the event details shared by the City of Elyria.
