America250PA hosting kickoff event at Butler County Courthouse Feb. 25
Butler County is commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States with two events on the same day — Wednesday, Feb. 25.
At 9 a.m., America250PA and Experience Butler County will jointly host the Butler County “Kickoff Event” inside the first-floor conference room at the Butler County Courthouse on West Diamond Street. The event is part of America250PA’s “Kickoff Tour,” which will hold kickoff events in all 67 counties in the state.
“We're finally in 2026 for the semiquincentennial, and the state America250 office is visiting all the counties to honor their involvement and get people excited for all the programming and events that will happen in this year,” said Amy Pack, president of Experience Butler County.
Pack said the event will be hosted by the three members of Butler County’s board of commissioners.
“There’ll be a few speeches from our local officials, mostly welcoming the state office and explaining how Butler is committed and very proud of what we have to offer,” Pack said. “And then there'll be light refreshments provided afterward.”
The kickoff event was originally scheduled for Jan. 25. It was postponed due to last month’s winter storm which led to the postponement of 14 of the 67 planned kickoff events.
A response form for the event, along with the other remaining kickoff events throughout Pennsylvania, are available online.
Also on Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., America250PA and Experience Butler County are inviting residents to an open house for the “A Journey Through Time” history showcase at the Regional Learning Alliance building in Cranberry Township.
Visitors will be able to gaze at a 90-foot wall covered in reprinted copies of the Butler Eagle’s series of America250 “Journey Through Time” history articles, which were published throughout 2025. The open house will feature guest speakers and light refreshments.
America250PA held similar events in Cranberry Township between October and November 2024, and between April and July 2025.
“For the past couple of years we've been displaying reprints of the Butler Eagle articles on history over the past several years,” Pack said. “It’s history over the decades that’s intertwined with Butler’s history, and right now we’re displaying the 2025 articles.”
The exhibit will be open to the public every day through July 2026. Similar open houses related to the nation’s 250th birthday will take place on Tuesday, April 14, and Tuesday, June 9, but the wall can be viewed anytime during the RLA’s regular business hours.
