LOVELAND, Ohio — The city will hold a formal Mayor’s Gala on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Indie Hollow to mark the 150th anniversary of Loveland’s founding, according to a Facebook post from the city.
The evening will include a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner, live entertainment, dancing, casino-style gaming, silent auctions, raffles and tributes to Loveland’s history, the city said. Proceeds will support legacy projects intended to benefit the city for years to come, according to the post.
Indie Hollow, an outdoor event venue off the Loveland Bike Trail less than a mile from downtown, can host up to 250 guests. Tickets are not yet priced on the city’s website, but organizers said space is limited and seats are expected to go quickly.
The gala is one of several events planned throughout 2026 to mark Loveland’s sesquicentennial. The city was incorporated as a village on May 16, 1876, with John H. Law as its first mayor, and later became a chartered city on July 25, 1961. The community was originally settled in 1795 by Col. Thomas Paxton and took its current name in 1850 after James Loveland, who ran a general store and post office near the downtown railroad tracks, according to public records.
Loveland has embraced the coincidental connection to its name, adopting the nickname “Sweetheart of Ohio” and a heart symbol in its city logo.
The sesquicentennial celebration has already included a May weekend of festivities featuring a vintage-style baseball game at Phillips Park, and the city is separately collecting items from residents for a new time capsule to be sealed at the future Nisbet Park Amphitheater until 2076.
Mayor Kathy Bailey, first appointed to the position in 2017 and reelected in 2019 and 2023, has led the city through the anniversary year. She has also served as president of the Clermont County Mayors’ Association since 2020.
More information and ticket details for the Mayor’s Gala are available through the city’s sesquicentennial event listings.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Loveland.