A huge copy of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution is coming to several Ohio cities. People will be able to sign panels accompanying it before it’s displayed in Washington, D.C. on July 4 — the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence.

Sponsored by Indivisible Central Ohio and Common Cause Ohio, the Columbus event will take place in Bicentennial Park starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

The “We the People of Ohio” project follows events in numerous other American cities, including Cleveland, Dayton, Marietta and Gambier in Ohio.

“It is both a stunning visual and a participatory experience: community members sign the scroll with oversized feather markers, adding their names as a visible commitment to democratic values and civic participation,” organizers said in a written statement.

“The signature section has already grown hundreds of feet long across the country — and Ohio will contribute to that growing national testament.”

When and where the document will appear in other Ohio cities:

• Youngstown — 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, May 3, Calvin Civic Center, 755 Mahoning Ave.
• Peninsula — 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 9, Boston Township Hall, 1775 Main St.
• Akron — 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday, May 11, First Congregational Church of Akron, 292 E. Market St.
• Mentor 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, May 17, Eleanor B. Garfield Park Pavilion, 7967 Mentor Ave.
• Toledo, Sandusky, Hamilton, Norwalk, Lima and Springfield — times, dates and locations to be announced.

Organizers said the Constitution prescribes a democracy that depends on citizen participation. The “We the People” project is meant to underline that.

“Democracy is strongest when people see themselves reflected in it,” they said. “’We The People’ is not abstract — it is a call to participation. This project offers Ohioans a chance to visibly affirm their role in shaping our shared future.”