Ohio Magazine March-April 2026

In Lake County, every view is worth lingering over. From vineyard patios to lakeside sunsets, you will find places made for slowing down. Watch for our bright yellow chairs marking some of our favorite stops.

MAR/APR

FEATURES //

70 Oldest Restaurants

Visit 15 of Ohio’s oldest restaurants, where history, tradition and time-honored menu items meet.

82 Forgotten Fame

Ernest Ball wrote songs we sing every Saint Patrick’s Day, but the native Ohioan is rarely remembered by name.

86 Ohio History

In honor of Ohio Statehood Day on March 1, check out these six sites that shaped the state as we know it today.

59 Farm & Table

Haru Omakase offers an unrivaled dining experience, and Full Circle Brewgarden embraces sustainability.

126 Backstory

Our March 1982 cover story highlighted six out-in-thecountry dining experiences that were worth the road trip.

See the world’s largest collection of lithophanes, and meet award-winning filmmaker Dan Watt.

The art of Manet and Morisot meet in this Cleveland exhibition, and Loveland celebrates the Frogman.

31 Calendar of Events

CONNECT

MAR/APR

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

Nominate your town today!

Nominations for Best Hometowns 2026-27 are open. Each year, we honor communities across the state that exemplify what makes life here so special. We want to know more about your community. Share your town’s story with us by filling out a Best Hometown nomination form at ohiomagazine.com/nominate. Nominations close on May 1, 2026, and honorees will be recognized in our Nov./Dec. 2026 issue.

After page 66 KENTUCKY Explore the Bluegrass State this season at these great destinations.

Canton, Cover

Chardon, p. 61

Chillicothe, p. 91

Cleveland, p. 28, 30 Columbus, p. 30, 59, 86, 101

Dayton, p. 30, 63, 88 Elmore, p. 20 Loveland, p. 30

Learn more about Best Hometowns:

Scan the QR code to watch our video honoring the 2025-26 Best Hometown honorees. Then, tell us what makes the place you call home special. Fill out our nomination form, and your town could end up being one we celebrate in the fall.

check out our newsletters:

Are you receiving our email newsletters? Learn about fun experiences throughout the state, get great food and drink ideas or plan for your next weekend getaway. Sign up at ohiomagazine.com/ newsletters

Marietta, p. 27, 89

Mentor, p. 18

Toledo, p. 30 Valley View, p. 91

subscribe to ohio magazine today: Don’t miss an issue of Ohio Magazine. Subscribe today and explore the beauty, adventure and fun of the Buckeye State.

Ohio Magazine encourages you to recycle this magazine. Great Lakes Publishing supports the use of paper milled from replanted forests as a renewable resource and purchases paper from FSC sources when available. We have also taken steps to reduce the amount of plastic used when mailing issues to our subscribers.

The hush of the forest; the rush of the river; the vastness of the sky. In the heart of Ohio’s Hocking Hills, every step unveils a new wonder. Experience the joy of discovery, the thrill of adventure and the whisper of wilderness. Hike ancient trails carved by time, zip through treetops, or simply sit and watch the world slow down. Here, nature calls you to explore — and to reconnect with what matters most. Whether you seek the rush of exploration or the serenity of a sunset, the Hocking Hills welcomes you with open arms. Let the wonders unfold.

Chairman Lute Harmon Sr.

President & Publisher Lute Harmon Jr.

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL@OHIOMAGAZINE.COM

Editor Jim Vickers

Senior Editor Erin Finan

Associate Editor Lainey Novak

Contributing Writers Maggie Amacher, James Bigley II, Jason Brill, Hollie Davis, Nicholas Dekker, Leo DeLuca, Vince Guerrieri, Olivia Montgomery, Jenna Nahhas, David Nilsen, Kristina Smith, Carmen Szukaitis

Digital Content Assistant Kelly Larson

Editorial Interns Brandon Gross, Natalie Saddler

Art Director Rachael Jirousek

Contributing Artists Laura Watilo Blake, Brian Kaiser, Gabe Leidy, Sophia Daugherty Muñoz, Dusty Scott, Jaci Starkey, Kaitlin Walsh, Bruce Wunderlich

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Built To Last

Ispent four years at Bowling Green State University and somehow never made it to Tony Packo’s in Toledo. I know, this is nothing to brag about. I’m going to go with the excuse that I was too busy focusing on my coursework to get there, but we both know that’s not true.

The truth is it’s easy to look past institutions that have been open for generations. We assume they will always be there. And now, decades after my time at Bowling Green, Tony Packo’s sure is.

These days, I rarely make a visit to Toledo without a stop at Tony Packo’s original location on Front Street. I love it all: the energy, the cafeteria line, the cadence of the ordering and, of course, the Hungarian hot dogs, fried pickles and chicken paprikash for which the place is known.

Plus, you could spend well over the length of a lunch break browsing the rows and rows of foam hot dog buns signed by celebrities and politicians who have visited the place over the years — ever since actor Burt Reynolds started the autograph tradition in the 1970s. Visiting Tony Packo’s is an experience every Ohioan should have. (In fact, we selected a visit to the restaurant as one of the “40 Things Every Ohioan Must Do” in the 40th anniversary issue of Ohio Magazine.)

When it comes to Ohio’s oldest restaurants, though, for every place you’ve heard of, there are others you haven’t. Many are aware that The Golden Lamb in Lebanon is our state’s longest continuously operating restaurant, but how many have tried the deep-dish pizzas at the Sunrise Inn in Warren or matched up against one of the hulking burgers at Columbus’ Ringside Cafe.

These spots are local legends for a reason, and this month’s cover story introduces you to 15 places that have withstood changing times and trends. The youngest place on this list opened in 1932, which speaks to the longevity of these beloved establishments.

One of our favorite things to do is to find the places that locals love and share them with you. Our list will hopefully inspire you to visit a few of these time-tested restaurants when you’re out exploring Ohio this season.

AN ISLAND IN OHIO? YOU BET! SOUTH BASS ISLAND IS ONE OF OHIO’S THREE BASS ISLANDS, SITTING PRETTY IN THE MIDDLE OF LAKE ERIE AND BETTER KNOWN AS PUT-IN-BAY. It’s the kind of place where island vibes come naturally— perfect for a weekday escape, a day trip, or a special event getaway. Whether you’re here for a few hours or a few nights, every day feels like a mini vacation.

Getting here is half the fun. Arrive by ferry, boat, or plane, and choose from resorts, bed & breakfasts, condos, villas, or boutique hotels for your stay. Spend the day exploring caves, trails, water sports, butterfly houses, museums, and parks. Take in the view from the top of Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial, then stop by South Bass Island State Park for a must-have family photo at the iconic Put-in-Bay sign—and don’t forget to share it with #putinbaysign.

419-285-2832 info@visitputinbay.com visitputinbay.com @visitputinbay /visitputinbay /visitputinbay

2026 events

may 12th

BLESSING OF THE FLEET

may 16th

ISLAND WIDE GARAGE SALE

may 22nd to 25th

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

may 29th & 30th

PUT-IN-BAY DOG BOWL

june 3rd to 7th

102ND MILLS RACE

june 8th

PUT-IN-BAY PRIDE

june 13th

52ND FOUNDER’S DAY

june 14th

BENSON FORD

SHIPHOUSE TOURS

june 20th

OHIO’S ISLAND WINE FESTIVAL

june 26th to 28th

PYRATE FEST XVIII

july 4th

4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

july 11th & 12th

PIB JEEP INVASION WORLD’S LARGEST RUBBER DUCK

july 22nd to 26th

I-LYA POWER REGATTA

july 27th & 28th

PIB AMPHICAR DAYS

july 29th to august 2nd

I-LYA SAIL REGATTA

august 1st & 2nd

DECLARATION 250: EVENTS

august 1st to 8th

ISLAND GREEN WEEK

august 9th

BENSON FORD

SHIPHOUSE TOURS

september 4th to 7th

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

september 11th to 13th

HISTORIC WEEKEND

september 12th

ART IN THE PARK BRONCOS ON THE BAY

september 15th to 17th

PUT-IN-BAY ROAD RACES

september 19th

1/2 WAY TO ST. PATTY’S DAY MILLER BOAT LINE 5K MONARCH FESTIVAL

september 26th

BIG DAY AT THE BAY

PIBVFD CLAM BAKE SALE AWAY WEEKEND

october 10th & 11th

OKTOBERFEST

october 17th

PIB SKELLY HUNT

october 24th

HALLOWEEN AT THE BAY scan me FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON ALL OF OUR EVENTS, GO TO VISITPUTINBAY.COM/ SEARCH-EVENTS

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Looking for a place where time slows down, stories come alive, and every visit feels like coming home? That’s what you’ll find in the Ohio Foothills—a hidden gem nestled in the Appalachia region, where scenic landscapes, rich heritage, and authentic local charm invite you to wander freely and experience life at a different pace.

It's more than a place. It's a place to belong.

Embrace the eclectic when you visit Athens County—where creativity blends tradition with innovation. Appalachian vibes meet friendly hospitality in this small college town. It’s more than a place. It’s a place to belong.

Step aboard the Historic Marietta Trolley and experience Marietta, the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. This narrated tour explores charming neighborhoods, historic landmarks, and the stories that shaped westward expansion and a growing nation. Where America moved west.

Founded in 1788 as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory, Marietta invites your group to experience the birthplace of America’s westward expansion. Cruise our scenic rivers aboard authentic sternwheelers, ride the charming trolley through historic streets, explore fascinating museums, and enjoy live music in a setting where history truly comes to life. As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, discover the place where the pioneering spirit first took root.

Trolley tours start in May For tickets: mariettaohio.org/trolleytours

Contact: Marietta-Washington County CVB 740-373-5178 • MariettaOhio.org • info@mariettaohio.org

Spring Spotting

In early spring, our eyes are drawn to the newly blossoming flowers, budding trees and bright, clear skies overhead as the world shakes off the last remnants of winter. But for a truly spectacular sight, look closer to the ground, in moist, low-lying woodlands and around swamps, ponds and creeks at night. Here, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the spotted salamander. The chunky, 6-inch-long amphibian is identifiable by its dark body and rows of bright yellow, greenish-yellow or even orange spots. Spring is one of the only times during the year they can be seen as they migrate to ponds to lay their eggs. Even during this brief window, sightings are rare. ohiodnr.gov

Catching Light

When Meaghan Beech first picked up a stained-glass starter kit, she had no idea it would turn into a full-time job making beautiful works as Freckles & Flux Glass Co.

Meaghan Beech was scrolling through Instagram in 2021 when a post from a glass artist grabbed her attention. The Lake County-based hobbyist had previously tried crocheting and cross-stitch, but this post inspired her to buy her first stained-glass starter kit. When it arrived, she left it in her spare bedroom for a couple months — intimidated by the number of steps and pieces — before eventually opening the kit and getting to work.

“My first piece was a tiny little feather,” Beech recalls. “I was watching a YouTube video and kept pausing. I would do the work, press play, watch a minute, pause, do the work. It took me like three hours, but I just immediately fell in love with it.”

In October 2023, after becoming more comfortable with completing and selling her works, she left her corporate job to pursue stained-glass art full time under the name Freckles & Flux Glass Co. Beech creates her own original patterns, which she draws on her iPad before tracing them onto sheets of glass in various colors and then cutting the pieces out with a small carbide wheel.

Once she has the pieces cut, she then grinds the edges to make them smooth and applies copper foil tape. She melts solder onto the work, which binds to the copper foil tape, and then washes, polishes and buffs the pieces before applying a black or copper patina. Beech then gives each piece one last polish and adds a chain.

Many of her pieces are inspired by neotraditional tattoos, which use bold outlines and vibrant colors. This is reflected in her series, “Flora, Fauna and Feast,” in which Beech challenged herself to create a single, striking image to represent each of the 26 letters in the alphabet.

Other favorite creations include Beech’s Lucky Cats (depictions of the waving felines from Japanese culture), Lake Erie sunrises and cardinals. While making stained-glass depictions of our state bird comes second nature now, Beech still likes to keep things interesting.

“There are different ways to still make it fun and challenging for me,” she says, “because the last thing I want is for my work to feel mundane.” — Kelly Larson

Visit frecklesandflux.com for more information.

Whether you’re looking for a place to catch up with friends, a weekend getaway, or somewhere to just to have a break, Findlay has you covered. Meet up at one of our local coffee shops or grab a beverage to-go as you enjoy all that Findlay and Hancock County has to offer. Attend an event, take in a show, visit a museum, get outside, pose on the Mural Trail, shop for something special, enjoy a dinner to remember, and more - all while experiencing small-town charm and friendly faces around every corner. Plan your trip at VisitFindlay.com

Hidden Beauty

The Blair Museum of Lithophanes at the Schedel Arboretum & Gardens in Elmore houses the world’s largest collection of this 19th-century art form.

When visitors step into the 1880s manor house at the Schedel Arboretum & Gardens, their first reaction is usually various expressions of amazement. At first, the lithophanes lining the walls look like simple porcelain plaques. Then a switch is flipped, light floods in from behind, and portraits, landmarks and scenes come to life.

“You see this really intricately detailed image,” says Rod Noble, executive director of the Schedel Arboretum & Gardens. “Maybe it’s a portrait. Maybe it’s a bridge. Maybe it’s an animal.”

Toledo collector Laurel Gotshall Blair originally came upon a small collection of lithophanes at an International Music Box Society meeting in Berlin Heights in 1961.

Blair then spent the following decades expanding his collection, eventually displaying more than 2,300 lithophanes in a private museum at his home.

He later donated the works, which hold the distinction of being the world’s largest collection of this 19th-century art form, to the city of Toledo. In 2002, the collection was displayed in a renovated space at the Toledo Botanical Garden. Since 2021, the Schedel Arboretum & Garden in Elmore has housed the collection.

“They were of great utility back in the 19th century, before electricity,” Noble says, noting that people used lithophanes as shields for candles, so they didn’t have glare in their eyes while reading or sewing.

Today, museum visitors can see part of Blair’s collection on any given visit, with pieces rotated regularly and often organized by themes, such as religious scenes, animals, architecture and science.

“Lithophanes went from a very utilitarian item through their purpose to just becoming something that was more of a visceral, pleasing experience,” Noble says. “It’s an artistic form that’s simply pleasing to look at.”

— Carmen Szukaitis

19255 W. Portage River South Rd., Elmore 43416, 419/862-3182, lithophanemuseum.org

Life Lessons

Ohio native Dan Watt’s documentary film “Everybody Dance” features five children with developmental disabilities as they take classes with Ballet For All Kids.

Drawn to the excitement of performing on stage, Brunswick native Dan Watt began studying dance at age 15. In high school, he also took a job as an usher at Cleveland’s Palace Theater, where he spent weekends catching a variety of Broadway productions, as well as performers like Tina Turner, Englebert Humperdinck and Chita Rivera.

After Rivera’s show, Watt even waited outside the stage door in the rain, hoping to meet her. When he did, he got a piece of advice that has served as a driving force in his career.

“She said, … ‘Take the first job, take the next job, take the next job, and take the next job,’” Watt recalls. “‘And one day, you’ll look up and you’ll have a career.’”

Watt went on to train in dance, and in 2010, he began working on film and television projects at Columbia Pictures. He later worked with producer Simon Cowell and director Morgan Spurlock on the documentary “One Direction: This Is Us.” It was Spurlock who inspired Watt to begin developing his own projects.

In 2022, Watt released “Everybody Dance.” The documentary film features five children with developmental disabilities who are learning to dance with the help of the nonprofit Ballet For All Kids. The film was aired on PBS and garnered Watt a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award and — quite fittingly — a Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Direction of a Dance Documentary. — Erin Finan

What drew you to document the story of these five children in particular?

A: I wanted to show how dance can help people with disabilities in everyday life. I knew that the message of inclusion was very important, and after watching these kids and families take classes at All Kids, I just knew that their story needed to be told.

How can we make art and theater spaces more inclusive for people with different abilities and sensitivities?

A: I think inclusion and accessibility are the two things that we need to focus on. Some dance studio owners have reached out to me after watching the film and have asked me to guide them in creating classes at their studios. … So, to see that dance teachers and studio owners have been inspired by my film makes it all worth it.

What do you hope audiences have a better understanding of after watching the film?

A: It might have the word “dance” in the title, but it is truly a story of determination, dedication, confidence and community. We all come upon obstacles in our lives that we have to work our way through. And some may experience the world in different ways, and if we embrace this, it can help us see the wonders of dancing to our own rhythm.

For more information about ”Everybody Dance,” visit dancindanproductions.com.

From signature events to our commemorative America 250 Exhibit, there’s always a reason to explore Ohio’s most storied Estate. | stanhywet.org Make your

Plan your visit to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens — the historic 70-acre estate of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company cofounder F.A. Seiberling. Wander through the vibrant gardens and tour the 65-room Manor House of the Seiberling family.

CELEBRATE 250 IN SPRINGFIELD

Spend your next weekend getaway in Springfield, Ohio where you’ll find great food, amazing parks, world class antique shopping, and nationally recognized attractions. A perfect road trip destination and a region on the rise. As the capital of active leisure in Ohio, you’ll be able to #findyourunwind at your own pace.

DATEBOOK

River City Blues Festival

March 20–21: Marietta

The 33rd annual River City Blues Festival (put on by the local Blues, Jazz, and Folk Music Society Board) brings two days of live music to Marietta’s historic Lafayette Hotel ballroom. Started in 1992, the festival happens the third weekend in March, welcoming a variety of performers from genres spanning blues, zydeco, Celtic, folk and more. Past performers have included James Cotton, Carey Bell, Koko Taylor, Buckwheat Zydeco and Kenny Neal. Friday brings the Tas Cru Band followed by John Nemeth, while Saturday brings Austin Walkin’ Cane, McKinley James and Brandon Santini in the afternoon with Wayne Baker Brooks and Bernard Allison in the evening. bjfm.org

and other happenings scheduled between now and the end of April.

Canvas

Connections

This Cleveland Museum of Art exhibition delves into the multilayered relationship between 19th-century painters Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot.

By Erin Finan

he woman sits with her head turned slightly as she gazes out from the canvas. Soft browns blur into the background, while light and dark hues collide in her coat and hat. Famed 19th-century painter Édouard Manet created the painting, titled “Berthe Morisot with a Muff.” What viewers may not realize is the subject of the portrait was an artist in her own right.

Such layers of identity anchor “Manet & Morisot,” which runs March 29 through July 5 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Featuring more than 40 works, it marks the first major exhibition that explores how the artists’ relationship evolved over time through collaboration, competition and familial connection.

Manet acted as a creative mentor to Morisot, who frequently modeled for him. Morisot eventually married Manet’s brother, Eugene, further deepening the pair’s relationship. The layout of the exhibition reinforces this idea of connection by inviting viewers to directly compare composition and technique and examine the ways in which the pair influenced and contrasted each other. Visitors first encounter portraits of Morisot created by Manet before moving through works by both paired by subject, from seascapes to depictions of domestic life.

“You’ll kind of get to see her in that first gallery through his eyes,” says Heather Lemonedes Brown, curator of modern European art and hosting curator for the exhibition. “Then the show goes on. You start to see how they have a dialogue in their art. He influencing her, her influencing him — in subject matter and in style.”

Notable comparisons include a series of four paintings depicting the seasons: summer and winter painted by Morisot and fall and spring created in response by Manet, as well as two portraits of Morisot’s daughter, Julie. In Manet’s version, she appears posed, while in Morisot’s, she is absorbed in play.

The exhibition concludes with Morisot’s 1885 self-portrait, painted near the end of her life and following Manet’s death. She is depicted with her artist’s palette in hand, asserting her identity as a professional artist.

“I hope that the exhibit makes people think about friendship and how friendships can evolve over time,” Brown says, “how they’re always kind of ebbing and flowing.”

11150 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106, 216/421-7350, clevelandart.org

DATEBOOK

festival

Frogman Festival

March 7: Loveland

While attending paranormal conferences across the United States, Jeff Craig discovered that most people he met had heard of the Loveland Frogman. The humanoid-frog creature has long been part of Ohio lore thanks to sightings reported in 1955 and 1972 along the Little Miami River. Still, many people in Loveland were not aware of the creature tied to their town, and Craig began to wonder why the Frogman didn’t have his own local festival. He envisioned a day of speakers, activities and vendors, and in 2023 he hosted the first Frogman Festival.

Theater

The Outsiders

March 17–22: Columbus, April 28–May 17: Cleveland

Adapted from S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film, this touring production stops in both Columbus and

“I think it’s the unique story,” Craig says. “And Frogman is a one-off, unlike Bigfoot who is seen in pretty much every state. … The fact that it became part of the local lore is something to be celebrated because it is such a unique story.”

Author and paranormal researcher James Willis was one of the first speakers at the festival, and he returns to headline the event each year. The festival is scheduled for March 7 in 2026. “On Wednes days We Talk Weird” podcast host Ashley Hilt joins Willis in this year’s lineup of speakers, which also includes Chad Lewis; Sherwin Quiambao, a sketch artist who highlights stories from Asia and creates trading cards; and Charlie Mewshaw from Discovery Channel’s “Lost Monster Files.” Events take place throughout the day, including cryptid-focused puppet shows, live reptile showings and a parade featuring costumed Frogmen and a bagpiper.

music

Bob Dylan April 9, 10 & 12: Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton

A 60-plus-year career hasn’t slowed down this world-renowned musician, poet and performer. Bob Dylan brings his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour to Dayton (April 12), following performances in Columbus (April 9) and Cleveland (April 10). Touring in support of his 39th studio album, fans can expect to hear familiar favorites alongside new songs. These concerts are phone-free experiences.

exhibit

Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World

March 21–July 5: Toledo

“Everyone that comes that I hear from just feels a sense of community,” Craig says of the festival. “[We draw] people of the same ilk that are artistic and creative and open-minded and just love the vibe that they get there.” — Kristina Smith

Oasis Conference Center, 902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd., Loveland 45140, frogmanfestival.org

Cleveland. The 2024 Tony Award winner for Best Musical explores themes of friendship and belonging in a heartfelt coming-of-age story. Follow along with Ponyboy, Johnny and their friends as they discover what it means to be themselves. tour.outsidersmusical.com

Explore how magic influenced life in the ancient world at the Toledo Museum of Art. Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures each held distinct beliefs about calling upon forces from beyond the human world. Uses ranged from protection to healing to curses. See collections of carved ivory wands, gemstones, tablets and papyri in this exhibition that features pieces on loan from institutions across the globe, including the Louvre, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. toledomuseum.org

CALENDAR

MARCH

Central festivals

MARCH 5–8

Arnold Sports Festival

Visit the nation’s largest multisport event, where thousands of athletes from around the world come to compete. Enjoy hundreds of booths, competitions and nonstop entertainment. Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St., Columbus, 614/827-2500. arnoldsports.com. Visit website for times and prices.

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

THRU MARCH 8

Tacita Dean: Blind Folly

This exhibition presents the first major showing of Tacita Dean’s art in the United States, featuring rarely shown pieces and newly created works across a range of mediums, including film, printmaking and mixed media. Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., Columbus, 614/221-6801. columbusmuseum.org. Visit website for times and prices.

THRU APRIL 10

Quilt National ’25: The Best in Contemporary Quilts

The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery presents “Quilt National ’25: The Best in Contemporary Quilts.” The exhibition features 28 artists and is produced and circulated by The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens. Image Credit: Jennifer Candon, “Metanoia.” Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery, 77 S. High St., Columbus, 614/644-9624. riffegallery.org. Tues.–Fri. Noon–5 p.m. Free.

THRU MAY 26

The Science Behind Pixar

Explore the creativity and technology behind Pixar’s beloved animated films through more than 50 interactive exhibits. Try hands-on activities, hear stories from Pixar’s production teams and meet life-size re-creations of characters. COSI, 333 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614/2282674. cosi.org Wed.–Fri. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 6–28

Bryn Du Art Show

Celebrate 22 years of the Bryn Du Art Show, a national exhibit showcasing many talented artists from across Ohio and the country. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this beautiful, historic setting. Bryn Du Mansion, 537 Jones Rd., Granville, 740/587-7053. bryndu.com. Visit website for times. Free. Donations welcome.

MARCH 21

Chihuly Night

Experience this after-hours event featuring illuminated glass art installations, evening access to gardens and exhibitions, live music, food and drinks, and optional guided tours highlighting the renowned glass collection by artist Dale Chihuly. Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1777. E. Broad St., Columbus, 614/715-8000. fpconservatory.org. 6–10 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MUSIC + THEATER

MARCH 3

The Ten Tenors: 30th Anniversary World Tour

Don’t miss this anniversary concert tour by the globally acclaimed vocal ensemble, delivering a mix of classical crossover and classic rock with soaring harmonies, high energy and new arrangements created especially for audiences. Davidson Theatre, 77 S. High St., Columbus, 614/469-0939. capa.com 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 6

Barry Manilow

Enjoy an evening with the legendary entertainer as he performs some of his greatest hits, such as “Mandy” and “Copacabana.” Manilow’s decades-long career is marked by chart-topping songs and record-breaking shows. Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, 614/246-2000. nationwidearena.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 6–7

Amadeus Live

Celebrate the 270th anniversary of Mozart’s birth with this special concert experience that pairs the Academy Award-winning film with live symphony and chorus, blending cinema and

State Regions

Because dates, times and locations are subject to change, please call ahead to confirm all details before traveling. For a more complete listing of events, visit ohiomagazine.com/events.

To submit event information, visit ohiomagazine.com/submit. Events must be submitted at least 8 weeks in advance. Include the date, cost, address of the event, phone number and website, as well as a brief description of the event. Events are published on a space-available basis; however, all events submitted 8 weeks in advance appear on ohiomagazine. com/events.

Some listings were written with the help of AI. Listings with photos are paid for by advertisers. Email us at adsales@ohiomagazine.com for more information on enhanced listings.

orchestral performance. Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., Columbus, 614/469-0939. capa.com. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 6–8

Annie

Follow along with Annie, Daddy Warbucks and Sandy in this high-energy, family-friendly musical that shares a heartwarming story of hope, family and resilience, featuring unforgettable songs like “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life.” Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St. , Columbus, 614/469-0939. capa.com Visit website for show times and prices.

MARCH 8

Dirty Dancing in Concert

Watch a digitally remastered screening of the beloved 1987 film accompanied by a live band and singers. The show is followed by an encore sing-along and dance party celebrating its iconic soundtrack. Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614/469-9850. capa.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 8

Three Days Grace

Witness this multiplatinum rock band deliver a high-energy concert featuring chart-topping hits and fan favorites, from “I Hate Everything About You” to “Animal I have Become.” Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, 614/246-2000. nationwidearena.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 12

Lords of the Sound: The Music of Hans Zimmer

Watch as this internationally acclaimed symphony orchestra performs a live tribute to the musical scores of Hans Zimmer, bringing powerful selections from blockbuster films to the stage, including “Dune,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Lion King” and others. Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614/469-9850. capa. com. 8 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 12–28

The Apiary

This theatrical drama is set 22 years in the future in a world where honeybees survive only in synthetic apiaries. The story follows two lab assistants who are forced to confront moral limits in order to protect and grow the fragile population. Riffe Center Theatre Complex, 77 S. High

W IN TICKETS TO S TA N HYWET’S FATHER’S DAY CAR SHOW

Calling all car lovers to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens to celebrate the 68th Annual Father’s Day Car Show on June 21. Enter for the chance to win 10 tickets to one of the nation’s longest-running car shows, established in 1957. This year’s theme, “A Century of Mopar,” celebrates 100 years of bold design and raw power.

PRESIDENTIAL PRIZE PACKAGE

Enter for the chance to win copies of The McKinley Monument: A Tribute to a Fallen President and The McKinley Years: The Life and Times of our 25th President, both written by Christopher J. Kenney. Also win a William McKinley coin, a wooden America 250 ornament and a Family Plus membership that includes admission to 550 history museums and science centers across the country.

DENNISON RAILROAD DEPOT MUSEUM

Enjoy a sweet summer adventure with this chance to win four train tickets for the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum’s Strawberry Festival on May 31. After departing from Dennison Depot, relax in vintage rail cars while rolling through the scenic countryside. Then arrive at the beloved Newark Strawberry Festival where visitors can savor festival treats, browse local vendors and make lasting memories with family and friends. As a bonus, winners receive four vouchers for the strawberry shortcake dessert served at the festival.

LEHMAN’S

Enter for a chance to win a $150 gift card to Lehman’s. One lucky winner will receive a $150 gift card to shop at Lehman’s in Kidron. Explore quality nonelectric goods, timeless kitchen essentials and trusted tools built to last — all in a one-of-a-kind country store. Don’t miss your opportunity to win this $150 prize.

61. Ross Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau

62. Rossford Convention and Visitors Bureau

63. Sheiyah Market

64. Shores & Islands Ohio

65. Sidney Visitors Bureau

66. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

67. StayInAkron.com

68. Steubenville Visitor Center

69. Streetsboro Visitors & Convention Bureau

70. Summersville Convention & Visitors Bureau

71. Tis The Season

72. Toledo Zoo

73. Travel Butler County, OH

74. Trumbull County Tourism Bureau

75. Tucker County Convention & Visitors Bureau (WV)

76. Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau

77. Visit Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau

78. Visit BG (Bowling Green, OH)

79. Visit Canton

80. Visit Cincy

81. Visit Coshocton

82. Visit Dublin Ohio

83. Visit Findlay

84. Visit Gahanna

85. Visit Greater Lima

86. Visit Grove City

87. Visit Wheeling West Virginia

88. Visit Wayne County

58. Reynoldsburg Visitors Bureau

89. Zanesville/Muskingum County Convention & Visitors Bureau

St., Columbus, 614/460-7214. capa.com. Visit website for show times and prices.

MARCH 13

Houndmouth

This American alternative blues band hails from New Albany, Indiana. Led by Matt Myers on guitar and vocals, the group delivers a lively, roots-driven performance, blending soulful melodies and tight harmonies. The Bends are set to open. KEMBA Live!, 405 Neil Ave., Columbus, 614/461-5483. kembalive.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 16

Journey

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees embark on their Final Frontier Tour, delivering a fullthrottle farewell with chart-topping hits, legendary anthems and a spectacular stage show, performing hits such as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Faithfully” and more. Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, 614/246-2000. nationwidearena.com. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 18

Dark Star Orchestra

Celebrated for authentically re-creating the Grateful Dead concert experience, this sevenmember band performs classic setlists and makes inventive selections that capture the sound, spirit and improvisational energy that fans love. KEMBA Live!, 405 Neil Ave., Columbus, 614/461-5483. kembalive.com. 6:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

OTHER EVENTS

MARCH 6–8

Indian Lake Boat Show

Feel the buzz of summer at the Indian Lake Boat Show. See a massive selection of boats and water toys, and enjoy show-only deals and free admission and parking all weekend long. Visit indianlakeboatshow.com for locations. 937/8433036. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.

Northeast festivals

MARCH 1–31

Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival

Visit seven Grand River Valley wineries and a distillery for ice wine samples paired perfectly with appetizers. Visit each participating location in any order you choose. Grand River Valley Region, 440/298-9838. grandrivercellars.com. Visit website for times. Free.

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

THRU MARCH 22

Rock of Ages: The Evolutionary Art of Derek Hess

This exhibition showcases works from throughout Cleveland artist Derek Hess’ impressive career. From concert posters to fine art his work blends surreal imagery and scientific precision. Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland, 216/231-4600. cmnh.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

THRU MAY 31

The Woman Behind the Lens: Frances Benjamin Johnston and the American Presidency

Supporting herself as a pioneering photojournalist in the 1890s, Johnston documented presidents, Black and Native American students and other subjects. This exhibition explores her body of work. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW, Canton, 330/455-7043. mckinleymuseum.org. Visit website for times and prices.

still/emerging: Native American Works on Paper

This exhibition features 30 drawings and prints from Native American artists, spanning the 1950s to present day. It surveys the media Native people have used to explore their heritage, including woodcut portraits by T.C. Cannon and color lithographs from Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216/421-7350. clevelandart. org. Visit website for museum hours. Free.

THRU JULY 5

Transfiguration: Rachel Liebskind and the Tiffany Window

View this restored stained-glass window depicting the transfiguration of Christ, as well as new details from contemporary artist Rachel Libeskind. The reverential work acts as a recontextualization of how the unimaginable is depicted across early cinema and religious iconography. Akron Art Museum, 1 S. High St., Akron, 330/376-9186. akronartmuseum.org. Visit website museum hours and prices.

MARCH 29–JULY 5

Manet & Morisot

Explore the artistic exchange between Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, tracing their 15-year relationship through paintings and works on paper that reveal collaboration, influence and contrasting perspectives. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216/421-7350. clevelandart.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

MUSIC + THEATER

MARCH 5

Lords of the Sound: The Music of Hans Zimmer

This group performs iconic film scores including “Dune,” “Inception” and “The Dark Knight,” bringing an electrifying live concert experience. Agora Theatre, 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. agoracleveland.com. 7 p.m. $71.93–$104.88.

MARCH 7

Dionne Warwick

The six-time Grammy Award winner performs classic hits from her historic career of charttopping songs like “Walk on By” and “Say a Little Prayer.” Robins Theatre, 160 E. Market St., Warren, 237/437-6246. robinstheatre.com. 8 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 12–14

Beethoven’s Fateful Fifth

Elim Chan leads The Cleveland Orchestra in Beethoven’s Fifth, with Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” suite and Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto. Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216/231-1111. clevelandorchestra. org. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 14–15

Ballet Excel Ohio Presents: Aladdin

Ballet Excel Ohio presents a new production that brings Aladdin’s adventures, to life through dance and music. Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron, 330/253-2488. akroncivic.com. Visit website for times and prices.

Always in Season?

IT’S A SHORE THING

MARCH 26

Gary Numan

This synth-pop pioneer performs hits from throughout his career, from “Cars” to later dark electronic works that celebrate his role in making the synthesizer a leading voice in modern pop. House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216/523-2583. agoracleveland.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 18

Rhythm of the Dance

Rated among the most popular touring Irish dance shows, Rhythm of the Dance combines traditional musicians and cutting-edge stage production in a high-energy, two-hour Celtic dance extravaganza. Ohio Star Theater, 1387 Old Rte. 39 NE, Sugarcreek, 855/344-7547. dhgroup.com.1–3 p.m., 7–9 p.m. $39.

MARCH 21

The Isaacs

This multi-award-winning family group blends tight harmonies with acoustic instrumentation across gospel, bluegrass, folk and country, sharing a heartfelt message of hope and grace through song. Ohio Star Theater, 1387 Old Rte. 39 NE, Sugarcreek, 855/344-7547. dhgroup. com. 7–9 p.m. $52.

MARCH 27

Let’s Hang On: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Tribute

This show has established itself as the preeminent Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute group by combining spot-on vocals and crisp

Experience Shores & Islands Ohio, a year‑round destination just a short drive away. Escape the chill with a tropical inspired retreat at one of the region’s three indoor water parks anytime. Spring is on the horizon, bringing lively festivals and unique events, like the world renowned migratory wonder of the Biggest Week in American Birding With plenty of ways to relax, refresh, and reconnect, there’s something for everyone in your crew. Plan your trip and find your Lake Erie Love at SHORESandISLANDS.com

choreography with a genuine ability to entertain an audience. Ohio Star Theater, 1387 Old Rte. 39 NE, Sugarcreek, 855/344-7547. dhgroup. com. 1–3 p.m., 7–9 p.m. $46.

MARCH 27–APRIL 19

Beautiful, The Carole King Musical at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Get ready to feel the earth move with this Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical that shares the inspiring story of the beloved songwriter behind hits like “You’ve Got a Friend” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, 40 River St., Chagrin Falls, 440/247-8955. cvlt.org. Visit website for times. Adults $24, seniors and students $21.

OTHER EVENTS

MARCH 6

Kevin James: Eat the Frog

After launching a successful comedy career on Long Island, this stand-up comedian and actor known for his role in “The King of Queens” and film work brings his observational humor to the stage. Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron, 330/253-2488. akroncivic.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 13–14

720 Indoor Show at 2026 Stark Home & Garden Show

Browse a curated selection of wares from more than 60 makers, bakers, brewers and growers. Held in partnership with Stark County BIA, the event features over 125 home and garden exhibitors, entertainment and displays. Hall of Fame Village’s Center for Performance, 1901 Champions Gateway, Canton, eventsby720. com. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $5.

MARCH 17

Sip + Learn: Gervasi Spirits Craft Cocktail Class

Shake up your night by learning master mixology techniques and crafting signature cocktails in a fun, interactive setting. This event is perfect for friends, couples or anyone who loves a good drink. Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330-497-1000. gervasivineyard. com. 6 p.m. $45.

MARCH 19

Ladies Night Out

Usher in spring with a fun night of shopping and hands-on experiences at this annual event. Lehman’s, 4779 Kidron Rd., Kidron, 800/4385346. lehmans.com. 5:30–8:30 p.m. $25.

Northwest

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

MARCH 21–JULY 5

Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World

Explore ancient magic through ancient spells, amulets, papyri and curse tablets that reveal how Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures sought protection, healing and power. Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo, 419/255-8000. toledomuseum.org. Visit website for museum hours. Nonmembers $10.

MUSIC + THEATER

MARCH 4

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

This immersive concert-style theater show traces the duo’s journey with live band, projections and hits such as “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Valentine Theatre, 410 Adams St., Toledo, 419/242-2787. valentinetheatre.com. 7:30 p.m. $68–$98.

MARCH 6

Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO

This tribute band faithfully re-creates Electric Light Orchestra’s 1970s and ’80s concert magic with live strings, a light show and classic hits like “Mr. Blue Sky,” plus deep cuts for devoted fans. Maumee Indoor Theatre, 601 Conant St., Maumee, 419/897-8902. maumeeindoor.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 16

Alice in Wonderland

Alice follows the White Rabbit into a curious world where she meets the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and Queen of Hearts. Recommended for grades K-6. Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay, 419/423-2787. mcpa.org 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. $7.

Southeast

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

THRU MARCH 29

Art & Process

This exhibition highlights work by faculty, presenting finished artworks with process

documentation that reveals the artistic practice from ideation to completion. Kennedy Museum of Art, 100 Ridges Circle, Athens, 740/593-1304. ohio.edu/museum. Visit website for museum hours. Free.

THRU APRIL 26

Heartland: The Stories of Ohio Through 250 Objects

This exhibit invites visitors to discover the people, ideas and moments that have defined the Buckeye State. It features artifacts that capture both Ohio’s familiar milestones and its lesser-known stories. Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster, 740/681-1423. decartsohio.org. Wed.–Fri.11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat., Sun.1–4 p.m. Free

MARCH 7

Ohio Statehood Day Celebration

Celebrate the birth of the state in Ohio’s first capital city. Explore attractions and special exhibits from local historical sites around Chillicothe. Ross County Historical Society, 45 W. Fifth St., Chillicothe, 740/772-1936. rosscountyhistorical. org. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.

MUSIC + THEATER

MARCH 7

Mind Over Matter: Hall & Oates Tribute Journey through decades of hits as this tribute band celebrates the sound and soul of Hall & Oates. Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 740/772-2041. majesticchillicothe. net. 7:30 p.m. $27–$37.

MARCH 20

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives

This Country Music Hall of Famer performs songs rooted in tradition and storytelling, celebrating decades of influential country music. Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 740/371-5152. peoplesbanktheatre.com. 8 p.m. $54–$155.

MARCH 20–22

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl’s beloved tale comes to the stage as young Charlie enters Willy Wonka’s magical factory, encountering a world of pure imagination. Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, 740/753-1924. stuartsoperahouse. org. Fri., Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 24

Patterson Hood & John Moreland

This co-headlining performance pairs gritty Southern rock storytelling with intimate folk confessionals, uniting two acclaimed songwriters known for sharp humor, emotional depth

ASip of Springtime

Hocking Hills Winery

BY KIRSTEN ABBEY

Wine drinkers can enjoy the warmer weather while they indulge in spring’s new harvest. At a time when the fruit ripens and flowers bloom, there’s a myriad of flavors waiting to be discovered, including ones you’re least expecting.

Start your tour of the fruity and floral at Emerine Estates Winery in Jefferson to try their wine made from cotton candy grapes. These grapes make for a whimsical approach to wine.

Visit Findlay’s Gillig Winery to get another taste of the tropics. This location offers several wines that are fruity in nature, but their Khaleesi is easily the most novel. Appropriately named after Game of Thrones’ Mother of Dragons, this wine is made with dragon fruit extract.

If you’re seeking something sweet or fruity, then look no further than Wolftree Winery near Millfield. Along with specializing in fruit wines and meads, this Appalachian gem also offers persimmon and elderberry wines.

Breitenbach Wine Cellar and Vineyards near Dover offers an interesting citrus collection, with wines made of lemons or blood oranges. Visitors with a more botanical bias will be pleased to find that this location celebrates a seasonal Dandelion Festival on May 8–9. Every year, they serve their dandelion wine — a sweet dessert wine with an herbal undertone, along with dandelion sangria and other dandelion products.

For more fascinating flavors of flora, stop by the Hocking Hills Winery in Logan. Their garden selection includes not one but two beverages with flowery notes. This winery’s Lily of the Valley is a semi-sweet Vidal Blanc with a floral hint and a fruity finish. The Honeysuckle uses a blend of grapes and encompasses both the flavors of the namesake flower and edelweiss.

Whether the berry or the bloom, this season has plenty of offerings for anyone with a palate for provocative flavors.

Breitenbach Wine Cellar and Vineyards

and unmistakable voices. Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, 740/753-1924. stuartsoperahouse.org. 7:30 p.m. $46–$51.

MARCH 27

The Gambler Returns: Kenny Rogers Tribute Alan Turner performs decades of Kenny Rogers hits in this full-band production, bringing the iconic performer’s stage presence and songs to life. Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 740/772-2041. majesticchillicothe.net. 7:30 p.m. $32–$42.

MARCH 27

Tony Danza

Combining timeless music with wit, charm, storytelling and a dash of soft shoe and ukulele performances, Tony Danza performs a selection of his favorite standards from the Great American Songbook while interweaving stories about his life and personal connection to the music. Secrest Auditorium, 334 Shinnick St., Zanesville, 740/588-0871. zanesvilleconcertassociation. org. 7:30–9:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 29

Battle Hymn: An Ohio Goes to the Movies Cinematic Experience

Part of the Ohio Goes to the Movies program, this special screening celebrates a film rooted in Marietta’s history and coincides with the 10th anniversary of the reopening of Peoples Bank Theatre. Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 740/371-5152. peoplesbanktheatre. com. 2 p.m. Free.

Southwest

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

THRU MARCH 22

Teatime: Chinese Enamels from the Taft Collection

See 18th-century Chinese painted enamels made for Western audiences that trace tea’s cultural journey from China to Europe and America through beautifully crafted cups, saucers and other vessels. Taft Museum of Art , 316 Pike St., Cincinnati, 513/241-0343. taftmuseum.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

THRU APRIL 19

Engaged: Rings from around the World

This exhibition explores humanity’s fascination with rings, presenting examples from Egypt to Thailand that span thousands of years, assembled from a 180-piece collection. Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N., Dayton, 937/223-4278. daytonartinstitute.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

THRU MAY 17

Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White

This exhibition presents nearly 50 etchings that reveal Rembrandt’s innovation, psychological depth and lasting influence. They are presented alongside works by his contemporaries and later admirers inspired by the Dutch master. Taft Museum of Art , 316 Pike St., Cincinnati, 513/241-0343. taftmuseum.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

THRU MAY 17

Tony Foster: Exploring Time, A Painter’s Perspective

Artist Tony Foster’s watercolor works capture how time shapes the land, from fleeting changes in light to vast geological transformations. Organized into four themes — geological, biological, human and fleeting moments — this exhibition invites visitors to consider the planet’s continual evolution and reflect on the visible passage of time. Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Dr. N., Dayton , 937/223-4278. daytonartinstitute.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

THRU JUNE 7

Longing: Painting from the Pahari Kingdoms of the Northwest Himalayas

This exhibition presents colorful court paintings from 17th- to 19th-century India, exploring devotion, romance and power. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati, 513/721-2787. cincinnatiartmuseum.org. Visit website for museum hours. Free.

THRU JAN 3, 2027

Captivating Clay: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection

See 30 works that span eight decades, showcasing tradition and innovation in Japanese ceramics. Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N., Dayton, 937/223-4278. daytonartinstitute. org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

MUSIC + THEATER

MARCH 3–15

The Wiz

The Tony Award-winning musical returns in an all-new Broadway tour. “The Wiz” reimagines “The Wizard of Oz” with soul, gospel and funk music. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. Visit website for show times and prices.

MARCH 6

Scythian: Celtic Rock

Get ready to rock the night with Scythian, a Celtic rock band that delivers high-energy rhythm and a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration built for dancing. The Brightside, 905 E. Third St., Dayton, 937/410-0450. thebrightsidedayton. com. 7–10:30 p.m. $20.

MARCH 6–7

Brahms & Schumann

Louis Langrée and pianist Clayton Stephenson perform Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, followed by Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, a romantic program filled with triumphant orchestral energy. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. Visit website for times and prices.

MARCH 13–15

American Mosaic

This performance from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra combines Peter Boyer’s orchestral music and Joe Sohm’s video imagery with live narration that honors America’s land, people and spirit in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. Visit website for times and prices.

MARCH 20–21

Beethoven, Mozart & Haydn

Experience this classical concert program featuring Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The performance blends dramatic openings, elegant violin passages and high-energy symphonic moments that showcase the composers’ wit, grace and intensity. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MARCH 21

The Screwtape Letters

This fast-paced solo performance adapts author C.S. Lewis’ satiric classic. This vivid spiritual drama offers humour and insight as it follows a senior demon’s plan to claim a human soul. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. 4 p.m. Visit website for prices.

OTHER EVENTS

MARCH 7–8

Miami Valley Woodcarvers Show

Explore woodcarving artistry from both local and state carvers, enjoy live demonstrations, contests and raffles, and browse a unique collection of hand-carved works. First United Methodist Church, 700 S. Marshall Rd., Middletown, 513/283-4062. miamivalleywoodcarvers.com. Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. Noon–5 p.m. Adults $6, children 12 and under free.

APRIL

Central Festivals

APRIL 9–12

Equine Affaire in Ohio

Visit the nation’s premier equine exposition and equestrian event. Gather experience through four days of educational clinics, seminars and demonstrations led by top professionals in the horse industry. Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, 740/845-0085. equineaffaire. com/events/ohio. Thurs.–Sat. 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $20, children 7–10 $10, children 6 and under free.

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

APRIL 11

CMA Family Fest

Enjoy an afternoon filled with hands-on artmaking, music, gallery exploration and playful surprises throughout the museum during this fun, family-oriented event. Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., Columbus, 614/2216801. columbusmuseum.org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

MUSIC + THEATER

APRIL 15

Lake Street Dive

This genre-blending musical group brings soul, folk, jazz and classic pop together, performing

EXPLORE RELAX DISCOVER

Whether you linger over coffee on the back porch or head out for adventure at sunrise, Vinton County has something for you. Life here is slower paced and we like it that way. There are more trees than people and plenty of wildlife to enjoy.

We have cabins and cottages, a winery, beautiful lakes, a haunted tunnel and general stores.

We have plenty of peace and quiet. Not to mention the miles of trails for the hikers, bikers and equestrians.

If you need a new place to discover, a place that feels like home, we’ve got you covered.

Start exploring at Discovervintoncounty.com.

songs from “Good Together,” a joyfully defiant album celebrating connection and collective energy through sound. KEMBA Live!, 405 Neil Ave., Columbus, 614/461-5483. kembalive. com. 6:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 17

T.J. Miller

Laugh along with T.J. Miller in this high-energy stand-up performance from the actor and comedian who has appeared in “Deadpool,” “Silicon Valley” and “Big Hero 6.” Funny Bone Comedy Club, 145 Easton Town Center, Columbus, 614/471-5653. columbus.funnybone.com. 7–8:30 p.m. $37.

APRIL 27

Demi Lovato

This Grammy Award-nominated musician and actor brings powerhouse vocals to the stage, showcasing a career that spans nine studio albums, including “It’s Not That Deep.” Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, 614/246-2000. nationwidearena.com. 8 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 30

Jason Salmon

Catch Texas-born, New York City-based comedian Jason Salmon delivering the sharp, self-deprecating stand-up that he’s come to be known for from YouTube, HBO Max and Comedy Central. Funny Bone Comedy Club, 145 Easton Town Center, Columbus, 613/471-5653. columbus.funnybone.com. 7–8:30 p.m. $32.

OTHER EVENTS

APRIL 9

COSI After Dark: Stoned Science

This event transforms the museum into a cannabis-culture playground, exploring plant science, terpenes, cultivation, infusion, dosing and flavor through discussions with dispensaries, growers and chefs. COSI, 333. W. Broad St., Columbus, 614/228-2674. cosi.org. 7–10 p.m. Visit website for prices.

Northeast FESTIVALS

APRIL 4

Downtown Akron Sakura Festival

Welcome the arrival of spring at this festival celebrating Japanese culture with live performances, food, art and family activities. Plus, enjoy over 470 cherry blossom trees along the Towpath Trail. Lock 3, 200 S. Main St., Akron, 330-374-7676. downtownakron.com. Visit website for times. Free.

APRIL 12–AUG 9

Martin Puryear: Nexus

Explore Martin Puryear’s innovations in sculpture, prints and drawings in this career-spanning exhibition that showcases new works and iconic pieces. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216/421-7350. clevelandart. org. Visit website for museum hours and prices.

MUSIC + THEATER

APRIL 3

Third Day

This influential contemporary Christian band reunites, celebrating a nearly 30-year career of chart-topping songs, acclaimed live performances and a legacy of award-winning music beloved by generations of fans. Zach Williams opens the show. Covelli Centre, 229 E. Front St., Youngstown, 330/746-5600. covellicentre.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 4

David Phelps

With a genre-defying musical style and an impressive vocal range, David Phelps has wowed audiences across a variety of stages. He has received Grammy Awards and released multiple platinum-selling recording projects, topping the Billboard charts time and time again. Ohio Star Theater, 1387 Old Rte. 39 NE, Sugarcreek, 855/344-7547. dhgroup.com. 7–9 p.m. $52–$72.99.

APRIL 11

John Legend: An Evening of Songs and Stories

This EGOT-winning artist presents intimate performances of greatest hits and fan favorites, sharing personal stories while celebrating his acclaimed career and songs from “Get Lifted.” Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron, 330/253-2488. akroncivic.com. 8 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 24

Band of Horses

Band of Horses celebrates the 20th anniversary of its debut album, “Everything All The Time,” with a performance of the album in its entirety, as well as other songs from the band’s catalog. Agora Theatre, 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216/881-2221. agoracleveland.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 25

Kent Rollins

OTHER EVENTS

APRIL 9–11

Grand Christening Celebration of Locomotive No. 19

Celebrate the historic Grand Christening of steam locomotive No. 19 with public ceremonies, train rides, a free screening of “Emperor of the North” and an exclusive photo shoot of the train. Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum, 213 Smokey Lane Rd. SW, Sugarcreek, 330/8524676. ageofsteamroundhouse.org. Visit website for times and prices.

APRIL 9–18

Cleveland International Film Festival

This festival showcases international film features and shorts, welcoming audiences and filmmakers alike to celebrate cinematic storytelling through screenings and conversations each year. Playhouse Square, Cleveland, 216/2416000. clevelandfilm.org. Visit website for times and prices.

APRIL 23

Cucina Demonstration Dinner: Springtime Flavors

Watch Chef Meg Feller create culinary magic while guests enjoy a delicious tasting menu. This event is perfect for food enthusiasts looking to savor and learn in a fun, interactive experience. Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330-497-1000. gervasivineyard. com. 6 p.m. $75.

APRIL 25–26

America 250-Ohio Transportation Celebration

lehmans. com. 10 a.m.–1 p.m. $50.

Experience a two-day showcase of planes, trains and automobiles to celebrate Ohio’s rich

EXPERIENCE AMERICA’S STORY in Clermont County

Clermont County is celebrating America 250 with vibrant public murals, historic storytelling, and a new passport highlighting museums and heritage sites. From colorful artwork, to hands-on history experiences, the county is bringing America’s story to life.

Come explore, collect your stamps, and be part of this once-in-a-generation celebration in Clermont County!

transportation history in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, 400 Center St., Dennison, 740/9226776. dennisondepot.org. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.

APRIL 26

Birds and Blooms

Bird-watchers of all skill levels are invited to participate in a guided walk along the 1.4-mile Quarry Trail in search of seasonal songbirds and blooming wildflowers. Deep Lock Quarry Metro Park, 5779 Riverview Rd., Peninsula, 330/8675511. summitmetroparks.org. 9:30–11 a.m.

Northwest

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

APRIL 6

Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man

Fast-talking con man Harold Hill charms River City with a clever musical scheme, only to be transformed by his love for the local librarian in this feel-good musical comedy presented by Youtheatre. Valentine Theatre, 410 Adams St., Toledo, 419/242-2787. valentinetheatre.com. 7:30 p.m. $77–$127.

MUSIC + THEATER

APRIL 7–12

The Great Gatsby

This Tony Award-winning new musical brings F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel to the stage, telling a story of extravagance and longing in a high-energy Broadway spectacle. Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 419/381-8851. stranahantheater.com. Visit website for times and prices.

APRIL 8

Chris Thile

This Grammy Award-winning mandolinist and MacArthur Fellow presents a genre-defying solo performance that blends Bach selections, original compositions, improvisation and engaging storytelling. Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay, 419/4232787. mcpa.org. 7:30 p.m. $47–$75.

APRIL 11

Thunderbeard: A Tribute to ZZTop Thunderbeard re-creates the live ZZ Top experience with real beards, fuzzy guitars and classics like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “La Grange” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” Maumee Indoor Theatre, 601 Conant St., Maumee, 419/8978902. maumeeindoor.com. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 15

The Glenn Miller Orchestra

The iconic big band performs swing classics like “In the Mood” and “Moonlight Serenade,” bringing Glenn Miller’s timeless sound, nostalgia and dance-era energy to life on stage. Valentine Theatre, 410 Adams St., Toledo, 419/242-2787. valentinetheatre.com 7 p.m. $40–$56.

APRIL 21

Alice’s Attic with Alice Cooper

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer brings a night of

live hits to a stage show that pays tribute to Cooper’s decades-long music career. Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 419/381-8851. stranahantheater.com. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 30

The Rock Orchestra By Candlelight

This 90-minute, candlelit spectacle blends classical musicianship and metal anthems, performing music by Metallica, AC/DC, Linkin Park and more. Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 419/381-8851. stranahantheater. com. 8 p.m. $52–$104.

OTHER EVENTS

APRIL 3

Daniel Tosh: My First Farewell Tour

The comedian and host of “Tosh.0” brings his sharp stand-up routine to the stage on his 2026 North America tour. Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 419/381-8851. stranahantheater.com. 7 p.m. $57–$234.

Southeast

MUSIC + THEATER

APRIL 3

All Things Equal

This 90-minute performance invites audiences into Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s chambers, sharing the late Supreme Court justice’s resilience and compassion through vivid stories. Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 740/3715152. peoplesbanktheatre.com. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 25

Dirty Deeds: AC/DC Tribute

This tribute band honors both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras, re-creating the band’s electrifying rock sound. Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 740/772-2041. majesticchillicothe.net. 7:30 p.m. $32–$42.

Southwest festivals

APRIL 18

Darke County Wine Festival

Experience eight local wineries, shop more than 40 local vendors and enjoy plenty of food options during this one-day event. Proceeds benefit the Darke County Humane Society. Coliseum at Darke County Fairgrounds, 800 Sweitzer St., Greenville, 937/548-5158. visitdarkecounty.org. Call for times. VIP $30, general admission $25.

APRIL 18

Hug the Earth Family Festival

This Earth Day celebration features the Banana Slug String Band, as well as rock climbing, zip lining, tree climbing, archery, butterfly houses, animal encounters and more. Lost Creek Reserve, 2385 St. Rte. 41, Troy, 937/335-6273. miamicountyparks.com. Noon–5 p.m. Free.

MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS

APRIL 11–JULY 26

Beyond the Picturesque: The American Landscape as a Site of Memory, Identity, and Continuity

Painter Ayana Ross presents seven emotionally resonant figural works that reflect the quiet strength of Black life shaped by memory, culture and contemporary experience. Taft Museum of Art , 316 Pike St., Cincinnati, 513/241-0343. taftmuseum.org. Wed.–Mon. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Visit website for prices.

MUSIC + THEATER

APRIL 1

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

This hit concert experience uses film footage, projections and live music to trace the duo’s rise, performing classics like “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. 7:30 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 21–22

The Glenn Miller Orchestra

This world-famous group performs classic swing hits with a 15-member ensemble and vocalists, re-creating the original big band sound in a high-energy performance. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. 7 p.m. Visit website for prices.

APRIL 21–MAY 3

Water for Elephants

This new musical brings Sara Gruen’s novel to life. A young man joins a traveling circus, discovering love, loss and renewal in this imaginative Broadway musical. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. Visit website for show times and prices.

APRIL 24–25

Stravinsky’s Firebird

This theatrical production features larger-thanlife puppets, dancers and powerful orchestral performances. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, 513/621-2787. cincinnatiarts.org. Visit website for times and prices.

YOUR GUIDE TO MUSKINGUM COUNTY EXPERIENCES

At The Wilds, go on a safari adventure where you’ll get up close to 18 species of exotic animals and learn about their inspiring conservation mission spreading over 10,000 acres.

A visit to Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl means stepping back in time to enjoy legendary sundaes, roasted nuts, and a nostalgic experiences that keeps locals and visitors coming back.

Tour the John & Annie Glenn Museum in New Concord to explore the early life of astronaut and senator John Glenn in his preserved boyhood home.

Stop by Donald’s Donuts, voted the #1 donut shop in the U.S. by USA Today, for fresh, local favorites that more than live up to the hype.

See the World’s Largest Basket in Dresden, standing over 20 feet tall and celebrating the village’s Longaberger legacy in a larger-thanlife way.

Take the Wild About Wine Tour and explore 3 wineries, 2 breweries, and a unique self-serve tasting room with wine, beer, and spirits from across Ohio.

The Secrest Summer Concert Series brings unforgettable nights of live music in Zanesville all summer long, featuring tribute performances, food trucks, and family friendly entertainment.

Where your group chat becomes actual plans.

Connection is closer than you think.

A Spring Escape; Perfectly Poured

FARM & TABLE

Taste Tour

Haru Omakase in Columbus offers a lineup of beautifully crafted seafood dishes, with every course decided by chef Yudi Makassau and his team.

Over the years, Columbus’ Fukuryu Ramen established itself as a hip spot for Japanese dishes, eventually growing to three locations before transforming two of them into different concepts: a casual small-plate-centric spot called Izakaya Ryu and an upscale omakase joint known as Haru Omakase.

Haru is owned by Jeff and Yenny Tsao. Jeff’s family members were the final owners of Columbus’ legendary Kahiki Supper Club, which closed in 1999, so he’s familiar with dining out as an event. And Haru is just that. >>

Earth Focused : Full Circle Brewgarden features craft brews and native plants in a sustainability-minded space that welcomes visitors year-round.

TO A SPIRIT WE SHARE

FARM & TABLE

Since 2024, Haru has distinguished itself as a complex and delightful dining experience. “Omakase” translates from Japanese as “I leave it up to you,” meaning diners put themselves in the capable hands of chef Yudi Makassau and his team as they deftly craft a menu of seafood dishes throughout the evening.

Haru’s menu is structured as The Tour ($89 per person) or The Premium Tour ($145 per person) —  set menus that allow diners to sit back and enjoy a steady stream of dishes. Each tour is like an exploration of the ocean’s bounty, with everything from cuttlefish to scallops, barracuda to flounder, mackerel to eel. The Premium Tour adds in a final round that includes exquisite bites like fatty tuna and A5 Wagyu

beef. Hungry diners can also order additional bites from a chef’s specialty menu.

The key, Makassau says, is starting with quality sourcing; he works with fish you certainly won’t find in central Ohio, from blackthroat seaperch to golden red snapper to Tokujo uni, a rare Japanese sea urchin.

“I pick up my seafood at the airport every Thursday because it’s a special order from Japan,” he says. “I have about 35 different fish in the house. I source very rare fish for the premium menu.”

Dishes can be paried with curated wine and sake selections, but visitors can also order from a full a la carte beverage menu of sake, cocktails, wines, beer and Japanese whiskeys.

Diners who book seats at the chef’s counter get a front-row look at chef Makassau and his team as they carefully craft each dish, expertly slicing seafood, searing bites with a torch, squeezing out citrus, brushing on seasoning. At the counter seats, dishes are handed directly to diners from the kitchen.

“What I’m creating here is something customers have never had before,” Makassau says. “They always wonder what the next taste is going to be. I’m always saying to the customer, ‘Is everything okay? The next bite is even better.’”

— Nicholas Dekker

2027 Polaris Pkwy., Columbus 43240, 614/696-9882, haruomakase.com

PANCAKE PARADISE

Belly up to all-you-can-eat pancakes at the Geauga County Maple Festival in Chardon during the last full weekend in April.

What’s a maple festival without pancakes? When a Geauga County Maple Festival attendee asked current festival director Sara Brougher where they could find some flapjacks during the 1998 installment of the long-running event, it set in motion a new all-youcan eat pancake tent that premiered two years later.

“We jumped on that, and it was a slow go in the beginning, that’s for sure,” Brougher recalls. “But we were persistent.”

The Pancakes in the Park tradition continues today, and the 2026 Geauga County Maple Festival is set for April 23 through 26. (Pancakes are served Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Attendees can find the pancake tent in the center of the festival near the sap house. Diners pay $10 for allyou-can-eat pancakes, two fresh-offthe-griddle sausage links, coffee and juice. (Kids under 6 are welcome to eat for free with a paying adult.)

Brougher says organizers brew coffee in five 320-ounce urns and go through 300 pounds of sausage and 500 pounds of pancake mix over the course of Pancakes in the Park each year. The meal is, of course, always complemented by local maple syrup from Chardon-based Richards Maple Products. — Kelly Larson

Visit maplefestival.com for more information about the Geauga County Maple Festival.

FARM & TABLE

Earth Focused

Full Circle Brewgarden features craft brews and native plants in a sustainability-minded space that welcomes visitors year-round.

Dawn and Franz Kirchner, the owners of Full Circle Brewgarden in the north Dayton suburb of Englewood, are giving new meaning to the often misleading term “beer garden.” Since opening in September 2023, they’ve spent the last several years establishing an actual garden behind their small brewery building. The four-season garden features over 350 plant species with paths and seating areas throughout.

“Oftentimes, native plants are viewed as being weedy looking, but we want to make sure people know that’s not necessarily true,” says Dawn, who has a background in environmental science. “If you can incorporate a few native plants, it really does help add to the value of your garden.”

The Kirchners are committed to sustainability — the name Full Circle is itself a reference to reducing, reusing and recycling as a way of life — and extends to everything from composting brewing grains to the repurposed decor in their eclectic taproom. Their building was constructed in the 1950s, and the main seating area still features the original pine walls. The Kirchners didn’t want the space to feel overly curated, and to that end, the wood tables and chairs are charmingly mismatched. Most of the furniture and decorations were gifted by friends and community members.

“There’s often a little story behind the mirrors, the art, the little statues,” Dawn says. “It’s a great conversation starter, but one of our big focuses, of course, is sustainability. And that means instead of buying something new, we’re giving something a second life.”

The 14-tap beer list from head brewer Nate Pahl includes the expected IPAs, lagers, and stouts, but more unusual beers make appearances as well, such as a blueberry Belgian Dubbel, or a dark saison with orange peel and spices. Full Circle also makes its own kombuchas, shrubs and a tepache for those looking beyond beer. When possible, ingredients foraged from the garden are used in the kombucha and house-made syrups.

While the brewery doesn’t have a kitchen, it does offer packaged snacks, and food trucks set up on weekends. The taproom is family friendly, but there are no TVs, as conversation is encouraged. — David Nilsen

324 Union Blvd., Englewood 45322, facebook.com/fullcirclebrewgarden

COME CLOSER TO

Experience up-close animal encounters and explore the aquarium, museum, conservatory and more. Plan your visit today at toledozoo.org

MAIN STREET & VISITORS BUREAU

Perryville: Where History Lives

VISIT THE SITE OF A DEFINING

BATTLE

OF THE CIVIL WAR

Tucked along the rolling hills of Central Kentucky and nearby Danville, Perryville offers small-town charm with national significance. The site of one of the Civil War’s most consequential battles, this preserved battlefield and historic village tells a powerful story of strategy, sacrifice and survival — inviting visitors to step into a pivotal moment in American history.

DanvilleKentucky.com/listings/see-do/visit-perryville

Sip. Savor. Celebrate!

VINES, WINES & GOOD TIMES

Discover award-winning wineries, the Jessamine Wine + Spirits Trail and The Kentucky Wine & Vine Fest — all worth toasting and all in the heart of Central Kentucky. Sip local vintages, meet passionate wine artisans and savor scenic countryside views, where every pour tells a story and every visit feels like a celebration.

VisitJessamine.com/things-to-do

Explore Dale Hollow Lake & Lake Cumberland

YOUR STOP: ALBANY, CLINTON COUNTY, KENTUCKY

Plan your lake escape to Albany, Clinton County, Kentucky — home to some of the best waterways in the state. Enjoy fishing, boating, swimming or paddling at Dale Hollow Lake and Lake Cumberland, and marvel at Lake Cumberland’s stunning 76 Falls. Don’t miss annual events like the 127 Yard Sale (August), Rollercoaster Yard Sale (October) and Foothills Festival (October). Adventure and natural beauty await.

ClintonCoKY.com

Just 20 minutes south of Louisville, explore the James B. Beam American Outpost & Distillery, the Four Roses Bourbon Warehouse & Bottling Experience, Coxs Creek Distilling, four award-winning wineries and two craft breweries along the Bullitt County Wine, Whiskey & Ale Trail. Get a free souvenir glass when you complete the trail.

TravelBullitt.org

Frankfort: A Capital Work of Art

EXPLORE FRANKFORT’S CREATIVE PUBLIC ART SCENE

Frankfort, Kentucky, puts creativity on display with a public art scene that’s as welcoming as it is unexpected. Murals, sculptures and playful installations appear along downtown streets, river views and even tucked into nature — turning a casual stroll or scenic walk into an art-filled adventure.

VisitFrankfort.com/listings/see/arts-entertainment

Unforgettable Bluegrass Vacations

Known as the Horse Capital of the World and the epicenter of bourbon, the Bluegrass State is also a land of immense natural beauty and wide-open spaces offering plenty of places to play.

Sip centuries of tradition in the birthplace of bourbon and tour distilleries to learn how Kentucky’s signature spirit is made. Mix your own craft concoction with the help of a spirit specialist in a cocktail class. Stroll through rolling horse farms, catch a race at the track and take a trail ride through the forest to immerse yourself in serene Bluegrass beauty. Visit epic family attractions, vibrant cities and charming small towns. Enjoy the warming temps as you explore woods, waters, caves and trails, offering endless outdoor adventure. Or just find your own quiet spot, hidden waterfall or stunning overlook to sit down and soak up the soothing sights and sounds of Kentucky.

And let’s not forget the food! Savor signature Bluegrass flavors that come to life at roadside farm stands, mom-and-pop diners and hip restaurants, where talented chefs and mixologists are inspired by a bounty of fresh, local ingredients.

With so much to see, do and taste, the Bluegrass State is the perfect place for your next vacation. Find what moves you in our new Kentucky home.

KentuckyTourism.com

Visit 15 of Ohio’s oldest restaurants, where history, tradition and time-honored menu items meet.

By

Dekker,

OHIO’S RESTAU

OLDEST

RANTS

Kewpee Hamburgers

This Lima burger spot’s original downtown location offers a retro feel and the same tasty burgers and shakes it has been serving for decades.

When Scott Shutt was little, he’d go to work with his dad and watch him patty the meat and pull pies from the oven at Kewpee Hamburgers in downtown Lima. Eventually, his father, Harrison “Harry” Shutt and his wife, Myrna, bought Kewpee in 1980 from the estate of original owners Stub and June Wilson, who opened the restaurant in 1928. Today, Scott Shutt is vice president of the company, and Myrna is still involved.

Over the years, not much has changed at Kewpee, and that’s a good thing. From the art deco building to its fresh-made burgers, fries and frosted malts.

“It’s something that, when people come home to visit family in Lima, they stop at the Kewpee before they get to mom and dad’s,” Shutt says.

The downtown structure, built in 1939 on the original Lima Kewpee restaurant site, has white porcelain panels, booths and a lunch counter. The restaurant is named for Kewpie dolls, which were a pop-culture phenomenon around the time Kewpee was founded. (The name is a play on “cupid.”) The restaurant’s signature is its square hamburgers, which are made using locally sourced beef from Keystone Meats in Lima that is delivered each morning. The meat is ground and pattied in house, and its shape is a function of the machine that workers use to make the patties.

The frosted malts (a creamy take on a milkshake) and a range of fresh-baked pies are also customer favorites. Although Kewpee was founded in Flint, Michigan, it has been associated with Lima for generations. Kewpee added additional Lima locations in 1972 and 1981.

“We enjoy what we do and we appreciate our community, and hopefully we can continue this for a very long time,” Shutt says. “Lima and Kewpee are kind of connected at the hip. You think of Lima, you think of Kewpee.” 111 N. Elizabeth St., Lima 45801, 419/228-1778, kewpeehamburgers.com

The Saratoga, Warren

Est. 1916

Harry Kapouralos opened The Saratoga in downtown Warren in 1916, with Harry Economos buying the restaurant in 1935 and his brother Nick later joining the operation. These days, Chrisi and Eric Economos, Harry Economos’ grandchildren, own the place and serve many workers from the nearby Trumbull County Courthouse on weekdays and local families for dinners on Thursday and Friday nights. The restaurant still has its wooden booths dating to 1928, and the menu here spans hearty breakfast options, a large sandwich list and dinners ranging from chopped sirloin steak to Italian fare like eggplant parmesan to seafood dishes such as broiled haddock. 129 E. Market St., Warren 44481, 330/393-6646, warrensaratoga.com

White Oaks Restaurant, Westlake

Est. 1928

When White Oaks Restaurant in Westlake opened in 1928, it was a speakeasy. A night watchman’s quarters kept an eye out for police, while patrons were served alcohol imported from France, Canada and Scotland. A photo wall filled with pictures shows the long history of the place, which was originally owned by Mike Spooner. Mike’s son, Byron, sold the place to Anthony Small in 1971, and these days his son, Michael Small, is the proprietor of White Oaks Restaurant. The fine-dining spot is known for its menu featuring beef Wellington (a specialty of the restaurant for over 40 years), roasted duck and bacon-wrapped filet mignon 777 Cahoon Rd., Westlake 44145, 440/835-3090, white-oaks.com

Tony Packo’s

This Toledo institution is known for Hungarian fare, autographed hot dog buns and a cameo in one of the most popular TV shows of the 1970s.

Est. 1932

During the Great Depression, Tony Packo created the Hungarian hot dog, a kolbasz sausage sliced in half and served with chili sauce on a bun. He sold it for an affordable 5 cents, and the sandwich — a creation that didn’t exist in the old country — was a hit in Toledo.

Since 1932, people have been packing into Tony Packo’s original Front Street restaurant. (Three other Toledo-area locations have opened since.) The restaurant serves Hungarian fare from recipes that have been passed down for generations. Along with the hot dogs, favorites include chicken paprikash, hand-rolled stuffed cabbage and fried pickles.

“We’ve had employees who have worked there close to 40 years,” says Lindsey Bond, executive director of Tony Packo’s. “We build connections with our guests because we don’t have high staff turnover.”

Then there are the autographed hot dog buns. In 1972, actor Burt Reynolds started the tradition by signing a real hot dog bun, which the restaurant displayed. The switch was later made to foam hot dog buns for the sake of longevity. Today, the walls of Tony Packo’s Front Street location are filled with buns autographed by celebrities and politicians who have visited over the years.

Another name associated with Tony Packo’s is actor and Toledo native Jamie Farr. In his role as Corporal Max Klinger, Farr got Tony Packo’s Hungarian hot dogs worked into a 1976 episode of the hit television show “M*A*S*H.” The restaurant was then mentioned in several other episodes, including the series finale. 1902 Front St., Toledo 43605, 419/691-6054, tonypackos.com

Arnold’s Bar & Grill

This Cincinnati institution pairs Prohibition-era history with longstanding menu items that contribute to its mythic reputation.

Est. 1861

Cincinnati loves its bathtub lore. There’s the alleged story of the hefty Cincinnatian and our nation’s 27th President William Howard Taft getting stuck in his White House bathtub. Then there’s the tub tale at Arnold’s Bar & Grill, which has been a Cincinnati institution since 1861. The story was deemed so legendary that a bathtub now appears in the restaurant’s logo.

“After Prohibition, the Arnold family moved to the third floor and opened the second floor for dining,” says owner Chris Breeden. “There’s a bathtub in one of the rooms because they literally moved out of their bathroom, put tables in there and started serving upstairs. It’s believed gin was made in the bathtub.”

For decades, this famed bathtub has silently witnessed patrons gather for food and drinks, including Arnold Bar & Grill’s ever-popular Greek Spaghetti.

“It’s been on the menu since 1957,” Breeden adds.

The Yo Mama Burger is another customer favorite. Featured on “Man v. Food,” the burger (locally sourced from Wassler Meat) is piled high with hashbrowns, a sunny-side-up egg and goetta — a Cincinnati-area specialty made from a blend of sausage and steel-cut oats. 210 E. Eighth St., Cincinnati 45202, 513/421-6234, arnoldsbarandgrill.com

The Golden Lamb, Lebanon Est. 1803

Only one Ohio business has hosted author Charles Dickens, astronaut Neil Armstrong and a dozen U.S. presidents. When you’ve been around since 1803, you see a lot of people. The Golden Lamb in downtown Lebanon opened as both a hotel and restaurant just a few years into the 19th century and has continuously operated as such ever since. The place has even offered Thanksgiving dinner as long as there has been a Thanksgiving holiday. (Reservations fill up quickly when they open each July.) Patrons can visit the Black Horse Tavern before heading to The Golden Lamb dining room, where favorites such as The Golden Lamb Roast Turkey Dinner, Ohio Fried Chicken Dinner and shepherd’s pie, are among the timeless offerings available. 27 S. Broadway, Lebanon 45036, 513/932-5065, goldenlamb.com

Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn, Hanoverton

Est. 1837

Will Rhodes opened this spot in the Columbiana County village of Hanoverton in 1837, and although his business made it to the end of the century, the building housing it became a private residence as the 1900s arrived. After the property was sold agin in 1988, its new owners wanted to bring the Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn back to its original flickering-candle-and-fireplace glory. The building still operates as an inn with five guest rooms and a two-bedroom guesthouse, while the restaurant’s dinner menu features favorites like beef Wellington and Maryland blue crab cakes 10150 Plymouth St., Hanoverton 44423, 330/223-1583, spreadeagletavern.com

TAT Ristorante Di Famiglia, Columbus

Est. 1929

Pete Corrova named his TAT Ristorante Di Famiglia in honor of the Transcontinental Air Transport planes that flew over Columbus when the restaurant opened in 1929. Today, Pete’s grandchildren Marianne Corrova Kirkbride and Michelle Corrova continue the family’s legacy of Italian fare. Comfy booths and walls filled with photographs set the mood for a menu that includes Italian wedding and minestrone soups, a wealth of pasta dishes and a host of specialty pizzas. (TAT Ristorante is credited for introducing pizza to Columbus in 1934.) Those looking for something different should try the Special Lasagna, featuring homemade egg noodles, meat sauce and provolone cheese. 1210 S. James Rd., Columbus 43227, 614/236-1392, tatitalian.net

Sunrise Inn, Warren

Est. 1929

Open since 1929, the Sunrise Inn was one of the first spots in Warren to serve pizza after World War II. Today, owners Thomas Adair and Ken Haidaris continue the legacy of brothers Angelo and Tom Haidaris, who expanded the restaurant in the 1970s after buying it from Laura and Charlie Murgie in the 1940s. (The Murgies bought it from original owner Joe Lanza.) Today, the menu spans burgers, sandwiches, wings, flatbreads and over a dozen pizzas, including the popular Old World Pizza with red sauce, green peppers and Romano cheese. Half of the pizza menu consists of deep-dish varieties, including lasagna and spaghetti-and-meatball versions. 510 E. Market St., Warren 44481, 330/392-5176, sunriseinnofwarren.com

Bun’s Restaurant

Since the Civil War, this business in downtown Delaware has provided comfort and a warm meal in one form or another to generations of patrons.

It’s easy to find Bun’s Restaurant in downtown Delaware. Just look for the neon sign hanging from a tall black arch over West Winter Street. It points the way to a Delaware institution that has served local families in some form since 1864.

The eatery began its life during the Civil War as Hoffman’s Bakery, opened by a family of Bavarian immigrants. In 1889, it expanded to become Hoffman’s Bakery and Ice Cream, which was considered quite the delicacy back then. The full-service restaurant came along in 1922. George Hoffman, who was the founder’s grandson,

eventually took over the restaurant. George was nicknamed “Bun” after the bakery business, and as he became associated with the place, it just became known as Bun’s.

“I think he really ran with the name,” says Andy Beougher, who manages the restaurant today. “Back then, there weren’t many restaurants in Delaware. Bun’s was it.”

The Hoffman family owned Bun’s until 1991, and it has been through a series of owners since. A section of the original building was damaged by fire in 2002, and part of that structure is now the patio. The main restaurant sits in the adjacent building, but the Hoffman legacy is well-preserved.

“There’s a great-grandson of the Hoffmans and he has a huge collection of stuff,” Beougher says. “He loves coming in here and talking about it. He shows me old pictures, old menus, newspaper clippings.”

Diners flock to Bun’s for the popular burgers, the hearty meatloaf dinner, and surprisingly, liver and onions. Both the menu and Bun’s continued existence is a source of comfort to regulars.

“The menu’s changed but people associate the restaurant with comfort,” Beougher says. “They like that Bun’s is still around.” 14 W. Winter St., Delaware 43015, 740/3633731, bunsrestaurantandbar.com

Bender’s Tavern

The oldest restaurant in Canton is known for its seafood, steaks and service. Since 1932, Jon Jacob’s family has owned this classic downtown spot.

Est. 1902

Open since 1902, Bender’s Tavern is the oldest restaurant in Canton and now in its fourth generation of ownership by the Jacob family. The building itself, constructed in 1899, evokes another era with its tiled floors, marble, tiger oak wood and mahogany bar. All of it serves as a fitting backdrop for a restaurant that has made its name on tradition.

“Our guests expect consistency,” says owner Jon Jacob, whose family has operated the place since 1932. “It’s what we call the legacy-level guest experience.”

Bender’s is known for its seafood and steaks, as well as its signature menu items like Camp Kagel-style walleye pickerel. The name refers to a group of Great Lakes fisherman that included original owner Ed Bender, who would pan-saute walleye in light flour and season with pepper, salt and paprika.

After Bender’s death, his widow sold the place to fellow Camp Kagel fisherman John Jacob Sr. in 1932. The Jacob family has been steering Bender’s Tavern through the changes that come with over a century of business.

“One unique thing about a restaurant that’s been around for coming up on 125 years is all of those special occasions that people have had and shared [here] throughout the years,” Jacob says. “That’s the one thing that really sets us apart is creating those memories for our guests.” 137 Court Ave. SW, Canton 44702, 330/453-8424, benderscanton.com

The Spot, Sidney

Est. 1907

Spot Miller brought his chuckwagon to town in 1907 and parked it at Court Street and Ohio Avenue. When local officials frowned on his selling from a mobile stand, he took the wheels off and added some awnings. After going through a few owners, Ray Anderson opened the first brick-and-mortar version of The Spot in 1934, which was destroyed by fire six years later. Soon after, the building was rebuilt, and the restaurant changed ownership a few times more. Michael Jannides owned it for 23 years before selling to current co-owners Andrew Spayde and Seth Middleton in summer 2025

Today, The Spot sports a 1950s diner vibe and a menu of classics like burgers and fries, hot dogs, pie and its popular pork tenderloin sandwich. 201 South St , Sidney 45365, 937/4929181, thespottoeat.com

Guarino’s Restaurant

This restaurant is the oldest in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood, paying tribute to the traditions and tastes of founder and Sicilian immigrant Vincenzo Guarino.

Crossing the threshold of Guarino’s Restaurant feels like stepping back into the heyday of Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood, and that’s just the way owner Scott Phillips wants it. Founded by Sicilian immigrant Vincenzo Guarino in 1918, the place has seen the surrounding neighborhood change dramatically over the decades, and today, it holds the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in Cleveland.

“There were storefronts going up and down the street, and then the families would live above their stores,” Phillips says, “and the Guarinos were no different.”

Guarino’s Restaurant started as a pool hall and tavern, with Vincenzo hosting visitors in the front room and Mary serving dinner to friends and family in the back dining room. Following Vincenzo’s death in 1954, his son Sam took over the restaurant. When Sam died in 1987, his wife Marilyn became business partners with Nancy Phillips. Phillips later sold the restaurant to her son Scott, who has overseen the Cleveland institution with his own son and sister since 2011.

Guarino’s character has been carefully preserved, from the Victorian-style wallpaper in the front room to the original hanging wooden beads that once shielded the bar’s view from the street during Prohibition. The menu reflects that attention to tradition as well. Once featuring dishes like steak, lobster and snails, Phillips has pared it down to Italian favorites, with rotating weekend specials that pay homage to the restaurant’s original offerings. The bestselling item on the menu is the lasagna, which is made using a decades-old recipe. Other favorites include the chicken piccata and the brasciole, a traditional Italian dish of rolled flat steak.

“We’re not trying to be the flashy front end or flashy this and flashy that,” Phillips says. “It’s just what we are, what we’ve always been. I think people like that.” 12309 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland 44106, 216/231-3100, guarinoscleveland.com

Ye Olde Trail Tavern

Ringside Cafe

This landmark spot a few blocks from the Ohio Statehouse has a long boxing history that is celebrated in its lineup of gargantuan burgers named after the greats.

Est. 1897

Ringside Cafe holds the title of Columbus’ oldest continually operating bar and restaurant. Opened as the Board of Trade Saloon in 1897 and located just blocks away from the Ohio Statehouse, the place has gone through a variety of iterations over the years. During Prohibition, it became the Jolly Gargoyle, an art shop and tearoom.

Hand-hewn walls, German fare and nearly 200 years of history are the hallmarks of this landmark spot along Xenia Avenue in downtown Yellow Springs.

While dining at Ye Olde Trail Tavern, thou best watch thy footing; set near the tavern’s center is a lofty step dating to the mid-19th-century. When Franz Hafner purchased the original 1827 structure, he hauled his nearby home onto the lot, cut through a wall and joined the two buildings, resulting in the discrepancies in flooring.

It’s one of many quirks that tell the tale of the 199-year-old tavern, from its days at the heart of Forest Village, the former name of the town where it resides, Yellow Springs. The Hafner family owned the property until the 1960s. Since then, the restaurant has changed hands, but the hand-hewn walls of the rear dining room remain, harkening back to a time when visitors traveled many miles to sip the purported healing waters of the village’s namesake springs.

“Glen Forest Water Cure, Yellow Springs, Ohio,” an advertisement in The Jeffersonian Democrat on Aug. 10, 1860, reads. “With accommodations for 100 patients.”

The menu at Ye Olde Trail Tavern features a variety of German-inspired fare, from schnitzel to brats. The Reuben and turkey Reuben (named The Hafner and Mrs. Hafner, respectively) are longstanding favorites.

“The menu tilts German because I researched Franz Hafner and determined his family is from Baden, Germany,” says owner Christine Monroe-Beard.

After a hike through nearby Glen Helen Nature Preserve, there’s no better reward than a Hofbräu German pilsner and an order of sauerkraut balls at this spot tucked along Xenia Avenue.

“My 79-year-old mother makes the sauerkraut balls twice a week,” Monroe-Beard says. “People literally travel from other states to eat them.” 228 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs 45387, 937/767-7448, oldetrailtavern.com

“It was basically a speakeasy,” says Adrian Rosu, who has owned Ringside Cafe with his wife, Kim, since 2008.

Following Prohibition, a wrestler and boxing promoter named Al Haft bought the place and turned it into the Ringside Cafe.

“Next door they used to have prize fights,” Rosu adds. “I had an older lady tell me [that] her dad, when he was a construction worker downtown, he used to fight behind Ringside. They used to do bare knuckle fights and prize fighting.”

Today, Ringside Cafe is known for its hulking, certified-Angus-beef burgers like the Ali (three-quarter-pound burger, lettuce, tomato, sharp cheddar cheese, fried onion rings and coleslaw) and the Jack Dempsey (half-pound burger with may-

onnaise, mustard and choice of cheese). The undisputed champ is the one-and-ahalf-pound Buster Douglas (topped with blue-cheese roasted aioli and bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and coleslaw and served with a double order of house-cut fries), celebrating the Columbus boxer who defeated heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in 1990. 19 N. Pearl St., Columbus 43215, ringsidecolumbus.com

FORGOTTEN

FA M E

Ernest Ball isn’t a household name these days, but he used to be. It is estimated that the vaudeville-era star, who was born in Cleveland in 1928, penned over a thousand songs, including Irish-themed standards that are still sung each Saint Patrick’s Day. By Vince Guerrieri

It had been a busy day already for Ernest Ball when he took the stage on May 3, 1927, the last performance of a three-day engagement at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California. Ball had been a fixture on the national vaudeville circuit for more than 20 years. But the Cleveland native’s real accomplishment — if not necessarily fame — was as a songwriter. His compositions included “Love Me and the World Is Mine,” “Will You Love

Me in December as You Do in May” and “Let the Rest of the World Go By,” all standards of the era.

Ball grew up in an Irish neighborhood on Cleveland’s East Side. Although he was described as more Irish in spirit than by blood, he carved out a niche writing about the Emerald Isle with songs like “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” “A Little Bit of Heaven” and “Mother Machree.”

The day of that last Yost Theater show, Ball appeared at a Rotary Club luncheon, but illness prevented him from singing there. He then canceled an interview with a local reporter. Few had any idea how sick he really was.

That morning, Ball had seen Dr. M.W. Hollingsworth, who told him he was under too much strain. “You must quit now,” Hollingsworth said. “Now! Or there can be but one result.”

“You know doctor,” Ball replied, “I have six men in my company who are depending on me. I can’t desert them. I’ll have to take the risk.”

Ball took to the stage for an afternoon performance, even singing a song. An evening show was added as a benefit for victims of that spring’s Mississippi flood, but Ball could only play the piano. He stepped off the stage around 9:30 p.m., and autographed a photo for Bartley Sims, the theater’s organist. While removing his stage makeup and costume, he crumpled to the floor, dead of a heart attack.

Tributes poured in from across the country. “Ernest Ball, dead in California, touched the heart of the world with his songs,” wrote the Albany Evening News. “Whoever can do that has written his own epitaph.”

“Of all the popular minstrels our country has produced, Ernest R. Ball, who has just died, was probably the greatest,” proclaimed the New York World

And while Ball’s songs live on, particularly around Saint Patrick’s Day, when everyone’s a little Irish, the man himself has been largely forgotten.

“Although his songs sold beyond ten millions,” wrote Robert A. Simon and James Thurber for the May 7, 1927, issue of The New Yorker, “the ablest ballad writer of his time was scarcely known outside his profession.”

Ball was an avid sandlot baseball player, facing off against future pros like Jim Delahanty, Tommy Leach and Bill Bradley, while Nannie Ball made sure her son received a classical music education at the Cleveland Conservatory of Music. He was eventually practicing up to eight hours a day and became proficient enough to begin giving lessons as a teen. Ultimately, he chose music over baseball — less chance of breaking fingers — even dropping out of Central High School at the age of 15 to devote all his time to his craft.

As a young man, Ball set out for New York City. He found a job playing piano in a department store and later with M. Witmark & Sons, a company that was instrumental in the formation of Tin Pan Alley, a block in Manhattan that became the nexus for songwriting in America. Ball worked for Witmark as a “song plugger,” sitting at an upright piano in the company’s office, playing samples of the music composed there. Ball’s skill at the piano was the start of a relationship with the company that lasted for the rest of his life.

While at Witmark, Ball crossed paths with Jimmy Walker, a law school student who aspired to be a vaudeville star. One day in 1905, Walker — who went on to pass the bar and serve as a New York Assemblyman from 1925 to 1832, before resigning due to allegations of corruption — shared a line that Ball couldn’t get out of his head: Will you love me in December as you do in May?

“Everybody around the shop had a lot of respect for him as a musician, but the boys didn’t somehow figure he could put over the popular stuff,” Walker recalled in a 1925 inter-

“Ball had no competitor as a ballad writer, and it is not likely that he will have a successor. Nor does he need one.”

Ernest R. Ball was born July 22, 1878, in his family’s home at 163 Sterling St. in Cleveland. (Following Cleveland’s street renaming in 1906, the family home was at 1541 E. 30th St.) He was the only child of Ernest and Anna (known as Nannie) Ball. His father died when he was a year old, leaving his mother to raise her son alone.

view with the Literary Digest as he was running for mayor. “I had a different idea about him.”

“I wrote the line on a piece of paper and chucked it in front of him. I said, ‘Ernie, how would you like to do a tune to a lyric with that as a refrain?’ He said, ‘Jim, you’re the first songwriter to come to me and ask me a thing like that. Let me have it.’”

It was Ball’s first big hit, and it established the collaborative relationship he’d become known for, working with lyricists to blend music and words.

“He saw every song as a unit,” recalled George Graff Jr., who had worked with Ball on many songs, including “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” “Of the many composers and publishers with whom I worked no one else recognized the merits and demerits of a lyric as he did.”

Ball’s productivity exploded and he penned dozens of songs. In 1910, he wrote “Mother Machree,” inspired in no small part by his own close relationship with his mother. In 1912 came “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” “A Little Bit of Heaven” debuted in 1914, and “Let the Rest of the World Go By” arrived in 1919. By 1923, it was estimated that Ball had written more than 1,000 songs, for which he’d made thousands of dollars in royalties, on top of his touring fees.

“I expect to be writing songs when I’m 135 years old,” he said at 35, in 1913.

But his career and life were cut short before he even reached the age of 50. New York services were held at Campbell’s Funeral Church and the city’s Masonic Temple. Walker, who was by then mayor of New York, was named an honorary pallbearer. Irving Berlin, one of Ball’s contemporaries as a songwriter, wept during the service.

Ball’s remains were taken back to his hometown, where he was buried in Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery, where oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, President James A. Garfield and other famous names are also interred.

Although Ball had been consulting on movies based on his songs during the 1920s, he died five months before the debut of “The Jazz Singer,” the first film with a synchronized music and vocal track. By that time, movies were already starting to compete with vaudeville, but the medium had supplanted the live stage circuit, where Ball was most famous, by the 1930s.

Even after his death, movies reflected Ball’s influence. In 1928, “Mother Machree” debuted and was notable for being one of the early works of director John Ford. It featured a

brief early appearance by John Wayne, who was hired for the movie to herd geese.

Ball himself got the cinematic treatment, portrayed by crooner Dick Haymes in a 1944 movie called “Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” The movie, produced by Damon Runyon, was not necessarily an accurate portrayal of the events of Ball’s life, but it premiered at the Hippodrome in his hometown, and local critics delighted in its portrayal of late-19th-century Cleveland. (In 1957, Ball’s former songwriting partner, Jimmy Walker, got his own biopic, “Beau James,” starring another Clevelander, Bob Hope, in a rare dramatic role.)

Ernest Ball is one of a long list of performers who achieved incredible popularity in his day only to be forgotten as the years roll by. But as long as Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated, people will be singing Ernest Ball’s songs.

“Ball had no competitor as a ballad writer,” Simon and Thurber wrote in their New Yorker tribute, “and it is not likely that he will have a successor. Nor does he need one.”

A STATE

In celebration of Ohio Statehood Day on March 1, we share six places, artifacts and landmarks that illuminate history and help us see our shared heritage in new ways.

By James Bigley II

TAKES SHAPE

William McKinley Monument

This statue standing outside the Ohio Statehouse was unveiled five years after the former Ohio governor’s 1901 assassination.

On the west side of the Ohio Statehouse, you’ll find a towering statue of William McKinley, papers in hand, flanked by figures representing industry, peace and prosperity. Unveiled in 1906, the monument honors the 25th president and former Ohio governor, and it was erected as a response to his 1901 assassination.

The day before McKinley was shot at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, he delivered his final public speech, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to expand its overseas markets and build on the prosperity it had achieved at home. The address marked a shift in McKinley’s trade policy, moving beyond rigid tariffs toward reciprocal trade agreements that would open foreign markets to American goods. Having ended the Spanish-American War (which brought Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines into the fold and secured the annexation of Hawaii), McKinley outlined a new vision in the speech. Excerpts from McKinley’s final speech are inscribed on the Ohio Statehouse monument.

One reads, “Let us ever remember that our interest is in concord, not conflict, and that our real eminence rests in the victories of peace, not those of war.” The Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus 43215, ohiostatehouse.org

The Wright Flyer III

Following Orville and Wilbur Wright’s early flying machines, the brothers’ 1905 aircraft was the world’s first practical airplane. See it at Dayton’s Carillon Historical Park.

The Wright Flyer III is the official airplane of the state of Ohio and the most important aircraft Wilbur and Orville Wright ever created. They flew it for the first time at Dayton’s Huffman Prairie on June 23, 1905, and then redesigned the flyer after crashing it a few weeks later. Those changes led to their longest flight on Oct. 5 of that year, covering 24.2 miles in 39 minutes and 23 seconds before running out of fuel and making a safe landing.

“The Wright Flyer III marked the completion of their research

and development,” says Brady Kress, president and CEO of Carillon Historical Park in Dayton where the aircraft is on display. “They really perfected practical flight here in Dayton with the 1905 model.”

Compared to the original 1903 flyer housed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Wright Flyer III has improved stability. It also has separate controls for pitch, yaw and roll — the three axes of flight.

“They tried to be secretive about their flight experiments by painting the frame silver so that anybody driving by would think the plane was made out of metal,” Kress says, adding the frame is made almost entirely out of spruce and white ash and covered in fabric. 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton 45409, 937/293-2841, daytonhistory.org

The Rufus Putnam House

Step inside the former home of Gen. Rufus Putnam, who led The Ohio Company of Associates to establish the city of Marietta and open the Northwest Territory to settlement.

The Rufus Putnam House remains from Ohio’s earliest days as part of the Northwest Territory. The structure was part of a stockade constructed by the Ohio Company of Associates led by Gen. Rufus Putnam. When the stockade was dismantled in 1795 following the Northwest Indian War, Putnam stayed in Marietta and used the remaining lumber from an adjacent blockhouse to double the size of his home for his growing family.

Since 1931, the Rufus Putnam House has been preserved in its original location and now resides within the Campus Martius Museum. During daily guided tours, visitors can learn about the home and view a model of the original stockade before stepping inside the place where Putnam and his family resided.

“As soon as you open that door, you’re in 1788,” says executive director Erin Augenstein. “Once the sun goes down, we need a lantern to see anything.”

Notable points of the tour include a brick beehive oven where Putnam’s second wife, Persis, baked bread. Artifacts are scattered throughout the home, including a corner cupboard on the first floor believed to be the oldest known piece of Ohio-made furniture. 601 Second St., Marietta 45750, 740/373-3750, mariettamuseums.org

Cutler Hall at Ohio University

This historic building at our state’s oldest public university honors Manasseh Cutler, an early Ohio settler who championed religious freedom, abolition and education.

Manasseh Cutler, a leader in the Ohio Company of Associates, helped carve out the Northwest Territory while pushing for protections of religious freedom, the prohibition of slavery and the establishment of higher education. Cutler’s influence led to the creation of Ohio University in 1804, making it the oldest public university in the state.

The first classes were held in the two-room, two-story Athens Academy building in 1808 under the leadership of

Rev. Jacob Lindley. Back then, the university functioned as a college-preparatory school focused on subjects like math, grammar, Latin and Greek. Thomas Ewing — the first of two graduates in 1815 — went on to be elected twice as a U.S. senator, eventually serving as a personal advisor to Andrew Johnson during the Civil War.

It wasn’t until 1819, when the College Edifice opened on the college green, that classes were offered as part of a fouryear university program. In 1914, the College Edifice was renamed Cutler Hall to honor the university’s founder. Today, Cutler Hall serves as an administrative building for the offices of the president, provost and other senior leaders. Nearby, a sundial marks the spot where the original Athens Academy once stood. 37 University Terrace, Athens 45701, ohio.edu

The View from the Adena Mansion

The former estate of Father of Ohio Statehood Thomas Worthington inspired the vista immortalized in the Great Seal of the State of Ohio.

Chillicothe’s Adena Mansion was once the hilltop home of Thomas Worthington, Ohio’s sixth governor and first U.S. senator. It was there that the Father of Ohio Statehood helped draft the 1802 constitution that secured our state as the 17th in the nation. It’s also the place that inspired the view depicted on the Great Seal of the State of Ohio.

After an all-night party in 1803, Worthington took Ohio’s first

Lock 38 on the Ohio & Erie Canal

The canal era reshaped the United States. Cuyahoga Valley National Park shares that history with today’s visitors at its Canal Exploration Center.

When the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, it allowed for goods from the East Coast to travel through the Great Lakes. Ohioans broke ground on the Ohio & Erie Canal the summer of that same year and had connected Cleveland to Portsmouth by 1832.

“The Ohio & Erie Canal became a waterway into the interior of the United States,” says Rebecca Jones, interpretive park ranger at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “Immediately, people started shipping out grain, timber and raw goods. In return, manufactured goods start coming in like furniture, coffee, tea, chocolate, spices and cheap cottons from the mills in the East.”

Lock 38 is a remnant of this bygone river highway. Located just outside the Canal Exploration Center in Valley View, it’s one of 44 locks that were once used to help boats navigate the 395-foot elevation difference between Akron and Cleveland. On weekends during June, July and August, volunteers demonstrate how the lock controls the rise and fall of water.

secretary of state, William Creighton, up to a flat spot on the roof. From there, they sat and watched the sun rise over farm fields, the Scioto River and Mount Logan in the distance. The view inspired Creighton to create a sketch that was then used in every iteration of our state seal, including the most recent version, modified in 1996.

Today, visitors can take in the view from an overlook on the north lawn and see the ladder Worthington used to climb up to the roof. On March 1, Adena Mansion & Gardens staff members give an annual on-site talk about the Great Seal and its origins. 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe 45601, 740/772-1500, ohiohistory.org

“Most other locks disintegrated into ruins,” Jones says, “but this one is one of the last functioning locks on the Ohio & Erie Canal.” 7104 Canal Rd., Valley View 44125, 440/717-3825, nps.gov/cuva

Car Show

April 25 & 26 10am-5pm Dennison, Ohio FREE Family Fun

Planes

Vintage & Military Aircraft Flyovers: 1:30pm-2:15pm each day

The Goodyear Blimp on Sunday

Trains

Signature 250 Buckeye Train Engine No. 19 from Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum

Automobiles

Timeline Car Show

WWII Military Vehicles and Living History

Activities

Food Trucks & Vendors

Victory Pass Sampler Ticket

Kids Activities & Display Booths

Special Veteran Recognition

National Historic Landmark Museum

2 Museum Gift Shops

WWII Poster Mural Walking Tour

3 Transportation Art Shows

Victory Garden

Celebrate America’s 250 th

April

Buckeye Train; Transportation Celebration

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Trumpet in the Land Amphitheater

May

Revolution on the Tuscarawas

Fort Laurens

Strawberry Train Ride

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

June

Warther Fest

Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens

Victory on the Homefront

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

Warfront on the Homefront

Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum

July

Orchestra and Vane Scott Event, Picnic, & Lego Contest

Performing Arts Center at KSU Tuscarawas

Akron Symphonic Winds

Village of Dennison

July Continued

50th Anniversary Celebration & Homecoming Picnic

J E Reeves Victorian Home Museum

Statewide Picnic & Entertainment

Trumpet in the Land Amphitheater

Homecoming Picnic

Historic Zoar Village

August

Changing of the Guards Sons of the American Revolution

Fort Laurens

Community Picnic and America 250 Celebration

Schoenbrunn Village

September

Zoar Stars & Ohio Muffins Vintage

Baseball Game

Historic Zoar Village

America 250-Ohio Goes to the Movies Film

Fest Train Rides

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

October

Moccasin Roast Dinner

Fort Laurens

The Woman Behind the Lens Frances Benjamin Johnston and the

the Lens

The Woman Behind the Lens Frances Benjamin Johnston

The Woman Behind the Lens Frances Benjamin Johnston and

The Woman Behind the Lens Frances Benjamin Johnston and

The Woman Behind the Lens Frances Benjamin Johnston

Benjamin Johnston

The Woman Behind the Lens Frances Benjamin Johnston and

The Woman Behind the Lens

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

Frances Benjamin Johnston was a pioneer female photojournalist in the 1890s. Her photograph of President William McKinley giving his final speech before he was assassinated was the inspiration for a statue at the McKinley National Memorial, the President’s final resting place, in Canton, Ohio.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

In addition to photographing Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, Johnston documented Southern architecture, historic gardens, and African American and Native American students. She was also in demand as a portrait artist for Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and more. This exhibition will explore her work across these genres through photographs from the Museum’s collection, plus images on loan from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress.

William McKinley’s last speech, 1901

McKinley’s last speech, 1901

William McKinley’s last speech, 1901

Ida McKinley in her inaugural gown, 1897

Ida McKinley in her inaugural gown, 1897

Ida McKinley in her inaugural gown, 1897

son

Teddy Roosevelt’s son Quentin with Roswell Pinckney, son of White House steward Henry Pinckney, 1902

Teddy Roosevelt’s son Quentin with Roswell Pinckney, son of White House steward Henry

1902

son of White House steward Henry Pinckney, 1902

1902

Teddy

Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter Alice, 1902

Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter Alice, 1902

daughter Alice, 1902

daughter Alice, 1902

Frances Benjamin Johnston with her camera, c1935

Frances Benjamin Johnston with her camera, c1935

Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter Alice, 1902

Frances Benjamin Johnston with her camera, c1935

Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter Alice, 1902 Frances Benjamin Johnston with her camera, c1935

www.McKinleyMuseum.org

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum

Scan the QR code to start your journey!

COLUMBUS

From a museum showcasing the interactive exhibits of tomorrow to a new downtown fashion destination, here are four reasons to visit our capital city this season. By Jason Brill

COLUMBUS

Prototype: The Experimental Museum

This attraction near downtown arrived in 2025, inviting visitors to experience and evaluate the cutting-edge exhibits within.

Those looking to branch out from the typical museum experience can now do so in our capital city at Prototype: The Experimental Museum. Roto, a Columbus-based firm that designs exhibits for museums, attractions and aquariums across the United States, opened the destination in 2025. The 30,000-square-foot space located at Scioto Audubon Metropark, just southwest of downtown, takes visitors through interactive experiences that encourages them to push the boundaries of their own imaginations.

The first exhibit visitors encounter at Prototype features intricate lighting elements, using thin LED strips to make it seem as if light particles are drifting through the air and into an hourglass-shaped structure. A hand crank lets visitors control the direction the lights travel along the LED strips, creating the illusion of movement.

“The experiment is twofold,” says Joseph Wisne, founder and chief creative officer of Roto. “[Determining] how well will the illusion work on the public — meaning how long will they keep turning the crank — and how good can we get at making this effect work in another space.”

Other exhibits include an immersive experience that invites visitors to hug a mannequin, which then analyzes the hug and adjusts the room’s animation to match using lights and music. Another exhibit involves building and racing a 3D digital caterpillar.

The ages 16-and-older museum offers stops throughout where visitors are invited to leave feedback on the various exhibits and experiences. A visit to the museum ends at a bar, where patrons can order cocktails themed around the exhibits.

Prototype showcases cutting-edge museum exhibits. COSI offers interactive experiences for all ages (below).

“We want people to feel like they didn’t just visit, but they actually came in and got to participate in this large-scale experimental project and walk away with something to remember,” Wisne says, “something that sort of tickles their intellect or emotions.”

540 Maier Place, Columbus 43215, 614/7635455, prototype.org

This Year at COSI

The Center of Science and Industry delves into the world of mythical creatures and has new exhibits and upgrades for 2026.

Over the last few years, COSI’s special exhibits have taken visitors on incredible journeys, from an exploration of King Tutankhamen’s tomb to an interactive glimpse at the Marvel Cinematic Universe to trips that journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars.

Through its ongoing partnership with the American Museum of Natural History, COSI unveiled its most recent special exhibit Feb. 7. “Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids: Mythic Creatures” lets visitors get up close and personal with creatures popularized in series like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.

Wrapping up May 25, “The Science Behind Pixar” similarly uses pop culture to teach visitors about the science behind movies such as “Toy Story” and “Ratatouille,”

S/WING

Whittingham and Muirfield Drive Coming May 2026!

Public art connecting history, nature, and community.

Perched on a scenic knoll near the renowned Muirfield Village Golf Club, “S/WING” captures the graceful power of movement— where the rhythm of a bird’s wings meets the timeless form of the golf swing. Inspired by Jack Nicklaus’s legendary swing and the countless swings that have shaped the course since 1974, the sculpture honors both tradition and the future of the game.

Created by Hispanic-American artist, sculptor, and architectural designer Ivan Depeña, S/WING draws on the symbolism of birds in Shawnee, Wyandot, and Irish-Celtic traditions in which they represent guidance, transition, and connection.

The newest addition to the Dublin Art in Public Places Program, S/WING creates a place for reflection, inspiration, and connection.

For more information visit dublinarts.org/swing

COLUMBUS

National Quilt

featuring interactive experiences such as character animation and showcasing the technology behind making animated films.

“We love the hands-on experience,” says Josh Sarver, chief experience officer at COSI. “That’s what COSI is all about — finding hands-on activities that really engage you and really bring the science to life in a tangible way.”

The museum has a slate of new experiences being added to its permanent exhibits as well. A new augmented reality experience called Verse opened in early February and lets visitors explore one of what will ultimately be six interactive, narrative-driven stories. The museum’s motion simulator has also received some upgrades, with the addition of a virtual-reality headset that will give visitors a three-dimensional look at the time of the dinosaurs and what it might be like to live among the great apes of Africa.

COSI has also collaborated with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on two new exhibits. The first is a hallway experience featuring a projection of a dunkleosteus, an ancient fish that lived in the prehistoric oceans that used to cover Ohio millions of years ago. The second is a wetlands area in the Ocean exhibit (opens April 3) that teaches visitors about their own impact on Ohio’s natural environment.

“Science can’t be static. It can’t be something you just put in a book,” Sarver says. “As we learn things, as we have new technology, we can apply that to a better understanding of the world around us.” 333 W. Broad St., Columbus 43215, 614/2282674, cosi.org

COLUMBUS

North Market Milestone

The city’s historic market celebrates its sesquicentennial with an 18,000-square-foot expansion that is part of the new 32-story Merchant Building.

When North Market opened in 1876, Columbus was home to four public markets that provided residents a place to shop for groceries decades before the first supermarkets opened. And while the neighborhood where North Market is located today is considered part of the city’s downtown, it wasn’t always that way.

“We were the far north side of Columbus,” says North Market executive director and CEO Rick Harrison Wolfe. “People were traveling on foot or horses at the time.”

North Market has gone through a few different iterations over the years. The original building burned down in 1948 and was replaced by a Quonset hut before the current structure was built on an adjacent lot in 1995. Today, it’s the lone survivor of Columbus’ four original public markets and celebrates its sesquicentennial with an 18,000-square-foot expansion that is part of the new 32-story Merchant Building set to open later in 2026. The extra space will allow the market to add more vendors, while the planned hotel and apartments in the tower will bring more life to the area.

“We’re basically going to have our own little city,” Wolfe says. “This is the next iteration of the market.”

In the meantime, the market is still a great place to shop and explore. Visitors can browse specialty cheeses from Black Radish Creamery and buy fresh produce

North Market hosts local food vendors and purveyors in a historic venue. The Loom offers creative classes and fashion exhibits (below).

from Mini-Super. They can also slow down and grab a bite of Somali cuisine at Hoyo’s Kitchen or check out the pastries and bread at the new Littleton’s Market Bakery.

“Black Radish is my personal favorite because I love cheese,” Wolfe says of the creamery. “But I’m very proud of all those businesses. They’re mostly owner-operated, so you’re talking to an owner or you’re talking to someone in the family behind the counter.” 59 Spruce St., Columbus 43215, 614/463-9664, northmarket.org

The Loom

Columbus has long been a fashion-focused place thanks to the presence of companies like Limited Brands and Abercrombie & Fitch. The Loom celebrates that fact.

While education, health care and government remain some of the biggest industries in Columbus, founder of the

Columbus Fashion Alliance Yohannan Terrell says that fashion and retail are also in the top five due to companies such as Limited Brands and Abercrombie & Fitch.

“This is a cultural pillar in our region that we can invest into and create new pathways for students, new job opportunities for local residents, new opportunities for entrepreneurs and help retailers acquire talent,” he says of the industry.

This spring, Terrell and the Columbus Fashion Alliance are opening the Loom, a 42,000-square-foot former Columbus College of Art & Design building that will house a cafe, design and production labs, photo and styling studios, co-working space and more.

“You can come to the Loom and tap in lightly by taking a pillow-sewing class, or maybe you’re a student interested in fashion and you come join our Future Fashion program,” Terrell says.

The Loom’s event space will serve as a place to host fashion shows or talks with designers. The gallery plans to host exhibits from fashion brands, other museums and creative partners in the city. The Loom plans to eventually house a marketplace, where visitors can buy pieces from local designers, while the cafe will offer fashion books to peruse.

“Fashion is an industry that everybody participates in; everybody gets up and gets dressed in the morning,” Terrell says. “People will travel for experiences around fashion. It can be a huge economic driver for any city that has that as a part of their culture.” 161 N. Grant Ave., Columbus 43215, columbusfashion.org

AMISH COUNTRY

This part of Ohio celebrates food made with craft and care. Here is where to pick up cheeses, meats and baked goods prepared using time-honored recipes and practices. By Maggie Amacher

AMISH COUNTRY

CHEESES

Bunker Hill Cheese

Bunker Hill Cheese has been in Holmes County since 1935, building its reputation on steady, traditional cheesemaking. The cheese factory traces its roots to Swiss cheesemaker John Dauwalder, whose techniques are still used in production today.

Jonathan Alvarado, president of Bunker Hill Cheese, took over the business in October 2024. Since then, he says the focus has been on preserving what longtime customers expect while investing thoughtfully in the future.

“Over the years, we’ve always stayed true to the basics,” Alvarado says. “It’s artisanal style, local milk, quality.”

Those basics include working closely with local milk providers, including farms that supply non-GMO and A2 milk. Alvarado says the quality of that milk is essential to the final product. Visitors returning to the store will notice recent updates to the retail space, which has long been known as Heini’s Cheese Chalet. Renovations completed in early 2026 included new flooring, refreshed walls and a brighter look near the entrance and registers. While the space has been updated and the inventory expanded, Alvarado says the goal is not to erase the past. Longtime traditions like cheese samples remain today.

“I met with so many ex-employees that cherish this because they were coming here since they were small kids, and now they bring their grandkids,” Alvarado says. “We

respect the past, and we understand the importance of the store and this community, and we just want to continue to make it better.” 6005 County Rd., Millersburg 44654, 330/893-2131, bunkerhillcheese.com

Pearl Valley Cheese

A beloved family-owned business in the Coshocton County community of Fresno, Pearl Valley Cheese has been making award-winning Swiss cheese since 1928. Four generations of the Ellis and Stadler families have kept the tradition alive, now producing 14 varieties of cheese, from clas-

AMISH COUNTRY

sic Swiss and Emmentaler to marble, colby, cheddar and a lineup of smoked cheeses. Known for a tradition of craftmanship that prioritizes quality over quantity, Pearl Valley serves both small local distributors and national brands, often under private labels. Visitors can sample cheeses in the onsite retail store, take a cheese-factory tour on Wednesdays, watch the cheesemaking process Monday through Saturday and participate in fundraiser programs supporting schools and community groups. 54760 Township Rd. 90, Fresno 43824, 740/5456002, pearlvalleycheese.com

Guggisberg Cheese

Guggisberg Cheese is known as the birthplace of Baby Swiss, a variety invented at its factory in Charm that remains its signature product today. The distinct flavor of Guggisberg’s cheeses is shaped by its location in the Doughty Valley, where mineral-rich soil enriches the grass cows eat and, in turn, the milk used in production. While Baby Swiss anchors the lineup, the cheesemaker produces eight varieties in all, most of them Swiss based. One of the newest, Ziller, a slightly sweet crossover between premium Swiss and Baby Swiss, has earned national recognition, including a first-place win at the 2025 United States Championship

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Make plans now for your spring getaway and experience all that Berlin has to offer.

AMISH COUNTRY

Cheese Contest. The company also works closely with local dairy farmers to maintain consistent standards for milk quality and animal care. 5060 St. Rte. 557, Millersburg 44654, 440/893-2500, babyswiss.com

MEATS

Troyer’s Trail Bologna

For more than a century, Troyer’s Trail Bologna has been a favorite that combines

family tradition with a focus on quality ingredients. Founded in 1912 by Michael Troyer, the business remains in the hands of a a fourth-generation, Kevin Troyer, who continues producing the signature all-beef bologna using the same secret family recipe.

“It’s a product I believe in,” Troyer says. “We try to buy the best quality products and the best quality meat to go into our products.”

Trail bologna has deep roots in the region, originally made as a durable food that could be packed and eaten throughout the day. That history still shapes Troyer’s approach, as the company produces only 100% pure beef bologna using carefully sourced spices and U.S.-raised meat.

“Pretty much, I’ve been here for 40some years, and it hasn’t changed in 40some years,” Troyer says.

Visitors to the factory store find more than just bologna. Shelves are also stocked with Amish-made noodles, jams, jellies and other regional products. Troyer’s Trail Bologna is available in different varieties, including original, cheddar and hot pepper. While the original remains the customer favorite, Troyer says the cheddar and hot pepper versions are popular as well. The bologna is sold in traditional rings and sandwich-size styles, making it an easy option for sandwiches, snacks and family meals.

“I’m blessed with good employees,” Troyer says. “I appreciate each and every

AMISH COUNTRY

one of them.” 6552 St. Rte. 515, Dundee 44624, 330/893-2424, troyerstrail.com

Wholesome Valley Farm

Wholesome Valley Farm in Holmes County, not far from the village of Wilmot, offers a unique experience in that its small, onsite store runs on the honor system, with customers leaving their payment or credit card slip in a lockbox. Open daily, the farm store stocks beef, pork, chicken and turkey that were raised roaming fields and woods rather than confined to pens. The shop also sells eggs, milk and pantry staples like honey, syrup and house-made canned goods. An on-site bakery turns out English muffins and other products that are kept simple and natural, with no preservatives or shortcuts. 927 U.S. Route 62, Wilmot 44689, wholesomevalleyfarms.com

3D Meats

Customers visit this spot in the Wayne County village of Dalton to stock up on steaks, pulled pork and hearty family meat bundles. (There is also a location in Massillon.) Others visit to fill their freezer with

likely to find at the local super market. 14740 Lincoln Way E., Dalton 44618, 330/985-0311, 3-dmeats.com

quarter, half or whole steers and hogs. From the retail store to the custom process facility, 3D Meats is where the service of the family butcher shop meets farm-to-table freshness. Everything is produced in house with products cut, smoked and packaged on-site. Regulars stop by weekly, while others have

SWEETS

Dutch Valley Bakery

Nestled along a stretch of old Route 39 in Sugarcreek, Dutch Valley Bakery offers many sweet reasons to make a stop at Der

Discover the Unexpected

SHOPPING OHIO AMISH COUNTRY

Heini’s Cheese

Keim Home

Heini’s Cheese

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Heini’s Cheese

Heini’s Cheese

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Heini’s Cheese

Heini’s

Keim Home

Keim Home

Keim Home

Keim Home

Heini’s Cheese

Heini’s Cheese

Cheese

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Keim Home

Keim Home

Keim Home

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with in the heart of

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Planning a trip to Amish Country?

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of

Planning a trip to Amish Country? Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Planning a trip to Amish Country? Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of

Planning a trip to Amish Country? Make Heini’s Cheese Chalet a must-stop! Family-owned and rooted in tradition, we’re excited to welcome you with our famous cheese samples now back and better than ever. Taste favorites like Raw Milk Cheddar, Baby Swiss, and more, all crafted with care in the heart of Holmes County, Ohio. bunkerhillcheese.com

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big or small, and learn more at keimhome.com.

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big or small, and learn more at keimhome.com.

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big or small, and learn more at keimhome.com.

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big or small, and learn more at keimhome.com.

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big or small, and learn more at keimhome.com.

Keim Home Center in Charm, OH is your destination for home, building, and woodworking. For over 100 years, Keim has been a trusted source for quality lumber, millwork, building materials, and more. Visit us to plan your next project, big

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

Dutch Valley Gifts

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Dutch Valley Gifts

Dutch Valley Gifts

Dutch Valley Gifts

Dutch Valley Gifts

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday walk through the door.

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Dutch Valley Gifts

Dutch Valley Gifts

Dutch Valley Gifts

Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Three floors of Christmas wonderland await you at Ohio’s largest year-round Christmas shop. Experience dazzling lights, festive music, and over 70 professionally decorated trees on display. Spectacular seasonal scenes will put you in the holiday spirit the moment you walk through the door. Open Monday–Saturday, 10–5. TisTheSeasonChristmas.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Character abounds in this old barn-turned gift shop and boutique, where every corner feels inspirational, ever-changing, and filled with beautiful things. Discover handcrafted décor from farmhouse to contemporary, along with boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Dutch Valley Gifts brings charm to every room and wardrobe. DutchValleyGifts.com

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee in a welcoming atmosphere. sheiyahmarket.com

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee in a welcoming atmosphere. sheiyahmarket.com

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee in a welcoming atmosphere. sheiyahmarket.com

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee in a welcoming atmosphere. sheiyahmarket.com

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee in a welcoming atmosphere. sheiyahmarket.com

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee

Sheiyah Market is a unique Amish country destination featuring four specialty experiences in one charming location. Country Gatherings and The Village Gift Barn offer curated home décor and gifts, Sheiyah Style Boutique features stylish clothing and accessories, The Gardens is a full-service garden center, and Buggy Brew Coffee Co. serves handcrafted coffee

Village Toy Shop

Village Toy Shop

Village Toy Shop

Village Toy Shop

Village Toy Shop

Village Toy Shop

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Village Toy Shop

Village Toy Shop

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Step into The Village Toy Shop in Historic Downtown Millersburg and rediscover playtime magic. From classic toys to creative treasures, every shelf sparks imagination and nostalgia. Whether you’re shopping for a gift or reliving childhood joy, this charming stop brings smiles to all ages all season long. facebook.com/VillageToyShop1

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops.

Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures.

Ohio Amish Country invites shoppers to slow down and savor the journey. Wander scenic backroads dotted with artisan workshops, farm stands, and u-pick flower fields, then explore charming villages filled with locally owned shops. Discover hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, pottery, quilts, and beautiful decor shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Antique malls and specialty boutiques offer one-of-akind treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Along the way, stop for a taste of tradition with an Amish inspired meal, locally made cheeses, fresh baked bread, fry pies, and sweet treats still warm from the oven. Here, shopping isn’t hurried; it’s an experience rooted in heritage, hospitality, and simple pleasures. visitamishcountry.com/shopping

visitamishcountry.com/shopping

AMISH COUNTRY

Dutchman’s campus in Tuscarawas Coun ty, which is also home to the Carlisle Inn Sugarcreek, Ohio Star Theater, Dutch Valley Gifts, Dutch Valley Market and Dutch Val ley Restaurant.

The bakery is connected to the restaurant and makes for a perfect post-meal stop. It offers a large selection of traditional home made treats from cookies and cakes to fry pies and pastries, all made using traditional recipes. The bakery is particularly known for its pies that include flavors such as Dutch apple and chocolate peanut butter.

“We have a large variety of home-baked

Visitors can take in a hearty meal — the Barn Raising Buffet that offers a chance to sample a little of anything you want is a favorite here — before picking up pastries for home, shopping for gifts and taking in one of the shows regularly scheduled at the Ohio Star Theater. 1343 Old Rte. 39 NE, Sugarcreek 44681, 330/852-4627, dhgroup.com

Miller’s Bakery

Located a few twists and turns off state Route 39 and worth the detour, Miller’s Bakery has been serving Holmes County since 1967. Now run by the third generation of its founding family, the bakery is known for its cheese tarts made from a family recipe created decades ago. Holmes County travelers also stop in for the

Amish Door Bakery

Amish Door Village in Stark County spans a restaurant, inn, market and event center, as well as a bakery filled with classic Amish-style desserts. The offerings here are rooted in traditional recipes, from cream sticks to hulking apples fritters great for sharing. Most of the items at Amish Door Bakery are made from scratch on-site with each step done by hand. During certain hours, visitors can watch the bakers roll, cut and fry dough through a viewing window. Favorites include the doughnuts, dinners rolls, whoopie pie flavors that change monthly and the bakery’s beloved Brown Bag Apple Pie that is baked to stay crisp and juicy. 1210 Winesburg St., Wilmot 44689, 330/359-5464, amishdoor.com

Discover why Downtown Millersburg was named one of Ohio’s best small towns. We invite you to shop, dine, and stay in our nationally recognized historic town, located in the center of Ohio Amish Country.

WEST VIRGINIA

From stargazing cabins and a mountain coaster to a remote spa in the Canaan Valley and a stern-wheel regatta in downtown Charleston, this is summer in the Mountain State. By Jenna Nahhas

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Brush Creek Holl’r Mountain Coaster

This attraction in Princeton promises thrills for adventure seekers or a pleasant glide through the trees for those who want to sit back and take in the scenery

West Virginia’s first mountain coaster opened in summer 2025, bringing with it opportunities for riders to speed through the Appalachian forest on a gravity-powered ride encompassing over 3,200 feet of track. The coalmine-themed Brush Creek Holl’r Mountain Coaster offers a journey through verdant nature during the summer months, winding down the metal track and curving around trees in a blur of wind and leaves.

The experience begins at the coaster station house where riders buckle into their carts. Each cart can hold up to two people. Then, they ascend the hillside. By using individual carts rather than trains, every visitor gets to experience the thrill of being at the front of a roller coaster.

“When you’re at the top, there are some really nice views where you can see probably 10 to 15 miles out into the mountains,” says Geoff Nordloh, owner of the Brush Creek Holl’r Mountain Coaster.

The carts are released individually down the track, and riders can control the speed of their descent by using the hand brakes. While some visitors glide along for the scenic views, others take the track as a challenge to reach high speeds and whip around the curves.

“Going full speed down the hill feels a lot faster than 27 miles an hour,” Nordloh says. “The turns are tight and the trees and foliage are pretty close to the track — not so close that you can touch them, of course — but that makes the ride feel pretty fast.”

At the gift shop back in the station house, riders can buy commemorative gear, snacks and a video of their experience taken by the recording system built into each cart. 116 Fuller Lane, Princeton, West Virginia 24739, 304/712-7055, brushcreekhollr.com

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Stargazing Cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest

Some of the best night skies in the nation are found in West Virginia. Coopers Rock State Forest’s new cabins offer a front-row seat for stargazers.

West Virginia boasts some of the clearest night skies in the nation, and travelers can experience the cosmos in sharp clarity with

a stay in the new stargazing cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest. These modern cabins provide a year-round option for travelers to experience a stay in the forest from the comfort of a king-sized bed.

The A-frame cabins have received two Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects for design excellence, and their sleek exterior exemplifies their modern craftsmanship. Inside, wooden walls under sloped roofs house a full kitchen, a living room and two bedrooms. The living space is contained to one side with expansive

Sometimes, a voice from the past echoes in the breeze.

Our history isn’t hidden—it calls softly from riverbanks, courthouse steps, and college grounds that shaped civil rights.

Discover the unexpected in Je erson County, West Virginia.

HARPERS FERRY SHEPHERDSTOWN CHARLES TOWN RANSON BOLIVAR

Local Legend

In 1906, civil rights leader W.E.B. Dubois hosted the national conference of the Niagara Movement at Storer College in Harpers Ferry, the rst institution of higher learning in West Virginia for African Americans.

The Buzz

Discover

“Shepherdstown is blessed by natural beauty from the surrounding mountains and meandering Potomac River. It’s also rich with MORE THAN 250 YEARS of history.” —Southern Living

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windows that frame the forest. With a back patio and lawn, each cabin provides ample privacy for guests to take in the mountain scenery. Additionally, a skylight lets in the sun during the day and views of the stars at night. Five of the 12 cabins are finished and open for booking, with king, queen and twin bed options available.

During the day, travelers can use the cabins as a home base for mountain biking, rock climbing or a hike along the Raven Rock Trail to catch the sunset at Coopers

Rock Overlook, which is located just a short walk away from the cabins. As night falls over the forest, the sky shimmers to life in an array of constellations and draws those staying in the forest back to their accommodations to enjoy the view.

“Something that I think really sets these cabins apart is the high-powered telescopes that are available inside of each of them,” says Lauren Bodnar, public relations director for the West Virginia Department of Tourism. “You can connect them to your

phone and take amazing dark-sky nighttime photography.” 61 County Line Dr., Bruceton Mills, West Virginia 26525, 304/594-1561, wvstateparks.com

Valley View Cabin Resort

This cabins-and-spa retreat is tucked high up in the Canaan Valley, offering those who stay a place to unplug, recharge and explore the beauty of West Virginia.

Nestled in the highest mountain valley of its size east of the Mississippi River, Valley View Cabin Resort promises travelers a haven of rest and healing. Guests can stay in one- or two-bedroom, solar-powered luxury cabins complete with full kitchens and gas fireplaces. Each embodies one of five themes, from the emerald accents and stained wood of the Green With Envy cabins to the earthy tones of the Terracotta Pot cabins.

Nearly 1 million acres of public land surround the resort, and visitors have their pick of some of West Virginia’s most iconic parks and hundreds of miles of hiking trails. The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and State Park sits less than 3 miles west of

The stunning beauty of lovingly preserved country manors surround the architecturally rich downtown of Martinsburg as you explore Berkeley County, West Virginia. The rich history of our past is evident at every turn. Hike our trails, paddle our lakes, and wine and dine downtown.

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the resort, with the Monongahela National Forest’s Dolly Sods Wilderness to the east and Blackwater Falls State Park to the north.

“We’re surrounded by opportunities for people to get outdoors,” says managing partner Chris Waters.

After a day of exploring the mountains, an evening spa experience rejuvenates and recharges even the most travel-weary hiker.

The 9,000-square-foot, full-service Canaan

Valley Spa is located just a short walk away from the cabins.

“When you step into the spa, you have this feeling of rustic charm,” Waters says.

Visitors can get pedicures and manicures while taking in a view of the surrounding forest through large, paneled windows before heading to the mineral soaking tubs, halotherapy salt cave or massage rooms. With the addition of a fitness center and

yoga studio, the spa balances wellness and relaxation. Back on the front porch of the cabin or in a private Jacuzzi hot tub, visitors can enjoy a view of the mountains, which rise 1,000 feet above the valley.

“The topography of the mountains in this area is truly unique,” Waters says, “and draws people from all over.” 76 Aster Lane, Davis, West Virginia 26260, 304/403-2425, valleyviewcabinresort.com

Summersville

Lake State Park

This lake is known for its sandstone cliffs, making it a picturesque place for adventure, whether on the water or along the shore.

Glittering lake views and sandstone cliffs abound at Summersville

Lake State Park, which runs parallel to the lakeshore and extends across 177 acres of hilly forest. Hikers and mountain bikers can explore West Virginia’s newest state park on the multi-use Pirates Cove Trail, which traverses a moderate 0.7-mile path into the forest and curves south to reach its namesake Pirates Cove, where a waterfall overlooks the lake.

The lake transforms throughout the year, offering new views upon each visit. During the summer, West Virginia’s largest lake is filled with stunningly clear water that is held back by the Summersville Dam before it’s emptied into the Gauley River each September, creating six weeks of unparalleled

WEST VIRGINIA

whitewater rafting. The park also serves as a hub for rock climbers.

“People have moved to West Virginia to be able to take advantage of the rock climbing opportunities at Summersville Lake,” says Lauren Bodnar, public relations director for the West Virginia Department of Tourism.

Climbers Trail deviates from Pirates Cove Trail to take hikers farther into the park before descending to the lakeshore. From there, climbers can try their hand at scaling the cliffs and scrambling over scattered boulders,

Summersville Lake offers access to on-the-water fun. The Charleston Sternwheel Regatta returned in 2022 (below).

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS AT THE OGLEBAY GOOD ZOO

Explore the Oglebay Good Zoo along an immersive, three-quarter-mile loop that features 60 animal species. Whether riding the train, taking a golf cart tour of the zoo or striking out on foot, visitors can see rooting red river hogs, elegant white-naped cranes and energetic lemurs explore their habitats.

more of which become visible as the lake drains in the fall. Back at the park entrance, the newly opened Hughes Ferry Picnic Area is a perfect spot to take a break.

Those not wanting to leave so soon can rent a tent- or RV-friendly campsite at the Deer Run Overlook or Joe Branch Campground to further immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Summersville. The park is conveniently located near New River Gorge National Park & Preserve to the south and the West Virginia state capital of

In the kangaroo and wallaby walkthrough, travelers can see over 20 marsupials within their habitat. Visitors can also book close-up encounters with a variety of animals, from ferrets to red pandas to kangaroos and even cheetahs (the latter are fed from behind protective barriers). For a slower-paced encounter, guests can hand-feed the Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth while learning about rainforest conservation. 465 Lodge Dr., Wheeling, West Virginia 26003, 304/243-4100, oglebay.com

Charleston to the west. 36 Park Rd., Summersville, West Virginia 26651, 681/3550328, wvstateparks.com

Charleston Sternwheel Regatta

A tradition dating back to the early 1970s, this riverfront event that culminates in a boat race disappeared for over a decade until it was revived in 2022.

Atradition in West Virginia’s state capital since 1971, the locally beloved Charleston Sternwheel Regatta runs July 2 through 5 in 2026, with wiener dog races, riverside professional wrestling, live music, shrimp gumbo and more than 30 classic stern-wheel boats.

“It’s a carnival, a concert and the river

WEST VIRGINIA

all in one,” says Jane Bostic, special project coordinator for the City of Charleston. “It was something that kept you on the river all day long. And then when the evening hours flowed, you had the music to carry you.”

The Sternwheel Regatta ended in 2009, but after a push from Charleston residents who wanted to see it return, Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin reinstated the event in 2022. It now has 240,000 people attending annually.

For 2026, regatta organizers plan to host the largest fireworks show in the state’s history on the Fourth of July.

The children’s barbecue challenge sees young chefs compete using locally sourced ingredients, and the youth entrepreneurs’ market has a selection of homemade soaps, toys and jewelry to browse. For the funeral parade, bright and macabre costumed marchers fill the streets in a boisterous celebration of life and death. Free

WEST VIRGINIA

activities at the family fun zone include an acrobatics act, face painting and waterslides.

For those wanting to get out on the river, The Valley Gem, a stern-wheeler out of Ohio, hosts tours up and down the river during all four days of the festival. On the event’s final day, the stern-wheelers head up the Kanawha River and race back to downtown Charleston, cheered on by the crowds lining the riverbank.

“It’s a tremendous part of our history and a huge part of our future,” says Charleston chief of staff Matthew Sutton. As the locals say, “You gotta regatta!” Haddad Riverfront Park, 600 Kanawha Blvd., Charleston, West Virginia 25301, charlestonregatta.com

SUMMER AT SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Snowshoe Mountain Resort transforms into a paradise of mountain biking, hiking, mountainside golfing and music festivals starting Memorial Day and going well into October. From high-adrenaline downhill bike jumps to restful hammocks by the lake, the resort offers 11,000 acres of nature to visitors seeking both thrills and relaxation. Adventurers can bring their own mountain bikes or rent them, choosing from over 40 downhill and cross-country trails with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to expert. To explore the area in a less physically exerting manner, e-bike tours offer a change of pace along single-track mountain trails. Those booking a stay through the resort receive access to scenic lift rides, rock climbing and waterslides at the village and Shaver’s Lake. 10 Snowshoe Dr., Snowshoe, West Virginia 26209, 877/441-4386, snowshoemtn.com

BACKSTORY

Dining Out in the Country

At these six spots you can have it all. Superb settings. Enchanting ambiance. First-rate food.

This is an excerpt from a story that ran in our March 1982 issue. Read the entire story at ohiomagazine.com/diningcountry.

As the car winds along Medina County Road No. 19, passing an occasional house but no other cars, one speculates that The Oaks Lodge must be something special. How else could a restaurateur entice patrons out here, miles away from any sign of civilization.

Just when you’re sure you’ve missed the turnoff, a large sign points you in the right direction to a drive that ends at a rather ordinary-looking house. Optimism may falter, but any misgivings should be only momentary. Rest assured The Oaks Lodge is no ordinary spot.

The house was originally part of the Robb family farm.

J.F. Townsend, a railroad man who had vacationed in the Chippewa Lake area, bought the farm, as well as the much of the acreage overlooking the scenic Chippewa Lake in the late 1800s.

Townsend named the estate Five Oaks, after the large trees that stood by the lakeside entrance, and with the additions of a barn, carriage house, formal gardens and even a pheasant run, he turned it into a Medina County showplace. Celebrated industrialists were often the guests of Townsend, who quickly gained the reputation of a gracious and generous host.

Townsend died not long after the completion of Five Oaks in 1914, and frequent changes of ownership followed. Then in 1961, Don Casper and Al Hitchens undertook the task of reviving The Townsend tradition of hospitality and warmth.

The comforts and the quirks of Five Oaks remain a part of The Oaks Lodge. In the middle hall that patrons pass through enroute to the dining rooms, a staircase ascending to upper quarters strikes a note of authenticity, if not practically. In one of the dining rooms, potential table space is relinquished to the cozy setting of a leather couch and side chair set before a crackling fire. — Carol Friedman

Dining Out in the Country was the cover story of the March 1982 issue of Ohio Magazine

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