Jan./Feb. 2025

Travel

Happy birthday, Ohio! Celebrate 222 years of the Buckeye State this week in both our current and former capital.

As winter arrives, we celebrate fresh flavors, interesting places and new experiences. Let your heart soar with these finds and happenings that have us swooning over life in the Buckeye State.

From downtown Medina’s annual ice-carving sculpture extravaganza to Port Clinton’s fiery Burning Snowman Fest, check out these events happening between now and March 1. 

The snow is falling and Ohio’s natural spaces are inviting places for visitors to learn and explore. Check out these park happenings hosted throughout our state. 

Visitors to this train museum in Sugarcreek can see the 1944 steam locomotive in its new home. A members-only event is set for March 29 with the season opening April 3.

Immerse yourself in the tranquility of southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills region with a getaway to this cabin designed to reflect nature — literally.

This beautiful getaway spot in Holmes County provides a new way to experience Homestead Furniture’s legendary craftsmanship.

The Little Pink Barn is a perfect getaway for a romantic couple’s weekend or a girls’ trip.

Those looking for a beautiful escape among rolling hills of rural southeast Ohio will find it in Creola at Le Petit Chevalier Vineyards and Farm Winery.

This 470-acre sculpture park celebrates 28 years in 2025 with free admission and a weekend of activities in honor of founder Harry T. Wilks.

Visit these historic sites and presidential homes for tours, hands-on activities and fun this PresidentsDay

Restaurateur Cameron Mitchell’s gorgeous new steakhouse features a dining room filled with works by female artists and beautiful floral touches.

The National Park Service site in Wilberforce, which shares the story of an inspiring and groundbreaking man, is now open after a two-year restoration.

Lace up and head to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums for Fremont Elite Runners Club’s 5K, a fun event suited for all levels of runners. 

The destination features a variety of interesting exhibits, from a gallery dedicated to Neil Armstrong to a trove of authentic Shaker items and inventions.

See replicas of iconic vehicles from popular culture and a vast collection of classic cars from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s at this Wood County destination.  

Located just off the T.J. Evans Trail, this Granville spot offers Turkish teas and coffees, bike rentals and repair help.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden unveiled its new, more comfortable home for the eight elephants that reside there in 2024. 

Make a side quest to Pfarr Farms Scottish Highlands in Laurelville to visit with its lovable herd of long-haired Scottish Highland cattle.

For more than 70 years, a tiny Ohio town has made every NFL football. Now you can experience Wilson Sporting Goods’ new football factory tour.

Food + Drink

Here are the 10 Ohio chefs, restaurants and establishments that are in the running for the prestigious and highly coveted food-and-drink honor.  

This cocktail bar hidden deep below Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood offers a creatively crafted menu, live music and two different spaces to experience. 

This spot on Ashtabula’s Bridge Street serves up Neapolitan-style pizzas and other favorites inspired by family recipes.

Get your fix of fresh bagels and sandwiches featuring them at this inviting spot in the city’s Short North Arts District.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, this annual southeast Ohio food tour rewards participants with sweet treats and savory bites. 

Ice cream and … chili? While this collaboration may not make the most sense on paper, it’s a flavor bombshell for those who live in Cincinnati.

“The Chef's Garden” from Rachel Ray and International Content’s Free Food Studios is set to premiere on the A&E network Jan. 27.

You read that right, and no, you don’t need to be Popeye to love this spinach-tinged creation that also features tropical mango, orange, banana and pineapple flavors.

Arts

Grab your playbill and take a seat for a season of shows that will have you ready to sing along (but please don’t).

Orchestras take on pop, country, Broadway musicals and Hollywood scores at Ohio theaters and music halls between now and March 8.  

Trips to Neverland, Chicago and Hadestown are on the bill for theatergoers across the state this season. 

From legendary rock groups such as Dave Matthews Band and Nine Inch Nails to music icons like Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, don’t miss out on your chance to see these acts. 

Opening March 8, this immersive exhibit features a collaboration between a writer from Ohio’s capital city of Columbus and two artists from Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik.

This masterful exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art uses the game of chess as a frame for exploring art of the African continent.

This exhibition, which opens Jan. 25, explores how a variety of Ohio artists were influenced by their travels and the mentors they learned from during them. 

See a variety of ceramics art, from delicate creations to large-scale works, during the 20th anniversary of this free show at northeast Ohio’s River Gallery.

From the glamour of Hollywood jewelry to Dutch still-life paintings to art of Indigenous people, these exhibitions cover a wide range of creativity. 

Home + Garden

After she was unable to find the unique knit products she desired, Tori Tedesco began crafting her own. 

Ohio Life

The much-loved and long-running documentary series seeks private citizens across the state who have treasures and unique finds to share as they return here to film next month. 

The Cleveland-based music journalist and author shares why she wrote Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs.

The Wright State University alum took home the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary with her motion picture “Seeds.”

See “History Forgotten and Now For All to See” Feb. 16 at the Robins Theatre in Warren.

It opened in 1933 as one of the nation’s most magnificent train stations, but Union Terminal’s closure in 1972 cast doubt over the beautiful art deco building’s future. Then, Superman and, years later, Hamilton County voters saved the day.

Grab your paddles and wedding bands and enter for the chance to exchange vows at this Butler County pickleball complex and win a bunch of prizes for your big day. 

In January 1978, the Akron native and Firestone High School graduate became one of six women chosen by NASA for its astronaut program.

The limited-edition figure gives a nod to the pop-culture phenomenon and is available for preorder now from the Milwaukee museum.

This 19th-century object is an exquisite example of early Mennonite craftsmanship.

Officials raised the symbolism-filled design on the city’s 188th birthday, Jan. 7.