Winter Fun

There are so many great winter things to do Bowling Green, Ohio! There are several restaurants, shops, and attractions that you and your family can visit during the cold weather. Check out the following cozy, fun and family-centric locations in Bowling Green. For even more options, stop into the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to pick up a Visitor’s Guide.

-Take your loved ones sledding on Conneaut Hill- our fun sledding hill  at the corner of Conneaut Haskins Roads!  Call (419) 354-6223 with questions!

- Visit The Stone’s Throw for good food, craft beers and lots of fun activities almost every night of the week! Trivia nights are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Open mic nights are Wednesdays & free live music are Saturdays.

Contact (419) 354-7474 for any questions, or visit http://www.thestonesthrow.com.

-Dine at Naslada Bistro for excellent European cooking and table-side crepe service. This is also a great option for gluten free and locally-sourced food! Contact (419) 373-6050 with any questions, or visit http://www.nasladabistro.com.

-Visit Art-A-Site to take a class or explore exhibits. It’s a great way to stay indoors and have fun with your family!  Call (419) 352-4455 to sign up for classes! Visit http://artasitegallery.weebly.com to see what classes are being offered. https://www.facebook.com/pages/art-a-site/333529045932?fref=ts

-Al-Mar Lanes is a fantastic way to have fun with your family through the cold! Come to Al-Mar Lanes to bowl, eat, and make memories. They offer open bowling, Kosmic Night bowling, league bowling, birthday parties, fundraisers, and much more! Contact (419) 352-4637 to get more information, or visit http://almarlanes.com.

-Visit the BGSU Ice Arena for some winter fun that takes place indoors! The Ice Arena has a full year of interesting and fun activities including: Hockey events and clubs, public skate, cheap skate, figure skating, curling club, broomball, Learn-to-Skate, special events and much more.  Contact (419) 372-2764 for questions, or visit http://www.bgsu.edu/ice-arena.html.

-Have you ever wanted to learn the Jitterbug, Lindy Hop or Charleston? Swing Dancing Lessons are a fun way to learn some new moves and stay active this winter. The Falcon Swing Society is committed to providing community members, staff and students with the opportunity to learn how to swing dance. No experience is required and beginners are always welcome. You do not have to be a member to participate. https://orgsync.com/25532/chapter

-Café Havana is on of Bowling Green’s hidden little gems. This cozy café is known for its delicious Mediterranean cuisine, gelato, open mic nights, hookah patio, board game selection and free intro dance lessons. With late hours and a welcoming atmosphere, Café Havana is the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee or to stay for a late night study session. 309 S Main St.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Havana-BG/389186461129320?fref=ts

-The Bowling Green High School has sporting events, arts, music and theater productions. The Bowling Green Performing Arts Center is an exceptional venue. More information about current events can be found at www.bgcs.k12.oh.us/schools/bowling-green-high-school/

-Bowling Green State University’s Fine Arts Center offers multiple Art Galleries with twelve to fourteen exhibitions constructed each year. All three galleries (The Hiroko Nakamoto Japanese Ceremonial Arts Gallery, the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery and the Willard Wankelman Gallery) are free and open to the public. There are Exhibitions feature artwork from students, faculty and nationally recognized artists.

For a current list and description of current exhibits and gallery hours visit http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/school-of-art/galleries.html

-BGSU’s Athletics offers an excellent variety of sporting events all winter long. Sporting events are an exhilarating way to support and cheer on the Falcons. BGSU’s Hockey team has a unique fan base, referred to as the Bleacher Creatures. Basketball and swimming are also the University’s primary winter sporting events. Come support the Falcons at as many sporting events as you can! Tickets are available for purchase at the Stroh Center ticket office or online. 

http://bgsufalcons.com/sports/2009/6/18/GEN_0618090753.aspx

-The BSGU Recreation Center is a newly refurbished facility providing students and community members with weight and cardio machines, a rock wall, two swimming pools, racquetball courts, squash courts, basketball courts, a track, personal training, party rentals, programs, classes, intramural sports and much more! http://www.bgsu.edu/recwell/student-recreation-center.html

-The Woodland Mall offers a variety of entertainment services to the community. The Mall has the following: Sears, Elder-Beerman, Dunham’s Sports, additional shopping, a play area, an arcade, a nail salon, dance studio and local restaurants. For a full mall directory, movie times and hours check out the Woodland Malls website. http://www.woodlandbg.com/index.html

-The Wood County Public Library is the place to visit this winter! The library offers a wide variety of events on their calendar for all ages. The Wood County Public Library event calendar even classifies the age category for every specific event, making planning easy and fun for community members. Past events have included story times, meet the authors, tutoring, crafts, book clubs and so much more. http://wcdpl.org/events.

-Interested in learning how to make jewelry in time for the holidays? Coyote Beads, located on 178 S. Main Street, offers beginner and intermediate level jewelry making classes. Registration and class fees are required to hold your place in class.

http://coyotebeads1.com/Coyote_Classes.htm

-If you’re looking for something fun and free to do on the weekends with your kids, Home Depot offers kids workshops the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. These fun hands-on workshops are for children ages 5-12. Register online at http://workshops.homedepot.com/workshops/kids-workshops

-Over 500 events are presented in the College of Musical Arts each year, featuring students, faculty, guest artists, ensembles and special events such as operas, concerts and more. Several of these events are free and you can find more information at http://www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts/events.html

-Ben Franklin has been a family owned business since 1976 and it has evolved from an old-fashioned variety store into several specialty stores under one roof. Ben Franklin offers just about everything at a inexpensive price from office, party, and craft supplies, educational toys, fresh candy and fudge and much more! Ask for a free sample from the candy counter. This is definitely a Bowling Green favorite, so be sure to check it out!  http://www.benfranklin-bg.com/

-Looking for something to do on a chilly winter day? See a movie at the Woodland Mall! The Cinemark Theater has six theaters playing new movie titles for bargain ticket prices. Discounts include: Students, military, senior, Tuesday Matinee and family discounts (on Mondays). The Amazing Space Arcade has a variety of classic arcade games. This is a great way to do something fun with the family during the cold winter months! http://www.cinemark.com/

-Do you enjoy playing chess while also relaxing with your favorite drink?  The BG Chess Club meets at Grounds for Thought every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. There is also a large jigsaw puzzle table for everyone to work on. Grounds for Thought is a local coffee shop (with house-roasted quality beans) that also sells used books and records. Located at 174 S Main St. BG, OH 43402 http://www.groundsforthought.com/

-Winter Fest is an amazing weekend long event in February and there are a variety of fun things to do all over Downtown Bowling Green! There are activities to do for families, couples, students, and people of all ages such as ice carving demos, date night adventures, horse drawn carriage rides, public skates, and much more!  Hope to see you there in February!

http://www.visitbgohio.org/winterfest/

Lindsay Becker: still waiting*
- Snook’s Classic Car Museum – see classic cars and auto memorabilia (M-F 8-5 Sat. & Sun by appointment (419) 353-8338 snooksdreamcars.com
- Manabigma pottery classes
- BGSU Planetarium shows ($1 suggested donation for a great experience)
-BGSU theatrical performances
- Klotz floral and Garden (kids can see the koi fish, go on the scavenger hunt, make a fairy garden, feed the bunny and chicken, play in the sandbox and do some gift and floral shopping.
- BGSU Herpetology Lab (see reptiles and amphibians) M-F 9-5 contact info-link