April Happenings and Events

Been there, done that? Come back for a special event! Our top attractions have events happening this April that will make a visit to Richland County an experience like no other. The staff of professionals and volunteers at your favorite attractions are filled with experts in their field. These experts can’t wait to share their knowledge with you to help make your trip special: stargaze with local astronomers, learn from master glass artists and gardeners, and hunt ghosts with experts in the paranormal.

Explore the natural attractions of Richland and Ashland Counties and learn from expert naturalists, survivalists, and more at the 20th Annual Mohican Wildlife Weekend (Apr 23 – 25). This year’s theme “Survivor Mohican” will inspire participants to adventure at 10 different sites with scheduled programs and unscheduled adventure. Some programs include birding boat tours, survival classes, gold panning, and raptor photography.

At Kingwood Center Gardens, tour a mysterious mansion during the Townsend Tours (Apr 8). Bring the whole family to Kingwood to DIY Bird Feeders (Apr 6), make Nature Paintbrushes (Apr 13) from natural materials found at Kingwood, and for the monthly Storytime Series: Trees at Kingwood Center Gardens (Apr 20). Learn the basics and methods of gardening for the purpose of propagating butterflies from Kingwood’s resident butterfly gardener at Butterfly Gardening (Apr 29).

It’s time to go back to the theatre. Live performances are back at the Renaissance Performing Arts Association. Get your tickets now for Kashmir: The Live Led Zepplin Experience (Apr 9,10), the Film: Singin’ In The Rain (Apr 11), and Little Shop of Horrors: The Musical (Apr 17, 18, 25). If you’re planning on coming to Mansfield, add dinner and a show to your itinerary – a show at the Renaissance Theatre pairs well with a meal at one of our downtown Mansfield restaurants.

Gorman Nature Center is perfect for a hike with the family on two legs and four, but if you’ve already explored its 150 acres of forests, prairies, ponds, and streams, plan your next trip around the Birds and Breakfast Bird Walk (Apr 17) to learn more about our feathered neighbors. The Night Sky Program (Apr 17) offers stargazers the chance to learn more about our neighborhood of the cosmos. Held only if the skies are clear, participants will have a chance to see planets, constellations, and maybe even a few galaxies.

Mansfield Art Center has a whole new wing in which to explore the visual arts. Pick up your first gather of 2000-degree molten glass and learn the fundamentals of glass blowing at First Gather’s: 3-Week Glass Blowing Class (Apr 17). You can also get in the hot shop to work with glass during Pullin’ Glass Flower (Apr  17, 22, 24), but hurry and reserve your spot. Class space is limited. Catch the end of the Youth Art Show/ Ohio Regional School Exhibit (Apr 1 – 18), then get the family, ages 10 and up, in the studio for Watercolor Painting “Stained Glass” (Apr 17), or  Palette Knife Painting “Desert Mountain” (Apr 7) for ages 11 and up.

The Ohio State Reformatory is often the first stop for visitors to the area, but have you made it your destination after dark? The Reformatory opens its doors late for Public Ghost Walks (Apr 2, 23), a 2-hour guided tour that will take guests through the most haunted areas of the former prison with a guide who will share stories of hauntings and horror.

Which attraction are you itching to return to? Make your next trip something out of the ordinary with a special event. There are even more events and attractions featured on our calendar of events.