February Happenings and Events

January was a blur; we may have already thrown our Year’s resolutions out the window, but don’t give up yet! We’ve got plenty of activities to get you up, moving, and out of the house to learn something new.

First, we have a few special treats to share. The Phoenix Brewing Company is hosting a vow renewal (Feb. 11) for Craft beer-loving married couples who are 21+. Make your own tufted candy heart with your endearment at the Mansfield Art Center for Valentine’s Day Date Night (Feb.15) with your significant other. Learn to make “love potions” in this Valentine’s Day-themed Mixology class at 1285 Winery (Feb. 9). Kingwood Center Gardens is hosting Extra Hours at Kingwood which means they stay open from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday evenings.

Shop Local

Are you looking for a fun and inexpensive date night idea? Visit one of our downtown restaurants for dinner, stroll through Central Park, slip into the alley beside DLX and enjoy the beautiful murals painted by talented local artists and pose for some fun photo ops. Sharing on Instagram? Make sure to tag @DestinationMansfield.

Another option is checking out the murals during the First Friday Shop Hop that is held on February 3rd. Shop and support local businesses during this recurring monthly event. When was the last time you browsed the shops downtown?

So Many Classes

The Mansfield Art Center offers a variety of classes for all ages that include drawing, tufting, and stained glass in person tutorials to name a few of the options. This month you can learn the art of stained glass in an Intermediate class to make a 3-D Stained Glass St.Valentine Box. Learn new skills while making something your Valentine will treasure in this 5-day class (Feb. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), take tufting classes (Feb. 10, 11), and paint your pet with acrylic paints (Feb. 26).

1803 Brewery & Taproom offers cake decorating classes on Feb. 6.

Learn to Knit at Alpaca Meadows in this two-hour workshop that introduces the basics of knitting as you learn to make the Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf (Feb. 25). In the Bear Needle Felting Class students learn to sculpt a bear out of roving while learning the basics of needle felting in this 3-hour class (Feb. 11).

The Johnny Appleseed Group Chapter of The Archaeology Society of Ohio will hold this 2-part series, Field Archaeology for Beginners and Intermediates (Feb.11, 18), which will focus on the “who, what, where, when and how” of field collecting for arrowheads and other ancient artifacts at Gorman Nature Center. This program is for those age 18 or older.

Kingwood Center offers a variety of classes. The Cooking with Herbs (Feb. 23) class continues for those interested in expanding their culinary skills. Join Juli Parsons as she welcomes students of all ages to the Painting Winter Landscapes (Feb. 16) class.

Element of Art Studio will open its gallery starting on Feb. 4th from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for Studio Saturdays as a public art creation and collaboration space. Participants are encouraged to bring a current project to work on during these free events. Element Of Art Studio also hosts Paint your Partner Portrait Night on Feb. 11th.

Get Moving!

Kingwood Center is offering Line Dancing for Beginners class on Feb. 9th from 6-7 p.m. Space is limited so make sure you sign up in advance.

Hike for Health at Malabar Farm (Feb.11). Meet at the Visitor Center for a map and have fun viewing the various sites of our beloved state park.

An evening at Axe Social Lounge is a fun way to make memories with your family and friends. Reserve a lane, invite your friends, and learn all about ax throwing.

Exercise Your Brain

The Phoenix Brewing Company offers its monthly round of Taproom Trivia (Feb.21) for those who want to stay sharp during the winter.

Theater, Art & Live Music

Theatre 166 hosts the Emerging Artist’s Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4th.The festival is designed to aid artists of all ages and help them find their voice and grow as an artist. February features a dark comedy by Alan Kilpatrick about two wax figures in London’s Madame Tussaud’s Chamber of Horrors in 2016.  When the exhibit is scheduled to close, Kate Webster and Amelia Dryer, now wax figures of notorious 19th-century murderesses, recount their lives and speculate about their futures before they are consigned to the junk heap.

The Passages Exhibit at the Mansfield Art Center, on display until February 26th, showcases four female artists as they examine the delicate landscape of life’s procession with reflection, creation, humor, pathos, and irony. Passages is about transition; the movement through life and death, the dance of experiences that connect us all, and the individual perceptions that set us apart.

The Mansfield Playhouse brings Unnecessary Farce to the stage on Feb.3-5. Cops, crooks, a cheap hotel, and embezzling mayor entertain you in this award-winning comedy by Paul Slade Smith.

Join Phil Dirt and the Dozers for their 20th Annual Beach Party at Fairhaven Hall (Feb. 4) as they transport you back in time to the 50s, 60s, and 70s of Rock and Roll.

The Mansfield Symphony presents a concert side by side with members of the Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra, performing Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont.

Drew Lynch (Feb.11) captured ears on Americas Got Talent to amass over 2 million subscribers on YouTube and entertain crowds around the country. This event will be at the Renaissance Theater.

They started in shelters and now they’re entertaining crowds around the country. Mutts Gone Nuts (Feb.12) unleashes havoc and hilarity in a breathtaking, action-packed, comedy dog spectacular, featuring some of the world’s most talented four-legged performers. Deemed “a must-see” by The Washington Post, the dogs are sure to steal your heart!

The Ohio State University presents the 22nd Annual Soul Food Dinner & Show on Feb. 16 as part of the campus Black History Month celebration featuring special guest Ebony Stewart, an internationally touring poet.

Pinocchio – Teddy Bear Concert (Feb. 19) at the Ren’s Theatre 166. Geared towards 2-10-year-olds, the Teddy Bear concert provides small audience sizes, lights up, low noise, and safe sensory spaces making this interactive performance accommodating those who have autism or sensory-processing disorders.

You’ll find opportunities to sip a glass of wine or enjoy a cold brew while listening to Just Jazz Live at The Happy Grape Bar and Bistro (February 10, 24). The Phoenix Brewing Company also provides live music so stop in every Friday and Saturday night through the month and check out The Spirit Room which opens on February 17th.

Check out our Wine & Ale Trail for more spirited locations.

Fun for the Family

We have plenty of fun activities for the family at the Buckeye Imagination Museum, Kingwood Center, and Ohio Bird Sanctuary.

Head to the Mansfield Richland County Public Library on Feb. 4, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for free, family-friendly activities, music, lunch, and more in celebration of Black History Month. Welcome to all.

Love is in the Air Owl Event at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary. Enjoy an Owl Presentation and Owl-Themed Crafts & Activities!

Make a Charcuterie Board out of wooden blocks in this free Fun Family Craft Night hosted by the City of Mansfield Parks and Recreation Department. Make sure to sign up to ensure there are enough materials to go around.

Calendar of Events

For the most up-to-date event listings, live music, and other community events, visit our ever-changing Calendar of Events at DestinationMansfield.com. Got a public event to share3? Add it to our “Submit an Event” section of the calendar.