March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb in many cases. This month will hopefully bring spring and warm weather back to Richland County! Check out this list of events and activities to do in all kinds of weather, from the outdoor Maple Syrup Festival to a variety of live indoor shows and performances.
Held every year since 1977, The Maple Syrup Festival occurs the first two weekends in March from noon to 4 pm. This free, family-friendly festival is a great opportunity to step back in time, learn, and enjoy the history of Ohio syrup making at Malabar Farm State Park.
Get crafty and creative with knitting, felting, and poetry! The Learn to Knit Class (March 7 and 21) at Alpaca Meadows will walk you through an “easy mistake stitch scarf” with instruction. Check the website for a list of required materials. Also, at Alpaca Meadows, create your very own Irish leprechaun, just in time for St Patrick’s Day! The Leprechaun Felting Class (March 14) requires no previous experience. Borderlands: Poetry on the Edge (March 21) by Main Street Books is a monthly reading series that features Ohio poets. The reading is followed by an open-mic for poets and poetry-lovers alike. Release your inner artist at Crafts for Grown Ups (March 14) at Main Street Books.
Looking for a fright? Public Ghost Hunts (March 21) at the Ohio State Reformatory offer a thrilling paranormal tour based on three different levels of skill from beginners to experts. For guests 18 years and older, this event is from 7 pm to 3 am.
Kick the winter blues with POUND and Pour at the Phoenix Brewing Company. This 21+ cardio jam-session will end with a ticket for one craft beer or non-alcoholic beverage! Warm weather days will bring the class outside and the class will meet indoors on rainy or cold days. Gather your team and test your memory with Taproom Trivia at the Phoenix (March 24).
Make time for an unforgettable date night. The Wishmaker House will take you back in time to a 1920s mafia marriage murder mystery, presented by the Murder Mystery Company. Tickets to the Murder Mystery Dinner – Death of a Gangster (March 6) include a four-course meal with your choice of appetizer, salad, entrée, and cheesecake. Feel free to dress in themed 1920s attire!
Take a break from spring cleaning and catch one of these live performances. From 10 am to 2 pm, (every Sunday) Jazz & Eggs at Black Dog Tavern features Damian and Dane, “The Ambassadors of the Great American Song.” Coming live to the Phoenix Brewing Company: singer-songwriter Josiah Whitley (March 6), and the The Mclans (March 7) a Celtic-style band.
On the days when Richland County just can’t beat the cold, find fun in the performing arts. St. Peters School will be performing the classic Mary Poppins the Musical (March 20-22 & March 27-29). Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies at the Mansfield Playhouse will surely bring some belly laughs (March 6, 7, & 8). The play finds two Shakespearian actors, Jack and Leo, impersonating two long-lost nephews who are heirs to a dying elderly woman’s fortune…only to realize the heirs are nieces. The Ohio State University at Mansfield Theatre & Stage presents Back to the Divine Comedy (March 1 &2), the American premier of this new Rock Opera to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s original masterpiece.
This month at the Renaissance Theatre, catch Broadway’s Rock of Ages (March 7, 8, 14 and 15), which captures the iconic era that was the 1980s with music from Styx, Poison, Twisted Sister, and White Snake. The Mansfield Symphony Orchestra: Mashup (March 21) is back by popular demand. Part singing contest a la “The Voice” and part concert, the evening will include the new chambergrass music stylings of Westbound Situation which combines bluegrass and chamber music. My Theatre at the Renaissance Performing Arts Center presents 13 (March 27-29), the hit coming-of-age musical. There also will be a sensory-friendly performance of 13 on March 26. NEOS Dance Theatre and Richland Academy of the Arts join forces for a powerful performance of Carmina Burana (March 28).
If your kids have cabin fever from the long winter months, mix and match kiddo-friendly activities! Little Buckeye’s Children Museum hosts weekly classes to engage, inspire, and entertain your little one. Music & Movement (every Thursday) and Art Class (every Friday) will keep kids creative, busy, and happy! Open to members and non-members. The Ohio Bird Sanctuary (every Saturday) introduces you to flying friends up close with Avian Encounters. Main Street Book’s Story Time for Kids (March 21) includes a story, crafts, and cookies.
The First Friday Hop Shop (March 6), starts at 5 pm in the historic downtown Mansfield. This community event is an opportunity to support over 50 local businesses, explore downtown for event specials, deals, and live entertainment. Plan dinner downtown and explore what’s new.
March is right around the corner, so plan some outdoor time and enjoy a night at the theatre with family and friends. For a full list of activities and events, visit https://destinationmansfield.com/.
Blog by Destination Mansfield – Richland County intern, Maisee Fried.