Champaign Works
  • Home
  • Jobs
    • Post A Job
    • Internships
  • News
    • Share Good News
  • Volunteer
    • Share Volunteer Opportunities
  • About
    • Where We Work
    • Where We Learn
    • Where We Play
  • Contact
    • Champaign County on Facebook!

What's Happening in Champaign County?

2020 Champaign county holiday bucket list

12/8/2020

 
Picture
By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design

This year has been a challenge and this holiday season proves to be as well. We know things aren’t the same as they usually are but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on what makes this season so special. We came up with a list of things to do this year to help keep the holiday spirit alive and to help you spread some cheer.
 
1.Send Christmas cards to family you can’t visit this year
 
We may not get to see everyone this year for the holidays, but you can still send some holiday cheer by sending custom cards to them in the mail. Include updates about the year and get the whole family to sign them for an extra personal touch.
 
2.Decorate cookies with candy from Carmazzi’s Candy and General Store
 
Making cookies is a great activity for all ages! You could make sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, or even a gingerbread house. All the candy you could need for decorating can be found right in Urbana at Carmazzi’s Candy and General Store.
 
3.Volunteer at Caring Kitchen
 
Volunteering during the holidays is a great way to spread cheer and to help others have a great holiday too. You can volunteer with the Caring Kitchen in Urbana with meal preparation, serving, and clean up. They also take donations all year long!
 
4.Donate toys for dogs and cats to Barely Used Pets Rescue
 
Don’t forget about our furry friends this time of year. While they are waiting to find their forever homes the amazing people at Barely Used Pets in Urbana are keeping them warm and happy this time of year. You can donate food or toys to the shelter to give the animals an extra special holiday.
 
5.Drive around a see the lights caravan style
 
A fun way to get together with family while staying safe this holiday is to see lights around town caravan style. Everyone stays in their own car, but you can all experience the joy and magic of twinkling lights. Be sure to stop by Hemisphere in Mechanicsburg first for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate!
 
6.Make a homemade gift
 
Making the holiday season extra personal this year will make it feel like you are closer than ever, even if you aren’t together. Try your hand at making a homemade holiday ornament to send to a loved one to let them know how much they mean to you.
 
7.Leave out treats for the delivery drivers (and Santa)
 
We all know that Santa loves cookies and milk but don’t forget about all the amazing delivery drivers that come to your house almost every day! Prepackaged treats and bottles of water will give them that extra boost and let them know you appreciate all their hard work of delivery all your gifts in time for the holidays.  
 
8.Have an ugly sweater themed dinner night at home
 
You don’t have to have a party to don that ugly sweater hanging in your closet. Select a night of the week to get dressed up with your family, in your most festive gear, and enjoy a family favorite meal together.
 
9.Put together a holiday jigsaw puzzle
 
The holidays are all about enjoying time together. Find a winter themed puzzle that you like and spend time together completing the puzzle. This is a great way to relax, work together, and make memories that will last a lifetime.
 
10.Choose old toys to donate a local thrift store
 
This is the time of year for giving. If you have any gently used toys that are still in good condition, there are plenty of places you can donate them where another kid can treasure them for years to come. 

local ymca hosts annual thanksgiving day turkey trot

11/9/2020

 
Picture
Champaign Family YMCA will be hosting their Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot on Thursday, November 26th.

This 5K and 1 mile walk is a family/pet friendly event. Costumes are encouraged. Pre-register by November 22nd to guarantee your 2020 Annual Turkey Trot shirt for all adults and medals for youth! Top male and female adult and youth 5K runners will earn a trophy. 

Cost: $25 Adults, $15 for ages 10 and older, FREE to ages 9 and under. 

Register today at the Y Welcome Center or online at www.champaignfamilyymca.org.

trails & treats at melvin miller park oct. 31

10/5/2020

 
Picture
Join Urbana United Methodist Church for an afternoon of Fall Fun!
October 31st from 11AM - 3PM at Melvin Miller Park in Urbana.

Bring the whole family to our annual Fall Festival (trunk or treat)! This year, the event will be held at Melvin Miller Park. Instead of "Car Trunks", we will be passing out candy along the walking path at the park. To enjoy "Trails & Treats", we are encouraging you to park by the soccer fields and make your way down the path to the start of the line. After going through the line, enjoy some delicious food from a food truck and stick around for a kids show on the stage by the pond.
- Food Trucks
- Tons of Candy
- Prize Giveaways
- Kids Show on the Stage
Rain Date: Sunday, November 1st from 1 to 5pm.
This is a free community event, open to everyone!
​
We ask that everyone in attendance please wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines.

Family Fun in Champaign County

7/9/2020

 
Picture
​Submitted by Champaign County Visitors Bureau

Beat the boredom on Champaign County’s Family Fun Trail with family-friendly activities that will please kids of all ages!

Your family vacations have undoubtedly taken a hit due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but families benefit from exploring, even if it’s in your own backyard. Champaign County is full of hidden gems and so much to discover. Whether you want to let the kids run off pent up energy, provide educational opportunities, or need a place to cool off, you can easily plan a fun-filled day or weekend on our Family Fun Trail.

​Start your morning at Freshwater Farms of Ohio, the largest indoor hatchery in Ohio. Get up close and personal with rare, endangered fish at the Sturgeon Petting Zoo and watch the trout jump for joy and splash in excitement as you hand feed them in the Trout Feeding Frenzy. Admission is free but you don’t want to miss out on the gift shop featuring local items.

Travel a few miles down on US 68 to Grimes Field Municipal Airport. Kids love watching small aircraft fly in on a sunny day on the patio at the Airport Cafe, famous for their homemade pies. The airport is also home to three free museums (Champaign Aviation Museum, Grimes Flying Lab Museum and Mid America Flight Museum) bringing aviation history to life! Check individual locations for hours of operation.

Run off some energy at Melvin Miller Park with outdoor recreation including but not limited to playgrounds, skate park, RC track, fishing pond, dog park, walking trails and bike path. Try a round of Disc Golf at Urbana Hilltop Disc Golf Course. This top rated course features a variety of open and wooded holes with some elevation changes.

Head to Downtown Urbana for a treat! Camazzi’s has been a local favorite for kids of all ages for over 120 years! This is THE place in Champaign County to satisfy your sweet tooth serving just about any kind of candy you can imagine. Don’t forget to join Johnny’s Candy Club!

By now, you probably need a place to cool off. Urbana’s Gloria Theatre has a rich history that began more than 113 years ago near the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, GrandWorks is renovating and transforming this community treasure into a modern entertainment venue for movies and live theater. Catch a show or family friendly movie!

End your adventure at Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, considered by many to be Ohio’s premiere natural area. It ranks the highest of any site in the state on the Ohio Floristic Diversity Index for its great diversity of plants. The boardwalk is accessible Wednesday-Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

Thinking of making this an overnight trip? The Cobblestone Hotel-Urbana is offering special rates for those participating in the Family Fun Trail. Call the hotel directly and ask for the Family Fun Trail Rate.

​Follow the Champaign County Visitors Bureau on Facebook and Instagram and check us out on the web at visitchampaignohio.com for more information about great attractions and destinations in Champaign County. 

west liberty's summer street market july 24th & 25th

7/8/2020

 
Picture
West Liberty’s second annual Summer Street Market is happening July 24th and 25th! We will have local vendors and artists set up on Columbus Street. While you are shopping you can grab a bite to eat from one of the food trucks and enjoy some music by Kevin Ashba Friday evening. To make this event safe for everyone all of our vendors booths will be six feet apart, traffic through the street market will flow one direction, and we will provide a sanitation station at the entrance/exit. Many local shops will be open, and some will even be offering special discounts.
​
On Saturday the annual West Liberty Fire Sales will be happening village-wide so be ready to shop all day!
 
This event is the kickoff to West Liberty’s Fourth Friday Events for the rest of the year. Be sure to check out our site or follow us on Facebook to see what we have planned for next month!


rock the fair: friday, aug. 7th

7/1/2020

 
Picture
Rock the Fair is coming to Champaign County Fair on Friday, August 7th at 7PM!

3-hour Spectacular to the music of the Beatles, Wings, The Beach Boys and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Bands include: The McCartney Project, Surf's Up and Turn It Up all Live and In Concert!

All tickets are only $10 at the grandstands.
Powered by Dave Kehl Chevrolet. 

cedar bog set to reopen june 18th

6/12/2020

 
Picture
The Cedar Bog Nature Center will be reopening Thursday, June 18, 2020. Hours will be Thursday - Saturday from 10:00am - 4:00pm. The first hour (10:00am - 11:00am) will be for "at risk" visitors only. Everyone entering the Nature Center during the first hour will be required to wear a face covering.
​
The building capacity will be greatly reduced during this time. Extra staff will be available to help direct visitors. If you see a group in the building, please wait outside until they leave the building. Please help us by following all directions on signs on the doors and around the building. Please follow all social distancing guidelines while in the Nature Center and Preserve. Visitors are encouraged to wear a face covering.

Credit card use is preferred for admission fees at this time. The gift shop will be open to ADULTS ONLY. Please help by keeping children out of the gift shop. Inventory will be somewhat reduced at this time.
​
The boardwalk will remain accessible Wednesday - Sunday from 9:00am - 5:00pm. Please remember, restrooms will not be available except when the Nature Center is open.

y hosts kids klub online

5/5/2020

 
Picture
Tune in to our Champaign Family Y's Facebook Live or posted feed for Kids Klub events EVERYDAY at 10:00 AM!
Running from May 5-15.


New activities, stories, and teacher helpers each week! Feel free to message any special requests.

Each day is a different theme! 
Monday: Get up & move fitness
Tuesday: Storytime with Sonya
Wednesday: Arts & Crafts
Thursday: Youth Sports tips
Friday: Science/Kitchen with Miss Linda

Annual Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival Postponed Until September 17-19, 2021

5/4/2020

 
Picture
Freshwater Farms of Ohio, host of the Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival for the past 18 years, is postponing the 2020 festival until September 17-19, 2021. This year’s festival had been scheduled for September 18-20 at the farm, a mile north of Urbana on U.S. 68.

“This was a tough decision to make,” said Dr. Dave Smith, president of Freshwater Farms of Ohio, “but with the festival drawing over 5,000 people last year, we could not see a way to safely host the festival this year.”
 
He said that restrictions on large gatherings will likely still be in place in September, and added, “We had to let our wonderful vendors and musicians know well in advance.”
 
Recognized by OhioFestivals.net as one of its favorites, the Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival, Smith said, “has become well known for the high quality of musical entertainment we schedule year after year, and, of course, the delicious seafood and other menu options our vendors offer, and activities for the whole family.”
 
He said the festival will return bigger and better in 2021. “We’ll be expanding the festival grounds and infrastructure to make room for more kids’ activities and vendors. We’ve been making the push to have more arts and crafts vendors this year, and we’ll continue that push for next year.”
 
In the meantime, he said, business has been strong at the farm’s retail store (fwfarms.com/retail-store/), which is open for curbside pickup 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Customers can call in orders at 937-652-3701 for merchandise from the farm market and for stocking fish and minnows.
 
Smith added that in the near future, the farm will have an expanded online store for ordering their fresh and frozen trout fillets, smoked trout and shrimp products, other “Dr. Dave-approved” seafood selections, and many other local foods and wines.

Submitted by Freshwater Farms of Ohio

johnny appleseed museum virtual storytime program

4/9/2020

 
Picture
The Johnny Appleseed Educational Center & Museum is excited to announce April’s Virtual Storytime program!
 
Please join us on April 14th at 12pm for a special reading about a true tale of how the Golden Delicious apple came to be in the American heartland more than 100 years ago!

(No worries if you are unable to tune in at noon, the video will remain posted to the site.)
 
This program will include an engaging activity for the entire family to enjoy!
 
Be sure to follow us on Facebook at Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum for the Spring Storytime Program!
<<Previous
    Champaign Works job board
    Share Your News
    Browse Jobs
    Volunteer!

    Categories

    All
    4-H
    Agriculture
    Animals
    Aviation
    Careers
    Children
    County
    Education
    Fair
    Family Fun
    Food Scene
    Fundraiser
    Fun Things To Do
    Golf
    Health & Wellness
    History
    Internships
    Job Fair
    Key
    Key Industries
    Local Arts
    Monument Square District
    Neighborhood News
    Non Profit
    Non-profit
    On The Square
    Outdoors
    Parks
    Preservation
    Public Service
    Retail Shops
    Senior Citizens
    Shop Local
    Small Business
    State
    TechCred
    Visit
    Visit Champaign County
    Volunteering

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019

    RSS Feed

Picture
Jobs
News
Volunteer
Champaign Works
​3 Monument Square
Urbana, Ohio 43078
Champaign Economic Partnership Ohio
Champaign Works is supported by the Champaign Economic Parternship. Learn more at CEPOhio.com.
​
All drone photography courtesy of Jassen Dobyns of UAVisions LLC.

​Site powered by Berry Digital Solutions, LLC
​
Champaign County, Ohio
  • Home
  • Jobs
    • Post A Job
    • Internships
  • News
    • Share Good News
  • Volunteer
    • Share Volunteer Opportunities
  • About
    • Where We Work
    • Where We Learn
    • Where We Play
  • Contact
    • Champaign County on Facebook!