It's 419 Day (April 19th)! Today is our unofficial holiday and we want to celebrate everything we love about Northwest Ohio! There are many reasons to love the 419, but we narrowed it down to 8 key reasons. Check them out below:
Our History
Northwest Ohio is rich with history and we have plenty of areas that help educate everyone. Learn about the War of 1812 when you visit Fort Meigs in Perrysburg and Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial Monument on Put-In-Bay. Travel back in time to Sauder Village, Ohio's largest historic village depicting life in the 1800s, located in Archbold. Want to learn more about the Civil War? Visit Johnson's Island, Ohio's most significant Civil War site that served as a POW camp for Confederate soldiers.
The Drinks
The brewing scene in Northwest Ohio is BOOMING! Craft beer fans can enjoy NWO themed beers from Toledo's Maumee Bay Brewing Company or Tiffin's Laird Arcade Brewery. Ohio's IPA Brewery of the Year, Twin Oast Brewing, is also located in the 419. Want something different? Try the mead options at Four Fires Meadery. We also boast great distilleries like Toledo Spirits Company and Six-Fifths Distilling.
For wine connoisseurs, the 419 also has many wineries for you to visit. The Chateau Tebeau in Helena has a huge selection of award winning wines and ciders. Have an American themed glass of wine while you relax at American Winery in Wauseon. Take a tour of Heineman's on Put-In-Bay, where you'll also get to see the Crystal Cave (the world's largest geode) which is housed right under the winery!
Our Outdoor Spaces
Where do we begin with the outdoor scenery? We are home to the #1 park system in America, Metroparks Toledo. Stroll through Schedel Arboretum & Gardens, a 17 acre garden
estate filled with exotic plants and up to 10,000 annual plants and flowers. Journey into the Seneca Caverns, one of Ohio's largest underground caverns. Visit the Glacial Grooves, a National Natural Landmark that draws all kinds of visitors to Kelley's Island.
Enjoy the NWO scenery by visiting the beaches along Lake Erie. Rent a kayak and explore the Auglaize River, the Maumee River, or Lake Erie's Water Trails. In the winter months, you can even go ice fishing on Lake Erie.
The Arts
Murals, sculptures, galleries, the 419 has so many great ways to celebrate the arts! When you visit the Toledo Museum of Art, you get to see 45 galleries worth of work, a sculpture garden, an area devoted to glass, and you can also take art classes! You can catch
a show at the historic Huber Opera House and Civic Center in Defiance County. Visit the Charles Herndon Galleries on Kelley's Island to see a beautiful sculpture garden.
The 419 also has popular art based events like the Annual Put-In-Bay Music Festival and the Tiffin Art Festival. We're also home to Ohio's largest free live music festival the Black Swamp Arts Festival, a 3-day live music and art festival in Bowling Green.
Our Events
Speaking of events, we'd be remiss if we didn't include the incredible events as a reason why we love the 419! The Glass City Balloon Race in Rossford featuring 20 hot air balloons is a must-see for all ages! Foodies will love the Defiance RibFest, Downtown Fremont's Chocolate Walk, and the Bacon Fest at Kelley's Island. Kids will love Pettisville's Friendship Days and Downtown Tiffin's Summer Stroll. The 419 is also home to Jeep Fest in Toledo and the National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green!
You can also find great sporting events here. There's a diverse array of amateur sports including baseball, fishing, cheerleading, soccer and more as well as the professional sports teams: Toledo Mud Hens and Toledo Walleye. We even have the Battle of I-75 rivalry, that pits Bowling Green State University against the University of Toledo!
Our Local Businesses
The 419 has so many great local shops and eateries to love! We have nationally known restaurants like Tony Packo's Cafe, Toft's, and Grounds for Thought. Get your music fix by browsing vinyl records at Culture Clash Records or by purchasing a new instrument at Forte Music. Enjoy delicious food while playing classic arcade games at Reset. We also has out-of-this-world fine dining experiences when you visit Scarpetta's, Stella's, and J Bistro. Show your love of the 419 by purchasing swag from Jupmode or a local artist at Handmade Toledo.
Our Family Fun Activities
When people think about family fun in the 419, they think of Cedar Point, Kalahari, and the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium first, but there's so much more! The 419 has tons of farms where you can pick your own flowers, berries, apples, pumpkins, and trees. Test out your golf skills and new equipment at Cutting Edge Golf in Archbold. Enjoy a day of putt-putt, go-karting, and laser tag at Putt Putt Golf & Games. Go on a drive-thru safari at the African Safari Wildlife Park. Let your inner scientist shine while you and your family enjoy the Imagination Station.
Northwest Ohio also has loads of niche museums for every taste. Learn about the Great Lakes at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. Explore 30 acres of land filled with historical construction equipment at the National Construction Equipment Museum. Discover the history of the carousel at the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky.
Its Residents
Okay, this one sounds cheesy, but we mean it when we say the residents of Northwest Ohio are a big reason to love the 419! A truly great place is born from the spirit of the people that live there and the residents here share that with pride. By sporting awesome 419 themed swag and sharing photos of their favorite places on the #visitnwohio and #igers_nwo handles, to supporting all of the great businesses and lifting each other up during the pandemic, the residents of the 419 love showing off the spirit of Northwest Ohio and we are here for it!
Happy 419 Day from all of us at Visit Northwest Ohio! Share with us your favorite spots to visit in the 419 by using the hashtag #visitnwohio.