Summer fun is just ahead!!!

With Memorial Day weekend behind us, summer-fun planning has kicked into high gear just in time for the release of our printed calender of events!

This guide to music, crafts, events, festivals, fair food, and just plain fun is available at our tourist information center at 8025 Leavitt Rd.(Rte. 58) in Amherst. or request one by phone at 800.334.1673 and by email at visitors@visitloraincounty.com.

Our online calendar of events is available year round and is continually updated with things to see and do!

What type of events might bring one to Lorain County?

To name just a few...

The Lorain International Festival June 27-29 at Black River Landing, Lorain offering all day live entertainment, children's activities, over 100 ethnic foods and crafts.

The Ohio Scottish Games June 28 at the Lorain County Fairgrounds, Wellington has an array of competitions and demonstrations  to take in...from Highland Dance, heavy athletics to pipes and drums.

The Lorain County Fair August 18-24 at the Lorain County Fairgrounds, Wellington has something for everyone with big name entertainment in the Grandstand, truck pulls, combine derby, animals, rides, exhibits and food...we can never leave out fair food!

All of our events in Lorain County have a unique experience to offer. Start planning your trip to fun today. We have lodging to suit everyone's needs.


Looking forward to a fun-filled summer ahead!

Cool camps for the hot summer ahead

Whether you are visiting or local parents, we all struggle with the same thing... how to keep our children entertained in the summer months. We've put together a few cool camps for the hot summer ahead...check them out!

Camps for the arts...

FAVA Summer Camp

Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA) is a non-profit organization in Oberlin that strives to enhance the public's education in the visual arts. FAVA does many great things for our community that people of all ages enjoy! They are offering three day camps for children in grades kindergarten through fifth, the weeks of June 9^th, July 14 and August 18. Each day camp goes from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm. Each week's camp is different from the rest!

TrueNorth Cultural Arts is a group that does theater productions and classes, musicals, and fine arts shows at the Lorain County Metro Parks French Creek Nature and Arts Center in Sheffield Village. They offer several theater camps of different lengths and for different age groups. Your children can express themselves through performing arts this summer beginning June 9th. What a fun way for your children to meet new friends!

Outdoor adventure and nature camps...

Earth Camp at Common Ground

There is a fantastic outdoor educational camp located in Oberlin! Common Ground's Earth Camp is a week long day camp for children ages 6 to 12 and has six different weeks from June 23rd through July. Each week has a new theme so that if your child wants to attend more than one session they will learn new things! Earth camp helps children learn about the environment and themselves through the new experiences they will have each day. Common Ground also offers a Teen Leadership Camp for ages 13 to 16 that has six sessions. Teen Leadership Camp helps teens to learn new skills and develop a sense of belonging. Teens will participate in Adventure Challenge activities during the week to help the teens learn how they can reach their full potential. The purpose of this is to give teens a happier healthier life at home, school, and neighborhood.

The Lorain County Metro Parks offers a variety of week-long day camps starting June 9th. These camps are designed for children whose ages range from kindergarten to ninth grade. The different camp themes include an outdoor adventure camp, a fishing camp, birding camp and more! One thing each camp has in common is the incorporation of nature and the outdoors into daily activities.

Equine Differences hosts a Monday through Thursday camp each summer for children age 8 and up. The camp is designed to teach children what it is like to own, care for, and ride a horse. The camps begin June 23rd and run through August 7th. Camp begins at 9 am with feeding the horses.  Along with learning to ride there will be a veterinarian, saddle fitter, and a blacksmith that will speak to the campers. There are 4 to 6 children per session so if your child doesn't like large groups this would be the perfect camp to sign up for!

The YMCA offers week-long day camps at the Avon, French Creek center and the Vermilion center for children pre-school through age 12 beginning June 9th from 7 am to 6 pm. These camps even include field trips. Each week has a specific theme for children to learn new things each week! If your child needs a fun-filled day that is scheduled this is the camp for you!

The City of Elyria's department of Parks and Recreation has week-long Reach & Rise summer camps starting June 10th. Each week has a different theme, from science to arts & music. There are camps for children as young as 6 and up to age 17. Camps are offered with varying start times, if your child isn't a morning person then Reach & Rise may be just the right fit.

And for the history buffs...

Your children (ages6-12)  can take a week long step back in time with Amherst Historical Society's Youth History Program - Exploring History Through Young Eyes.  The 2 hour long day camp runs August 14-18 where your children can explore Ohio history through hands-on activities

Follow the Fish!

This week Kaitlin and I were out and about in Lorain County, just running a few errands for the office, and it ended up being a really exciting day thanks to Follow the Fish Art and Adventure Trails! This was the first fish we ran across as we were walking in downtown Oberlin. It's right in front of the Oberlin Business Partnership.

Driving through Lorain we came across another fish. This one was quite a bit bigger than the first one of the day, and a lot more colorful! It's right by a stoplight, so when I saw it I excitedly scrambled for a camera from the passenger seat to get a quick picture while we were stopped. Check it and other great Lorain County sights on out Instagram page!

Later as we were making our way down Broadway we were lucky enough to spot the Follow the Fish store front, and a few of their neighbors have fish on display as well! It's such a unique experience to be driving through a city and see a piece of one of a kind locally made artwork directing you towards an awesome local business you may not have otherwise seen!

Our next stop was back to the VLC office where we were greeted by our own fishy friend. He's been hanging out here all summer!

You really never know where you'll come across one of these fish, whether you seek them out or just happen to bump into one like Kaitlin and I did this week or when we were out writing this blog post. We've only shown you a handful of the fish, so you'd better get out there and find some for yourself! You can find the locations online, or stop in to our tourist information center at 8025 Leavitt Road, Amherst OH to pick up a copy of the Follow the Fish Art and Adventure Trail guide.

Where have you been seeing fish around the county? Let us know in the comment section!

~Melody

The Interns Learn What's "SUP"

We Visit Lorain County interns (or "funductors") had another exciting adventure! We hit the water on Lakeview Beach in Lorain to check out stand up paddling (SUP) with Lake Erie Paddler.

Jim teaching on the beach

When Kaitlin and I first arrived on the beach, we watched Jim Lawhead, the founder of Lake Erie Paddler, teach his last class of the day to kids of the Outdoor Adventure Camp through the Lorain County Metroparks. The kids got a lesson on where to be on the board, how to paddle, and how to stand up once they got on the water. After the kids came in from their little trip around the cove, we got to chat with them for a while. One boy excitedly told us about how he loved paddle boarding so much he was asking for a board for his next birthday. Other kids talked about how they were nervous at first, but once they actually did it they realized it was much easier than they thought, and a lot of fun! We also asked the group what their favorite parts were and some of the answers were bouncing on the waves, the challenge when waves rocked their board a bit, or just everything about it!

Jim helping the kids get  settled on their boards

After watching the kids have a blast on the water, we decided to try it for ourselves! Read on for our reactions from our day on the water!

Kaitlin

The interns out on the water

Paddle boarding was so much easier than I thought it would be! I was a little nervous on the drive over, not knowing what to expect. When we first got there I took some photographs of the kids getting ready and actually paddling out on the water. It was fun to see their excitement to try something new! Seeing all of the kids falling into the water made me a bit apprehensive, but after we watched a little closer, it seemed that most of the kids who fell in were being pushed. I'm glad that Melody and I weren't into rough housing on the water! Our instructor, Julie, showed us the basics and had us go out pretty quickly. After our lesson, it seemed that the best way to get better was to practice! I had so much fun! It was great to just relax and float around out on the water. The great thing about SUP is that anyone can do it, which I found out on first hand on our trip! Out of everything to do at Lakeview beach, Melody and I definitely had the best time with Lake Erie Paddler!

Melody

Melody, Kaitlin, and instructor Julie enjoying the lake

Ok, I officially have the best summer internship there is. Going paddle boarding was one of the most fun things I've gotten to do all summer. I was a little hesitant when we first got to the beach (mostly because I had a meeting pretty soon after, and didn't particularly want to get my hair wet) but it looked so fun I couldn't justify hanging out on the beach and just watching. And, as it turned out, I managed to stay dry above my knees, so don't even try that excuse ladies! We were off after a quick lesson from Jim's right hand girl Julie, who is not only a SUP instructor but also really talented in other water sports like kite boarding and surfing! When I first pushed off I had a hard time finding my balance, but once I relaxed and settled into it, it was great! I had so much fun out on the water, and I'd love to get out there and try it again sometime. I have to admit- it's a little addicting.

There you have it! It's a pretty clear consensus; stand up paddling is an awesome way to spend a day. We officially give Lake Erie Paddler the funductor seal of approval! Check 'em out next time you're planning a family day, birthday party, or maybe even date! When you're ready to plan your day with them, make your reservation by calling 440.935.9291 or emailing lakeeriepaddler@gmail.com.