While shopping and dining are high on everyone’s list, arts and culture are equally as important. Findlay and Hancock County are home to many great theater and art programs throughout the year. Whether you are enjoying a show in the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts or Fort Findlay Playhouse, and whether you are enjoying a production featuring University of Findlay students, community actors or YouTheatre actors, you will be blown away by the talent right here in Hancock County.
Live music is popular at several spots in Findlay; stop by nearly any local restaurant on a weekend and enjoy your dinner or drinks with a side of crooning. Art lovers of all ages and tastes will enjoy the art shows hosted by the Findlay Art League, browsing the open galleries in the Jones Mansion or taking a class at one of the many downtown art studios. Plus, there are many events that are designed with the art and music lover in mind.
ArtWalk, which periodically throughout the year, is enjoyable for all. Browse downtown galleries and shops for different displays, demonstrations and shows. Summer music events are plentiful, and include weekly lunchtime concerts, mid-week outdoor Riverside Concert Series and end-of-week celebration Rally in the Alley all provide music to all ages.
There are also opportunities to celebrate history and culture in Hancock County. Visit the Hancock Historical Museum to learn about the history of the area. Different displays showcase the origins of Hancock County, with special exhibits featuring Hancock County conductors of the Underground Railroad, the oil boom of the 1800s, Findlay Glass and more – including a bathtub from the USS Maine, with a very interesting back story.
The Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center is a Findlay gem, serving as a lending library and teaching museum, housing artifacts and resources about different cultures. It’s also home to the Smithsonian Institute’s Black Wings exhibit, the only library or museum in the world to be awarded so. The Black Wings exhibit features African-American aviators from early pioneers to the esteemed WWII Red Tails Tuskegee Airmen, up to the Space Shuttle Program. They also frequently host events during cultural holidays, like Kwanzaa, Cinco de Mayo and Juneteenth, and are supporters of International Day, which is put on by the University of Findlay.