Play in Wayne

Dining

Wayne County is known for its culinary delights, comfort food and homestyle cooking. From hometown bistros to five-star steakhouses, we pack a flavorful punch. Home to a variety of unique dining establishments, our diverse market offers various cuisines and menu styles that cater to the tastes and needs of a variety of diets.

In addition, Wayne County also has a growing market for craft beer, wine and spirits. You can enjoy a refreshing pint of locally brewed beer at one of our breweries, sip on a fine glass of wine at one of our beautiful vineyards or enjoy a signature cocktail at one of Wayne County’s very own craft distilleries.

Wooster’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) allows patrons of legal drinking age to purchase and enjoy an alcoholic beverage from a liquor-permitted establishment, then sip, stroll, shop and explore within the DORA boundaries.

Events & Parks

Home to the famous Rails to Trails system and a wide variety of other protected parks, Wayne County has an assortment of activities for any lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, boating, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, tennis or golf, Wayne County’s parks and other outdoor amenities provide year-round fun for everyone.

Sports enthusiasts will find Wayne County to be a haven with top notch sporting facilities including pools, an ice rink, country club, physical fitness centers, community recreation centers and horse stables. Additionally, there are running and biking clubs, yoga and cross-fit studios, all providing a bevy of fitness opportunities.

With an annual attendance exceeding 100,000 and known as “Ohio’s Foremost Agricultural Fair,” the Wayne County Fair is one of the many events residents and visitors enjoy throughout the year in Wayne County. Our local communities, along with Main Street Wooster host car shows, concerts and festivals. Get a taste of Wayne County by attending some of these fun, family events:

• Rogues’ Hollow Festival – Doylestown
• Sleepwalker Festival – Rittman
• Swampfest – Shreve
• Holiday Festival – Dalton
• Paint Township Fireman’s Festival – Mt. Eaton
• Orrville Rib and Music Fest – Orrville
• Orrville Firefighters Fire in the Sky July 4 Celebration – Orrville
• Johnny Appleseed Festival – Apple Creek
• Ox Roast – Creston
• Annual Garage Sales and Chicken BBQ – Smithville
• Arts and Jazz Festival – Wooster
• Woosterfest – Wooster

Check out other event listings by visiting waynecountyevents.com or the Wayne County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Arts & Culture

While close to the Cleveland, Akron and Canton urban communities and their many splendid offerings, Wayne County also offers much to satisfy your arts and cultural tastes. With a variety of quality programs, Wayne Countians have the opportunity to enjoy music, theater, dance, festivals, wine tastings and home and garden tours, to name a few.Concerts and performances representing all musical genres are music to our ears and are held regularly throughout the year by the Wayne Choral Union, Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Wooster Jazz Ensemble and others.The College of Wooster, one of the country’s leading private liberal arts schools, provides several lectures throughout the year, houses its own art gallery and is the site to a number of artistic performances each year. Founded by The College of Wooster in 1979, The Ohio Light Opera (OLO) is the only professional company in the U.S. entirely devoted to operetta and the finest lyric theatre pieces.

The Wayne Center for the Arts provides classes and workshops in a variety of art disciplines, including visual arts, pottery, music, theatre and dance. Free and open to the community, the Wayne Center for the Arts houses local, regional and national exhibits and hosts a wealth of special events. In addition, the center boasts its own pre-professional ballet company, the Wayne Center Ballet.

For history buffs, you can learn more about Wayne County’s history by visiting the Wayne County Historical Society or other historical societies scattered throughout the county. The Lincoln Highway Historic Byway also runs through Wayne County, along the route of America’s first transcontinental automobile route.

WOO FOR YOU

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Do you want to get involved with a local club or organization, but don’t know how? Each week, WOO FOR YOU focuses on one organization by sharing their mission, upcoming events, how you can join and more! Learn more about how to get connected.