Looking for some adventure during summer sessions? Or better – looking for some adventures while you finally get a break from classes for a couple months? Look no further. We’re making it easy for you to get in on the community fun, local sites, and summer festivals. Here are 10 fun things to get into in our little corner of Appalachia:
1. Athens Farmers Market & Athens Art Guild
Every Saturday morning from 9am to 12pm, you can find local produce, meats, meals, flowers, crafts, and much more at the Athens Farmers Market. And during the summer, the Art Guild is there, too! It’s a great way to start the weekend with fun, outdoor, community vibes.
- Location: Next to the Community Center on East State Street
- Pro Tip: Find the table with all the insane breads and pizzas, made by the owner of Avalanche Pizza (which you should also try) – you have never seen breads anything like these before. We’re talking leeks and potatoes stuffed in there, local sausage and fennel, even loaves with lox cooked in!
2. Local Music & Craft Cocktails at the Side Bar
The Side Bar is a newer spot tucked just off Court Street on East State, and they’ve got some delicious foods and absolutely top-notch cocktails. It’s an inclusive space for all, and there’s almost always local bands and musicians to experience, including free shows.
- Location: 24 E State St
- Pro Tip: The artichoke dip. Also, Tuesdays are half off wines.
3. Regional Art at the Dairy Barn Arts Center
The Dairy Barn is a regional art hub with exhibits from talented artists across southern Ohio and Appalachia. It’s also a relic of the Ridges from when it was a psych ward; they had their own dairy cow operation there at one time. Now, it’s a cultural cornerstone in the area – always good to check their site for upcoming events and shows.
- Location: 8000 Dairy Lane
- Find upcoming events and exhibitions at: https://dairybarn.org/
4. Local Museums Celebrating Southeast Ohio History
Experience the rich history of Athens and the surrounding area at one of the local museums. Bonus: you’re supporting local businesses and the preservation of history and culture, plus it’s the summer and no one’s going to make you write a paper about it. Check out:
- The Southeast Ohio History Center (24 W State St)
- Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery (67 Columbus Rd)
- OHIO Museum Complex & Outdoor Museum (Radar Hill Trail)
5. Stroud’s Run Hiking, Boating, Swimming, and Volleyball
There’s a bunch of stuff to do at Stroud’s Run State Park. Stroud’s Lake has a beach where people can hang, swim, play beach volleyball – whatever! You can rent boats at Stroud’s, too, and there are many hiking trails that span from an easy jaunt around the lake to a hilly adventure up on the slopes. It’s right outside of town but you feel in the middle of nowhere; it’s a nice little escape.
- Location: 11661 State Park Rd
- Pro Tip: Drive all the way to the end of the beach parking lot; the pavilion on the lake shore is the best place to watch summer sunsets, hands down.
6. Hocking Hills Gorgeous Waterfalls & Unique Geology
People come from all over the country to visit Hocking Hills State Park, located just a bit north of Wayne National Forest. Like, 230 million years ago, Ohio was part of a shallow inland sea that split North America in two. When the sea finally closed, the Black Hand Sandstone you see all over Hocking Hills was exposed, and all the erosion since that time has resulted in natural beauties like Ash Cave (also an old Native American gathering place), Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House, Old Man’s Cave, and quite a few other cool formations. Whether you love hiking, waterfalls, or are a geology nerd, it’s a fun day trip that’s only a 30-minute drive up the highway.
- Main entrance/visitor center: 19988 OH-664 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138
- Fun Fact: Old Man’s Cave is so named because an actual man lived in it… by choice. Richard Rowe, the OG Hocking Hills hermit, lived there in the early 1800s.
7. The Ridges Asylum, Nature Walk, & Kennedy Art Center
Opened in 1874, The Ridges was originally the Athens Insane Asylum. It is a Kirkbride plan, which was treatment based on humane care and fostering patient self-efficacy and ability to live in society. It was a self-sufficient campus – there was a coal plant, crops, The Dairy Barn (callback!).
Part of the Kirkbride method included surrounding patients in nature and beauty, which is why all that land behind the campus is still undeveloped. Walk the Radar Hill Trail; visit the Kennedy Art Museum, take a walk around the old buildings and soak in the history. It’s really cool and occasionally creepy.
- Main building/parking: 118 Ridges Circle, Building 4
- Fun Fact: The Ridges is one of only 12 surviving Kirkbride campuses, only one of which is truly a complete campus. The Trans‑Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV is the only truly intact, original campuses left of 75.
8. Wineries!
We have some really good wineries around here, and they’re less than 10-20 minutes from town. Visit:
- Shade Winery – handcrafted wines, mead, nosh, upscale American food
- Dutch Creek Winery – local mead, hard cider, pizzas, and a chance to spot Mothman in the tree line
- Pleasant Hill Vineyards – a sip, snack, and chill vibe with local wines and fancy apps
Bonus: Wolftree Winery makes some awesome wine and mead, too, but it only requires a trip to pretty much any grocery store in town to experience it. Drink it on the porch and binge some bad TV – it’s what summer is for!
9. ALL the Uptown Foods!
Athens is full of local restaurants with their own unique take on food – and it’s all good. Just keeping it to Court Street, there are a few local joints you simply can’t skip:
- Bagel Street Deli – the most unhinged (and satisfying) bagel sandwiches you’ve ever experienced
- O-Betty’s – handmade hot dogs, local beef, gourmet toppings, and late night fries
- Casa Nueva – locally-sourced, Southwest fusion vibes and an Athens staple
- Souvlaki’s – the best gyros, tzatziki, and spicy fries, plus late-night American staples
Pro tip: The more you go hiking the more excuses you can come up with to eat more delicious food. Work smart, not hard.
10. The Bars Are Awesome During the Summer
Something that’s great about Athens in the summer is that, since most of the students are gone, going to the bars becomes more of a community thing. You end up meeting new people and seeing them all the time because there aren’t many people out. It’s quieter and the weather is perfect for patios.
Also, DORA starts in May and goes on all summer, so you can carry drinks around uptown as long as you stay within the boundaries. Just saying.
Stick with this guide and you’ll have a top tier Appalachian summer in the coolest corner of Ohio. By the time the school year comes around, you’ll be refreshed and ready to get back into it. And while it’s not exactly the kind of adventure we’re talking about, you should definitely think about where you’re living Fall Semester. No, seriously – you should get on that before the best student apartments near campus and the bars are snatched up!