The Black Swamp Arts Festival is usually held every Labor Day Weekend in downtown Bowling Green, Ohio, which is just twenty miles south of Toledo. This is a celebration of many forms of art as well as the people who create it. The underlying purpose of this multifaceted event is to ultimately connect these talented artisans and creators with other artists as well as the public who are given the chance to purchase many of the paintings, sculptures and other pieces on display over the course of this three-day event. There is also live music, food and plenty of family-friendly activities that practically guarantee a splendid time for all.
The Toledo Walleye is an ECHL hockey team that plays at the Huntington Center. They are a farm team for the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Rockford Icehogs of the AHL, and the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL.
The Toledo Botanical Garden is a benchmark against which similar gardens are measured throughout the country, and with good reason. This is considered to be one of the pioneering gardens because of its dramatically beautiful visual and natural presentation. Fragrant meadows of sunflowers and wildflowers, rose gardens, herb gardens and sharply manicured walkways make spending time here something special for the entire family. Also, the kids will especially love visiting the recreated pioneer garden which many consider to be one of the site's main attractions.
Fans of nature and the great outdoors feel right at home at Toledo's Wildwood Preserve Metropark. This is one of the area's most visually stunning examples of a tall-grass prairie and all of the life and beauty that are associated with it. There are plenty of fun activities available here that include a boardwalk, a covered bridge, a 100-year-old schoolhouse and even a hiking trail that leads to the University Parks Trail.