Cold-weather activities: From ice bumper cars to igloo dining, there's plenty to do
On a recent weekday afternoon in Franklinton, a group of central Ohioans braved temperatures that had settled in the 30s, got behind the wheels of an array of red- and blue-colored bumper cars and proceeded to let off steam, reduce anxiety and simply have a fun time.
They were among those who have flocked to the latest outdoor activity at Land-Grant Brewing Company’s Gravity Experience Park, 98 McDowell St.
Among the attractions at the park and the adjacent Wintergarden are a pair of curling rinks, igloos that can be booked for two hours at a time and, of course, beer from Land-Grant on the premises.
But the ice bumper cars are what brought out Melissa Wasil of Hilliard and her grown daughter, Briana.
“It was fun — it was a lot of fun,” Melissa said. “They gave you great tips at the beginning. They told you to throw yourself forward, then throw yourself back, if you wanted to go faster.”
Each car can hold one individual age 5 and older; up to 10 cars at a time can fill the rink. Two other riders were on at the same time as the Wasils.
“I really like twirling it — you could hold (the toggles) and just keep going in a circle,” said Briana, who was home for winter break from college in New York.
Rachel Rudy, senior director of marketing and strategy at Land-Grant, said that sometimes riders can be a bit tentative about plowing into fellow riders.
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“You know the Midwestern (attitude): ‘Oh, sorry!’” Rudy said. “I’m like, ‘No — ram into them!’”
Large groups who have come together have no such trepidations, however.
“When you get a group that knows each other, it’s like all hell breaks loose,” Rudy said.
Short North resident Dale Saeger and his fiancee Megan Hughes went out on the ice as a couple.
“It makes you feel like a child again,” Saeger said.
Asked for advice for other first-timers, Hughes said to take gloves to keep hands warm while operating the cars.
“My little fingers are cold,” she said.
The ice bumper car rink has been operating since mid-November and should continue through mid-March. Chillers underneath the ice help keep the rink frozen, but it’s all dependent on the weather.
“If it’s a cold day but sunny, it’s hard to keep the ice pristine,” Rudy said.
Fortunately — in this case, anyway — winter in Ohio has plenty of gray days.
“We already had to open additional weekdays and then we’re expanding weekend hours, too, just to try to keep up with the demand,” Rudy said.
Currently, the rink can be booked Tuesdays through Sundays. Parties can book their rides on Land-Grant’s website, landgrantbrewing.com/bumper-cars/. The 10-minute sessions cost $10 per rider.
When the ice bumper cars are retired for the season, the area will be turned into pickleball courts, Rudy said.
But for now, the wintertime activities continue to be a draw.
“(We’re) always trying to come up with something new to entertain people,” Rudy said. “Drinking beer is great. However, I really feel like it’s the experiential piece that gets people out — especially in the middle of winter in Ohio.”
In addition to the activities at Land-Grant, here are some other wintertime outdoor options to pursue in the weeks and months ahead.
Go ice skating
As winter sports fans look forward to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which will take place later this month in Columbus, aspiring, amateur and strictly recreational ice skaters can lace up their skates at numerous area rinks and parks. OhioHealth Chiller Ice Rinks offers daily public skating at these locations: Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd.; Easton (3600 Chiller Lane), Dublin (7001 Dublin Park Drive), Lewis Center (8144 Highfield Drive) and Worthington (401 E. Wilson Bridge Road).
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Outdoor skating is offered at two spots in Dublin: the permanent Coffman Park Ice Rink, 5200 Emerald Parkway, and a temporary ice rink at Riverside Crossing Park, 6635 Riverside Drive.
For days, hours and admission for OhioHealth Chiller Ice Rinks, visit www.thechiller.com/public-skating/; for information on the outdoor ice rinks in Dublin, visit dublinohiousa.gov/recreation-services/parks/sledding-and-ice-skating/
Go sledding
Don’t keep your sled in the garage all winter. If central Ohio gets lucky with some snowfall soon (at least a couple of inches), a number of Columbus Metro Parks have sufficient topography for sledding. Free sledding is available at Battelle Darby Creek, 8465 Alkire Road, Galloway; Blacklick Woods, 6975 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg; Highbanks, 9466 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center; Quarry Trails, 2600 Dublin Road; Scioto Audubon, 400 W. Whittier St.; Scioto Grove, 5172 Jackson Pike, Grove City; Sharon Woods, 6911 Cleveland Ave.; and Walnut Woods, 6176 Lithopolis Road, Groveport.
For more information, visit www.metroparks.net/programs-and-activities/park-activities/#sledding.
Go cross-country skiing
With an adequate amount of snowfall (at least a couple of inches that can be traversed easily), all of the parks in the Columbus Metro Parks system allow cross-country skiing. Five parks — Battelle Darby Creek; Blendon Woods, 4265 E. Dublin-Granville Road; Glacier Ridge, 9801 Hyland Croy, Plain City; Highbanks; and Prairie Oaks, 3225 Plain City-Georgesville Road, West Jefferson — have trails set aside for the activity. For more information, visitwww.metroparks.net/programs-and-activities/park-activities/#cross-country-skiing.
Dine or drink outside (sort of)
During the brisk, blustery and sometimes downright frigid winter nights in Ohio, diners can avail themselves of outdoor dining and drinking while remaining toasty and cozy. Igloos are offered at a number of restaurants and bars throughout the area, including Land-Grant Brewing Company, 424 W. Town St. (landgrantbrewing.com/igloos/); Lumin Sky Bar and Kitchen, 517 Park Street (www.luminskybar.com/igloo-experience/); and Vaso Dublin, 6540 Riverside Drive, Dublin (www.vasodublin.com/igloos/).
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Looking for things to do outdoors in the winter? We have ideas
