Kick Off the Winter Season in Lorain County

In Lorain County, the twilight days of fall are reflected into the glassiness of Lake Erie – canoes docked on the shore await the arrival of outdoor lovers who love nothing more than a chilly morning spent dragging a paddle through the water. Nestled in Ohio’s lakefront region Lorain sits between Cleveland and downtown Amherst – a mid-west treasure close to beaches, dozens of parks, and boasts magical lighthouse views. Home to active lifestyle communities like K. Hovnanian’s Morningside at Martin’s Run, it’s a storybook location for baby boomers with the shores of the Great Lakes on their doorsteps, and as autumn begins to wind down, Lorain County gears up for some serious winter fun.

There’s nothing quite as cozy as being inside sipping wine on a cold winters day and Lorain County has one of the best wine trails in the country. Paper Moon Vineyards in nearby Vermillion pours award-winning wine and locally made hard cider and features live music from 6-9 every Friday and Saturday. Casual and inviting, John Christ Winery in Avon Lake is the perfect venue for any celebration with their beautiful, rustic tasting room and bar that’s open until midnight Friday and Saturdays.

There’s no question that the mid-west has some epic (knee deep in white) winters, but what better way to let it snow than to sport a pair of skis, snowshoes or feel like a kid again aboard a sled! The Lorain County Metro Park system has more than a dozen reservations including the popular sledding hills of Vermillion River and Carlisle Reservation, a perfect place for grown-ups to spend a day with the grandkids or indulge their own childhood dreams. Snow-shoers can roam to their heart’s content throughout any of the parks, but if a cross-country ski trek is on the itinerary, skiers can head to the 18-hole championship Forest Hills Golf Course that trades in golf carts for skis or to Schoepfle Garden where 70-acres of botanical beauty is transformed into a winter wonderland.

One of the highlights of living in Ohio is the beauty of all four seasons, and even when it dips well below freezing, Lorain County bundles up to celebrate with an array of winter events. From fun-filled holiday festivities, and live performances at the French Creek Theatre, to glittering ice sculpture mastery at the annual Ice-a-Fair festival on Main Street Vermillion, a Groundhog Day forecast of a longer winter is welcomed news in these parts.