Events Calendar for the Hocking Hills Region
| Sep 2 (Thu) | Hidden Hocking: Broken Rock Falls 10 am. Come and see something off the beaten path. Join us for a hike through Old Man's Cave to the little visited Broken Rock Falls and see what makes this place so special. Meet the naturalist at the Naturalist Cabin located behind the Old Man's Cave Visitor Center. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 2 (Thu) | Jeweled Dragons 2 pm. Join the naturalist for a closer look at Hockings not so mythical dragonflies and damselflies. These flying, crawling and swimming insects lead an amazing life that we can peak in on. Meet at the main playground in the camp (near site #143) for a short stroll down to Rose Lake. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 3 (Fri) | Scalawags & Renegades 2 pm. The Ohio Frontier was full of heroes and shady characters. Meet at the Shelter House at the Rock House to hike and explore our local history. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 3 (Fri) | Historic Lantern Tour of Ash Cave 8 pm. The mystery of Ash Cave is special as far back as the last ice Age and beyond. Join the naturalist in the parking lot area to explore Ash Cave by lantern light and learn this special history first hand. We supply the lights . . . you supply the imagination. (Please no pets at the lantern tour.) Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 3 (Fri) Sep 4 (Sat) Sep 5 (Sun) Sep 6 (Mon) | Labor Day Retreat 7 pm Fri. Opening reception and campfire. $375 includes two full days of instruction, three nights in a shared cabin, a Friday night marshmallow roast, live music Saturday night and a Sunday night cookout. Private rooms in the lodge are available for an extra fee. Ages: 18 & up. Touch the Earth Adventures invites you to a weekend-long retreat celebrating the spirit of the region’s Appalachian roots. Combining nature-based adventure with traditional craftsmanship, music and plenty of laughter, participants create their own adventure from a menu of educational workshops taught by professional instructors. Learn the basics of backpacking, nature photography, kayaking and birding, or study the skills of beading or crafting your own handmade paper. Saturday night features an unforgettable merging of acoustic guitar, clawhammer banjo and hammered dulcimer from celebrated musicians Steve and Ruth Smith, whose style of Celtic and Appalachian music has been featured on XM Radio and NPR. Don’t miss this incredible weekend of relaxation, learning, friendship and nature. Cost: $375 per person Contact: Touch the Earth Adventures | Arts/Music/Film Outdoor Activity Special Interest ![]() |
| Sep 4 (Sat) | Flaming Torchlight Canoe Trip 6:30pm - 11:00pm Night time on the Hocking River is magical, and nothing is more exciting than experiencing it by torchlight: flickering flames reflecting on rippling water, golden eyes blinking from surrounding trees, all bathed in a surreal, golden glow. For romantics, friends and families, the river by torchlight is an unforgettable delight. A roaring campfire greets your return, with refreshments and entertainment. A roaring campfire greets your return, with refreshments and entertainment. Cost: $40 per canoe Contact: Hocking Valley Canoe Livery | Outdoor Activity![]() |
| Sep 4 (Sat) | 3rd Annual John Sowers Memorial Games All Day. 3rd Annual John Sowers Memorial Games. Call for details. Cost: Free Contact: Lake Alma, Phone: 740-384-4474 | Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 4 (Sat) | Hockings Birds of Prey 2 pm. Join the naturalist at the Naturalist Cabin for a closer look at Ohio's winged predators. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 4 (Sat) | Mystery Movies in the Campground 8 pm. Is it Disney, Warner Brothers or MGM? . . . Come to the amphitheater located near the pool area and find out. Enjoy a family fun movie under the stars. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 4 (Sat) | The Wonders of Old Man's Cave 10 am. Meet the naturalist at the Naturalist Cabin for a short hike and discover some facts about the history of the area and the rock formations that are found throughout the park. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 9 (Thu) | Furs, Feathers, Feet & Fangs 1 pm. Join the naturalist at the Camp Amphitheater to discover the many special wildlife adaptations and discuss how to search for signs of the many species here at Hocking Hills. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 9 (Thu) | The Hot Seats - FREE Outdoor Concert 7 pm. Our FREE Outdoor Concert Series continues with The Hot Seats from Richmond, Virginia! Come on down to the Stuart's parking lot for a great evening of free music in the outdoors! We'll have a beer garden too. The Hot Seats were formed eight years ago (2002) in Richmond, VA as a good-time band between new friends, many of whom were exploring a genre unknown to them on equally novel instruments. It started with weekly gig, rapidly followed by trips out of town, festival appearances, longer tours, new music, new influences, competition-winning performances (both individually and as an ensemble) three critically acclaimed trips to the UK, and five albums. With each year and step forward, the band has honed a focus on the traditions from which it draws, and a tongue-in-cheek irony more comparable to Jonathan Swift than to South Park. For more information, visit www.thehotseats.net Cost: Free Contact: Stuart's Opera House | Arts/Music/Film Outdoor Activity ![]() |
| Sep 10 (Fri) | Haunted Hocking: Spirits of Rose Lake 8 pm. Is Rose Lake really haunted or could it be something else? Join the naturalist and the Haunted Hocking "HHIT" team at the Rose Lake dam to explore the possibilities. (This program does contain ghost stories, so parents, you know your children best and should decide if it is appropriate. Please, no pets at Haunted Hocking.) Organized by: Hocking Hills State Park Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Outdoor Activity![]() |
| Sep 11 (Sat) | The Creatures of Rose Lake 9 am. Join the naturalist at the Camp Shelter area to explore around Rose Lake in search of who might use Rose Lake as their home. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 11 (Sat) | Hocking Riverfest & Canoe Race 9 am - 7 pm. Canoe Race- 9 am. 5 miles on the Hocking River, Cash prizes. Registration fee required. Electro shocking demonstration. Kid's games and activities. Games with prizes, corn hole, coloring pages, nature crafts and activities. Live music. Discounted canoe trips and sales. Enjoy Folk Music with the Foothill Folk Society - a Chillicothe based music group. Bluegrass that will get your toes a tappin'. Sing along, dance in the aisles or just enjoy the lively bluegrass music from our local crew. How many fish in the River? Come and see as the division of Wildlife brings many of the different fish species of the Hocking River in for an up close and personal observation during the Electro Shocking Demonstration. Cost: Free Event, Race fees Contact: Hocking Hills Canoe Livery | ![]() |
| Sep 11 (Sat) | Printing with Nature 2 pm. Join the naturalist at the Naturalist Cabin located behind the Old Man's Cave Visitor Center to learn how to make your own nature prints using natural objects and ink. All materials provided. Hey kids, for a special treat bring along $10 and do your printing on your very own souvenir T-shirt. (T-shirt not required to participate. ) Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 12 (Sun) | Stuart's FREE Outdoor Concert Series 7 pm. The weather is getting warm and that always means it is time for Stuart's to move our shows out of the theater and into our parking lot for our Free Outdoor Concert Series! Shows will take place in June, July, August and September and Free and open to everyone, no tickets needed. Cost: Free Contact: Stuart's Opera House | Arts/Music/Film![]() |
| Sep 14 (Tue) | Ladies' Evening Float Trip 6-9 pm. Enjoy the most scenic stretch of the Hocking River. Canoes and kayaks will launch in Rockbridge and finish in Enterprise. Paddlers can stop and hike across Ohio's largest natural rock bridge at Rockbridge State Nature Reserve. Basic paddling instruction is available for first timers. Refreshments served. Reservations recommended. Cost: $25 per person Contact: Hocking Hills Canoe Livery | Outdoor Activity![]() |
| Sep 16 (Thu) | Cedar Falls Stroll 2 pm. Join the naturalist to explore Cedar Falls and discover the unique natural & cultural history of this area of the park. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 16 (Thu) | Junior Brown 8 pm. Stuart's is thrilled to welcome back Junior Brown to our stage. Following years as Austin's best-kept secret, then a few more as the town's one must-see act for visiting musicians and label heads, Junior Brown and his music have since found an audience far beyond the Lone Star border. Junior's first two albums (12 Shades of Brown and Guit With It) have helped establish him as a crowd favorite from Texas roadhouses to the hippest clubs of New York City and Europe. Cost: $20-$33 per person Contact: Stuart's Opera House | Arts/Music/Film![]() |
| Sep 17 (Fri) | Hocking's Wildlife 2 pm. Join the naturalist at the camp amphitheater to explore and take a closer look at some of our native residents. Naturalist will be available to explain and answer questions. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 17 (Fri) | Rose Lake Canoe Excursion 6 pm. Join the naturalist and the Hocking Hills Canoe Livery for a naturalist guided trip around Rose Lake. The trip will take approximately one hour and will cover many aspects of canoeing safety while we search the lake for wildlife. Space is limited so you must pre-register at the camp office prior to the event. We will meet at the dam at Rose Lake. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 22 (Wed) Sep 23 (Thu) | Kayak in the Full Moon Times will vary, call first. The Native Americans gave names such as flower, harvest and hunter's to each month's full moon. Come marvel as the moonlight dances on the water, and share in the celebration of this natural wonder with a peaceful paddle, guided by the full moon's light. No experience necessary. Reservations required. Cost: $40 / $20 with your own kayak Contact: Touch the Earth Adventures | Outdoor Activity![]() |
| Sep 24 (Fri) | Richard Buckner Backstage Show 8 pm. THIS IS A BACKSTAGE SHOW, SEATING IS LIMITED TO 75 PEOPLE. Rhapsody calls Richard Buckner "One of America's most unrecognized songwriting talents, Richard Buckner tells dusty tales of fortune and failure with uncommonly disarming conviction. With a voice that seems to channel the heartsick and fallen ghosts condemned to stir from one empty shot glass to the next, Buckner entrances all in earshot with his captivating and beguilingly simple poetics." We couldn't agree more. Don't miss a chance to see this great songwriter at a special backstage performance! Cost: $12-14 per person Contact: Stuart's Opera House | Arts/Music/Film![]() |
| Sep 25 (Sat) | Michelle Shocked at Stuart's 8 pm. Stuart's proudly welcomes acclaimed singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked! Shocked is a traveler and a troubadour; a “picker-poet,” as they say in Texas who describes herself as "the most sophisticated hillbilly you'll ever meet." As a young feminist, she left Texas to travel, Kerouac-style, a musical vagabond caught up in Reagan-era grassroots politics. After 23 years playing music and over a dozen albums she still is doing what she does best: making records and playing shows all around the world. Michelle will be touring with a band and is slated to return to her roots, playing much of the music from her Short, Sharp, Shocked and Arkansas Traveler records. Tickets Info: $30 Box Seats $25 Floor Seats $20 Balcony. Tickets are available immediately. Cost: $20-$30 Contact: Stuart's Opera House | Arts/Music/Film![]() |
| Sep 25 (Sat) | Fall Harvest Moon Canoe Trip 7 pm. Enjoy nature at its best, when the leaves and seasons are changing. Top off this enchanting experience under a full moon on the Hocking River. Join us afterward for refreshments and live entertainment. Cost: $35 per person Contact: Hocking Valley Canoe Livery | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 25 (Sat) | End of the Year River Clean Up 8 am. No, it's not another household chore - the River Clean Up is fun! Join your friends on the river to help preserve the Hocking's natural beauty. Everything is provided, from canoes to trash bags. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Valley Canoe Livery | Outdoor Activity![]() |
| Sep 25 (Sat) | Birding by Kayak 4:30pm - 7:30pm. Trip lasts three hours. Kayak quietly to inlets and birding spots to enjoy osprey, heron, red headed and various woodpeckers, warblers and song birds of every description. Held on lakes and waterways of Southeast Ohio and led by Julie Davis, President of Columbus Audubon. Identify by sound and sight. No experience necessary. Reservations required. Cost: $40 / $20 with your own kayak Contact: Touch the Earth Adventures | Wildlife Outdoor Activity ![]() |
| Sep 25 (Sat) | Moonlight Tour at Hocking Hills Canoe Livery 7-11:00pm Paddle your canoe from sunset to moonlight, using the light of the moon as it reflects on the water. Your trip ends at the livery with a roaring bonfire, s'mores and a local bluegrass band for your enjoyment. Reservations highly recommended. Meet at the livery at 7:00 p.m. and be sure to bring a flashlight. Cost: $35 per canoe for two people Contact: Hocking Hills Canoe Livery | Outdoor Activity![]() |
| Sep 26 (Sun) | Birding by Kayah: A.M. Adventures 7:30 - 10:30 am. Julie Davis, president of Columbus Audubon, leads us into the nooks and crannies of serene waterways in search of birds large and small. No experience necessary. Reservations required. Cost: $40 / $20 with your own kayak Contact: Touch the Earth Adventures | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |
| Sep 30 (Thu) | Scott Miller Backstage Show 8 pm. THIS IS A BACKSTAGE CONCERT, SEATING IS LIMITED TO 75 PEOPLE. Scott Miller blends folk and rock like there ain’t no words for. The power of storytelling with the power of a compressed electric guitar comes through this Virginian not heard since the likes of Wayne Newton (fellow Virginian) or The Statler Brothers (also of the Commonwealth.) And it's backstage! Cost: $12-14 per person Contact: Stuart's Opera House | Arts/Music/Film![]() |
| Sep 30 (Thu) | The Wonders of Old Man's Cave 10 am. Meet the naturalist at the Naturalist Cabin for a short hike and discover some facts about the history of the area and the rock formations that are found throughout the park. Cost: Free Contact: Hocking Hills State Park | Wildlife Outdoor Activity Family Oriented ![]() |



