January 7, 2025 by

When you come to Cedarville, you’ll probably notice pretty quickly that it’s in a rural area! So, what is there to do at Cedarville? Way more than you’d think! Here’s my quick guide for places and activities to add to your Cedarville bucket list. 

Check Out Campus Activities  

Cedarville has so many campus activities planned for students. We receive an email called The Daily Buzz on weekdays with information about these events — make sure to always check your email! You can also check out the monthly event calendar to find out what is coming up! 

Some things you won’t want to miss include ALT Nights, sports games, worship nights, Thursday Night Live, and more! Thursday Night Live is a weekly event hosted by Cedarville’s student government association that celebrates and highlights various groups across campus, so the theme is always different. ALT Nights happen a few times per semester on a weekend night and are especially fun because the whole campus gets involved in fun activities together, like laser tag or pumpkin carving in the fall, a movie, and food trucks. Students can get together with friends and have a good time on campus. 

Also make sure to add Cedarville’s Got Talent and Elliv to your bucket list — these exciting events give students the chance to perform amazing acts for their peers to watch! 

Additional notable annual events include: 

  • Christmas Tree Lighting 
  • JS (junior/senior banquet) 
  • SoFresh (a party for freshmen and sophomores the same day as JS) 

Madie Clawson holding an ice cream cone during an Alt Night.

Explore Town 

If you want to go off campus but don’t want to travel too far, you should explore the Village of Cedarville! It’s an easy walk from campus and has so many fun shops. 

Coffee 

Beans n’ Cream, aka “Beans,” is one of my favorite places to go.  Beans is a delicious coffee shop with a relaxing atmosphere. It’s a great place to study or just escape from the busyness of college life. Another coffee shop is Orion Coffee and Tea. On Tuesdays, you can get a 10% discount with your student ID!  

Food 

There are also plenty of food options in town. Mom and Dad’s Dairy Bar and Grill across the street from the University is my favorite place to go. They have so many food options, and they serve delicious ice cream for cheap! If you enjoy Mexican food, go to Lola’s Mexican Restaurant. They have the best fried ice cream — you have to try it! Colonial Pizza is also a Cedarville classic. 

Activities 

There are so many other places to visit too! Explore the hiking trails of Clifton Gorge (and the restaurant, Clifton Mills, right next to it!), Indian Mound Reserve, and more. Hit up Dollar General and Cedarville Village Market at the Shell gas station right across the street from Cedarville to get basic necessities and goodies. Or stop by Second Act, the thrift store in town. 

You don’t have to go far to find something fun to do. On the first Saturday of each month, you can head to downtown Cedarville and participate in a Sidewalk Saturday. There are a wide variety of activities to enjoy, from line dancing to coloring to shopping local vendors and exploring the different businesses in Cedarville.  

You can’t go wrong with adding some of these places and activities to your bucket list! Make sure to visit town as much as you can and find out which places are your favorites.  

Travel to Nearby Cities 

Once you’ve done everything you can do in the Village of Cedarville, don’t worry, there are plenty of nearby cities with exciting and fun outings to try. 

Yellow Springs 

The closest city is Yellow Springs. It’s only 10 to 15 minutes away! Young’s Dairy is a must-visit in Yellow Springs. Not only does it have amazing ice cream, but it also has delicious food options, a petting zoo, and putt-putt golf! 

Xenia 

The city of Xenia is about 15 minutes away and has new food options and shopping like Walmart, Kroger, One Bistro, Coffee Hub, Bob Evans, and New China.  

Springfield 

If you drive a little farther, you’ll find Springfield, which is about 20 minutes away. It is situated next to a river, so it has plenty of fun beaches. On a warm day, try out Buck Creek with a group of friends. There are also plenty of restaurants! 

Beavercreek 

About 30 minutes away is Beavercreek, which is one of my favorite cities. Beavercreek has an outdoor mall called The Greene with so many fun shops. My friends and I love going to the Cheesecake Factory there! 

Dayton 

Driving more, you’ll find Dayton. It’s a more well-known area about 30 minutes away from Cedarville’s campus. Dayton is a fun city to explore, especially downtown, with museums, restaurants, events, and more. 

Centerville 

Last and farthest away, there is Centerville, which takes about 40 minutes to drive to. My favorite place in Centerville is Bill’s Donuts, which many students consider a Cedarville bucket list classic. Bill’s is open 24/7 and has delicious yet cheap donuts. You can get a good-sized donut for $1.20! 

Madie Clawson and her friends post for a photo at Bill's Donuts.

As you can see, there is plenty to do in and around Cedarville, especially if you’re willing to drive a little. I hope these outing ideas have given you a start to writing your Cedarville bucket list. Have fun! 

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