Welcome to Hillsdale, Michigan. Population: quite small. Entertainment: check the SAB calendar. Sights to see: not many.
As someone who has lived in a small town in Michigan for my whole life, I understand the plight that Hillsdale students face when it comes to finding something to do on the weekend. But never fear, compiled here is a list of some nearby opportunities for entertainment, because all students should get to know where they are living during their four years of college.
If you are missing the city life and need to make a Target and Chick-fil-A run, Jackson is for you. Only 45 minutes away, it is the closest city for entertainment, chain retail, and food. The city itself isn’t the most charming, but when the Olive Garden cravings hit, Jackson will satiate your desires.
ProEdge Arena in Osseo offers a Christian rodeo, providing you with a fun outing to lean into the country aesthetic of the surrounding area. The drive is only 11 minutes, making it a perfect weekend getaway. Other surrounding towns will also host rodeos or fairs throughout the fall; my hometown of Charlotte, Michigan, is no exception, so my friends and I have made an annual trip to the rodeo one of our yearly traditions.
Michigan is home to many charming small towns with attractions more than just cornfields and livestock, one of my favorites being Chelsea. Located an hour away, it has the charm of Stars Hollow, especially in the fall. Chelsea has adorable boutiques, good only for window shopping (unless you are independently wealthy), but the local restaurants provide ample opportunities for dates somewhere outside of the small Hillsdale bubble. Although it may seem far to drive an hour for dinner, Chelsea is a perfect place to get a taste of adorable small-town Michigan.
Just about 15 minutes further east from Chelsea on I-94 is Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, but more importantly, some amazing coffee shops, bookstores, and entertainment options. Ann Arbor is the classiest “city” near Hillsdale, providing you the ability to explore a city where you won’t run into your professors or classmates, no matter where you go. The Dawn Treader Book Shop is a favorite of mine, as well as a stop at Cherry Republic to snag some free samples. As a coffee addict, each trip to Ann Arbor means a chance to try a new cafe. Music lovers can find small concerts or music nights to attend with a quick Google search, and art lovers can peruse the University of Michigan Art Museum’s impressive collection for free. A tried and true weekend spot, Ann Arbor is a favorite day-trip getaway for Hillsdale students seeking something more exciting.
If you’re seeking the excitement of a full stadium of sports fans eagerly cheering for a team they love, or against a team they hate, there are many college, professional, and semi-pro teams around the Hillsdale area. A two-hour drive to Detroit brings students ample options of pro sports: Tigers baseball, Lions football, Pistons basketball, and Red Wings hockey. If you don’t want to spend a month’s worth of rent on tickets and gas money to a professional sporting event, check out nearby semi-pro teams, like the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team or the Motor City Cruise G League basketball team.
Making that two-hour drive to Detroit might be worth it to art or culture-loving students, as the Detroit Institute of Arts is one of the best art museums in the country. This museum boasts more than 65,000 works and artifacts, and was the first U.S. museum to acquire a work by Vincent Van Gogh, which still hangs in the museum today. With such a rich disposal of culture at their fingertips, students should set aside at least one weekend during their time at Hillsdale to explore and enjoy this museum.
If you are looking to immerse yourself in culture, a quick hour and a half drive up US-127 will take you to Lansing, the state capital, and home to the Wharton Center. This is a bit of a more expensive experience, but the Wharton Center provides the opportunity to see professional plays, ballets, orchestra performances, comedy routines, and traveling Broadway musicals. Located in East Lansing on Michigan State University’s campus, there are many options for dinner before or after a show.
Tickets may be more expensive or hard to get, but if you are looking for professional entertainment, the Wharton Center will not disappoint.
Thrill seekers, don’t worry, there is an incredible opportunity for you, too. Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, boasts 18 world-class rollercoasters and countless other rides perfect for adrenaline junkies of all levels. Although it is a bit more than a two-hour drive from Hillsdale, this destination is worth the journey if students are seeking to blow off some steam with exhilarating, high-speed rollercoasters and fried food. Bonus: they are also hosting HalloWeekends featuring outdoor scare zones and indoor haunted houses to bring the spooky season alive.
While living in the “Great Lake State,” all students should make the trip and visit Lake Michigan. St. Joseph, Michigan, is a two-hour drive from Hillsdale that will deliver the beach town vibes that all lake towns must have. Especially in the fall, students should venture over to the west coast of the state and enjoy a walk along the beach and the fall foliage. If you are seeking a longer weekend getaway in the fall atmosphere, a longer drive to Holland, or even Traverse City, offers the quintessential Michigan beach town experience and beautiful trails for hikes in the fall colors.
Being in college is a bigger experience than just studying on campus. Despite the busyness of Hillsdale life, students should make time to get to know the state that they live in and to explore some of the opportunities at their fingertips. Start planning your fall break trip, get those weekend plans out of the group chat, or ask that girl out on a date, and explore the state you currently call home.
