Hidden Gems

Fat Ben’s Bakery

Fat Ben’s Bakery helped many in southwest Ohio survive the Covid-19 shutdown with their delicious home-baked boxes of treats. Fulfilling online orders for hungry customers around Cincinnati and Dayton, Ben Arington, the person behind Fat Ben’s Bakery, has mastered the art of hyper-realistic, creative cakes and treats.

Arington is making treats that are jaw-dropping. Some of his cakes include a truly realistic Paw Patrol puppy food bowl (complete with kibble), a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a Hot Wheels car on a race track, a full steak dinner, and a double-tiered Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book. The Fat Ben’s Bakery Instagram account (@fatbensbakery) is full of photos of unbelievably tasty-looking pastry pockets, cookies, pies and cakes. Their themed pastry boxes — boxes of baked goods that center on themes ranging from Britney Spears albums to Friends — are extremely popular and sell out online within minutes.

Arlington has a joyful passion for creating delicious treats, and especially for creating cakes that look like real food. He loves to get super creative for his customers. Think your idea is out of this world? Give Fat Ben’s Bakery a call.

fatbensbakery.com

Hol i day Bucket List

Our roundup of fun and festive things to do in Southwest Ohio this season.

The holidays are here, and there is no shortage of family activities to enjoy in Southwest Ohio. If you’re looking to add some Christmas fun to your month, here are some ideas to add to your family’s winter bucket list!

WORDS BY NICOLE SIPE

Visit with Santa

Santa is a busy guy — he has been spotted all over southwest Ohio! You’ll find Santa scuba diving all season long at the Newport Aquarium, or hanging out at the North Pole in Caesar Ford Park during ParkLights on Dec. 1. Meet and greet Woodland Santa on Dec. 17-18 at Yuletide Village: Season of Lights at Renaissance Park in Waynesville, or share a pizza lunch with Santa at Springfield Township Arts on Dec. 5.

Delight in Christmas Lights

See downtown streets transformed into an interactive, drive-thru light show with Dayton’s Downtown Jingle Lights, running through Jan. 1, 2022. At Coney Island, experience thousands of lights set to music with the drive-thru light show Christmas Nights of Lights. Or see Cincinnati Nature Center in a whole new light with Light in the Forest, happening all season long. Enjoy a Nutcracker Performance

The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition, and fortunately, there are many performances happening in our area. Watch Dayton Ballet remake this iconic classic from Dec. 10-19, or see The Nutcracker performed by Cincinnati Ballet alongside the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 16-26. For a fun twist on a classic, enjoy Dayton Live’s performance of The Hip Hop Nutcracker on Dec. 3.

Cut Your Own

Christmas Tree

There’s something magical about picking the perfect Christmas tree with your family and cutting it down yourself! Around southwest Ohio, you’ll find Bartels Farm in Hamilton, Timberland Tree Farm in Lebanon, Koch Christmas Trees in Okeana, Big Tree Plantation in Morrow, and Corsi Tree Farm in Hamersville, among others. Many of these tree farms also have family activities to enjoy during the weekends, too. Go Ice Skating

Bundle up and grab your skates! MetroParks Ice Rink in downtown Dayton is a great place to go ice skating and is open through February. (Bonus: The ice rink is sheltered under a covered pavilion.) Celebrate the last night of Hanukkah on Dec. 5 in downtown Cincinnati’s

Fountain Square, where there will be ice skating, ice bumper cars and other outdoor fun.

See the Holiday Trains

Christmas and trains are the perfect match! Check out

Holiday Junction featuring the

Duke Energy Holiday Trains at Cincinnati Museum Center through Jan. 3, or Bill Schott’s Holiday Train Display at Highfield Discovery Garden through Jan. 9. Or experience the largest indoor train display at

EnterTRAINment Junction’s

Christmas at the Junction, running through Jan. 2. Want to take a ride on a real train? Then all aboard the North Pole Express during an hour-long train ride starting at LM & M Railroad in Lebanon. Watch a Merry Movie

Holiday movies should be on every family’s bucket list! At The Neon in downtown Dayton, check out a family holiday movie on Dec. 4 (The Polar Express), Dec. 11 (A Christmas Story) and Dec. 18 (Jingle Jangle). Kids 12 and younger are free, and adults are only $2.

Shop at a Holiday Market

Find the perfect gift and help your local economy by shopping locally! You’ll find two great Cincy-area holiday markets this season with Findlay Market’s Holiday Market on Dec. 4-5, and The City Flea Holiday Market at Washington Park on Dec. 11.