Be seen!
As you make your way through the list of must-do Woodlands activities, be part of the social media community by sharing your photos on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to tag your photos with #TheWoodlandsBucketList. Later this summer the Community Impact Newspaper team will choose its favorite pics to run in our print edition.
Get out
There are 110 parks located throughout The Woodlands with 13 parks offering swimming pools and splashpads. Enjoy a picnic, a swim or take the kids to play on the playgrounds that many of the parks offer. The Woodlands parks map, which features park locations and amenities, is available at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
Get patriotic
The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau hosts the Red, Hot and Blue festival annually on July 4. The event attracts thousands of visitors to Town Green Park, located at 2099 Lake Robbins Drive. The event features concessions, games, activities and events for the entire family, including hot dog- and watermelon-eating contests. The days activities are capped off by a fireworks show at dusk. A list of activities, available parking and event times and locations is available at www.redhotandblue.com.
Go kayaking
The Riva Row Boat House, located at 2101 Riva Row, offers kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding excursions along The Woodlands Waterway and Lake Woodlands. Single kayaks are available to rent for $15 for the first hour and $5 for each additional hour while tandem kayaks are $20 for the first hour and $5 for each additional hour. Riva Row Boat House is open through Aug. 23 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, but is closed on Wednesdays. From Aug. 24 to Dec. 31, the boat house is open from 9 a.m. to sunset and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 281-210-3965. www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
Go shopping
Market Street in The Woodlands features many different dining and shopping option— from eateries like Jasper’s and 1252 Tapas Bar to retail stores, such as Ann Taylor, Kendra Scott and Lucky Brand. Market Street is open daily and events are held occasionally as well. Additional dining and shopping options as well as information on upcoming events is available at www.marketstreet-thewoodlands.com.
Get smart
The Woodlands Children’s Museum, at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive, offers children age 7 and under interactive exhibits and imaginative play events. The museum serves to create opportunities to educate, empower and excite children and their families. A full event calendar and exhibit list is available on the museum’s website at www.woodlandschildrensmuseum.org.
Enjoy the sounds
Each spring Northshore Park, located at 2505 Lake Woodlands Drive, hosts Concerts in the Park during March and April. The free concerts are held Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. and feature a variety of acts performing rock, country, blues and pop. Attendees can bring blankets, food, drinks, lawn chairs, coolers and pets. 281-210-3800. www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
Get moving
The Woodlands features more than 250 miles of paved hike and bike trails, most of which connect at points throughout the community creating a nearly endless loop of travel. The Woodlands Township’s website at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov offers a complete parks and pathways map.
Rock out
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion hosts more than 50 concerts featuring national and global music acts annually and is one of the world’s most popular live music venues. The pavilion’s concert season typically runs from April to September. Upcoming acts this year include Kid Rock, Fall Out Boy, Def Leppard, Kelly Clarkson and Van Halen. 281-363-3300. www.woodlandscenter.org
Root, root, root
The Woodlands is home to The Woodlands Strykers of the Texas Collegiate Baseball League, an independent minor league. The team was established in 2012 and plays 60 games from late May through early August. Home games are played at The Woodlands Christian Academy, located at 5800 Academy Way. The team’s website at www.woodlandsstrykers.com offers the Strykers’ 2015 roster and schedule.
Get artsy
Vendors at the annual Woodlands Waterway Art Festival offer pottery, photography, 3-D art and paintings each spring. The 2016 festival will be April 8, 9 and 10 along The Woodlands Waterway and Town Green Park. The festival also includes food booths as well as live music. Visit www.woodlandsartfestival.com for information about the 2016 festival.
Take a hike
At the secluded 1,700-acre W.G. Jones State Forest on FM 1488 near I-45, park goers can go biking, hiking, horseback riding or enjoy a picnic. Wide dirt paths offer a softer run, and narrow wooded paths lead to miles of trails.
Show support
On May 14, 2016, The Woodlands hosts the annual Ironman Texas triathlon. The race includes a 2-mile swim in Lake Woodlands, a 112-mile bike ride through The Woodlands and Montgomery County and a 26.2-mile marathon through Town Center. The finish line is located along Waterway Avenue near Waterway Square. Join the thousands of spectators as they cheer on the 2,800 triathletes as they make their way around the community. www.ironman.com
Get away
Take a staycation with family and friends at The Woodlands Resort, a property surrounded by forests. Features include hike and bike trails, two on-site championship golf courses, a world-class tennis center, multiple pool areas, a spa and fitness center. The resort is located at 2301 N. Millbend Drive. For more information visit www.thewoodlandsresort.com.
Go on a tour
The Woodlands features more than 40 public art sculptures that can be found in each village and in several local buildings and facilities throughout Town Center. The sculptures date from when The Woodlands was established to contemporary works. To view an interactive map of the sculptures, visit www.thewoodlands.com.
Go fish
The Woodlands offers numerous lakes and ponds to cast a line. Catch and release fish in all lakes and ponds with the exception of The Waterway, Lake Woodlands, Bear Branch Reservoir and Lake Paloma. Texas Parks and Wildlife rules apply to Lake Woodlands. To view a map and amenities at each of The Woodlands’ ponds and lakes, visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.
Get lost
The Children’s Garden at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive, incorporates a literary experience with natural landscaping to complement the neighboring South Montgomery County Library. The literary labyrinth features hedges, a natural maze and large storybooks of Aesop’s Fables. The Woodlands Township’s website at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov provides a complete list of park features.
Buy Fresh
Every Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon, the Grogan’s Mill Village Association hosts a farmers market at 7 Switchbud Place in the Grogan’s Mill Village Center. The vendors offer locally sourced and organic fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as homemade jewelry. www.grogansmillvillage.com
Light up the sky
The Woodlands puts on fireworks shows for Memorial Day, Labor Day and July 4 each year. Ideal vantage points are along The Woodlands Waterway and at Town Green Park. The fireworks shows, put on by The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau, are typically held on consecutive nights during holiday weekends and begin at dusk. Events also typically feature live music by local acts. www.thewoodlandscvb.com
Get festive
The Woodlands annual Lighting of the Doves festival features an appearance by Santa Claus, live music, ice carvers, snow, family activities and fireworks. The event is held each November at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive, to mark the start of the holiday season. The Woodlands Convention and Visitors’ Bureau website at www.thewoodlands-cvb.com offers a complete list of activities and information.
