Beyond the Bus

One of the best ways to fight the winter blues? Explore local activities with family and friends! Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy Greater Lansing in the colder months:

1. Get up close to the biggest Christmas tree and ornaments in Lansing

People come from all over the state to see the 58-foot tree displayed in front of the Michigan Capitol building. It’s become a clear icon to the city, standing tall and proud. And for the first year ever, the state Christmas tree comes right from Lansing, thanks to two generous donors.

The red holiday ornaments are another crowd favorite. These giant picturesque sculptures are in the roundabout at Michigan Avenue and Washington Square, within walking distance from the Capitol. 

Save on parking and take the bus to these gorgeous decorations! Check out our trip planner to find the best route for you.

2. Experience the Wonderland of Lights at Potter Park Zoo.

Holiday lights, music, animal encounters and goodie bags make this event a real treat. Catch the Wonderland of Lights from Thursday through Sunday until Dec. 27.

Click here for details.

3. Support local artists at the REO Town Marketplace Holiday Bazaar.

Still have a few people on your holiday shopping list? The REO Town Marketplace presents a chance to shop for Michigan artisan-made goods. This fun new way to shop local is open now until December 24.

Click here to learn more.

4. Hit the snow-covered slopes at Hawk Island.

As Hawk Island is less than a mile from CATA headquarters, this is one of our favorite wintertime activities. Bring your family, grab a few friends or go it alone on one of Hawk Island’s tube runs, ranging from 500-600 feet long. Then warm up at the snack bar with a cup of hot chocolate and s’mores.

Click here for snow tubing hours and pricing.

5. Challenge your inner learner at Impression 5 Science Center.

Impression 5 is an awesome place for kids of all ages to explore, learn and have fun! It was one of the first hands-on science museums in the country when it opened in 1972. Forty-eight years later, it remains a spot for the entire family to enjoy.

For hours and pricing, please visit impression5.org.

6. Shop small at the East Lansing Small Business Crawl.

Support local small businesses and earn points to win prizes during this year’s football-themed East Lansing Small Business Crawl! Players receive points by saving their receipts and submitting them on the Lansing Regional Chamber website. The more points earned, the more chances to win the grand prize of $1,000. The event is running from December 7-12. 

Learn more about the event here.

7. Treat yourself every Tuesday in Old Town Lansing.

Treat Tuesdays in Old Town are the perfect way to add some fun to your week. Each Tuesday, a different Old Town business will feature a “treat” which could be a sale, a giveaway, or other perks that make shopping local even greater. Treat Tuesdays will be going into 2021, so there are plenty of chances to explore local businesses in Old Town. 

See the full schedule for Treat Tuesdays here.

It's no secret that CATA is proud of our community’s library system. We have profiled the Capital Area District Libraries’ services during the COVID-19 pandemic and their special Library of Things, where adult cardholders can check out unique hands-on items from ghost-hunting kits to bus passes.

We are turning the page to another chapter in our partnership with CADL, as we proudly join their Summer Reading Challenge. You do not have to be a library member to get involved, and it is free to join.

But why would you want to read as much as you can between now and the challenge’s August 8 deadline? We’ll give you five good reasons to crack open a good book for the Summer Reading Challenge.

1. It can be tailored toward any age.

The Summer Reading Challenge offers four separate tracks, depending on your age group. Babies, toddlers, kids, teens and adults can all be part of the challenge.

2. You could win a computer, iPad, Chromebook, or other piece of tech gear.

Kids and teens who complete all levels of the Summer Reading Challenge can enter to win one of (at least) 20 tech devices. CADL is giving away these devices to close the digital divide between kids with easy computer access and reliable Internet, and kids without.

Click here for the official rules and entry form.

3. You can pay back library fines.

Kids and teens can earn a $5 coupon to help pay back any library fines. They can earn this coupon just by reaching the second level of CADL’s Summer Reading Challenge.

4. It’s a way to beat the summer slide.

When school is out for summer, children can lose many of their academic gains from the school year. Reading levels, spelling skills, and vocabulary can take a hit.

Click here to learn more about the summer slide and how the Summer Reading Challenge can help fend it off.

5. There are opportunities to win new experiences and prizes.

Read and be rewarded! Participants could win gift cards to the MSU Dairy Store, Traverse City Pie Company, Meijer, Target, Biggby and more. For kids up to age 13, the grand prize is a family getaway to the Bavarian Inn Waterpark in Frankenmuth. Teens have a chance to win a 10-pack of one-hour passes to Launch Trampoline Park.

For a full list of prizes by age group, click here.

In addition to the Summer Reading Challenge, CADL is also hosting community scavenger hunts, online escape room challenges, virtual storytimes, craft corners and more. View their catalog of summer activities and join us in extending a huge “Thank you!” to CADL for creating innovative ways to make summer learning fun.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on businesses everywhere. Here in Lansing, some of our local businesses have decided to join the fight against COVID-19 and are helping however they can. We want to highlight some of the local heroes who have been going above and beyond to help stop the spread of the virus.

Michigrain Distillery is using their supplies of high-proof alcohol to create hand sanitizer. Co-owner Mike Bird describes how the distillery came to be an essential business in a recent interview with WILX: “Since there’s no more isopropyl, which is what everybody uses to make hand sanitizer with, we’ve turned into an essential organization because we have to use ethanol. It has the same properties as isopropyl when it comes to sanitization, we just stepped it up and decided to make more of it that we can.” 

Dart Container

Dart Container, a Mason-based company which makes food and beverage packaging, said it will donate between 5,000 and 10,000 plastic face shields to Sparrow Hospital in coming weeks to help protect health care workers. “It’s a tremendous honor for our people to play a role in helping protect health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dart CEO Jim Lammers said in a recent interview with Lansing State Journal. 

Gier Community Center

Gier Community Center has teamed up with over 20 local agencies to open a gymnasium to the homeless people of Lansing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The gymnasium opened with the help of the Capital Region Housing Collaborative, and is offering 49 total beds. Buses from CATA brought small groups of homeless people to the center, who received bedding, toiletries, water bottles, thermometers, and masks to shield their faces. Read more about the efforts of Gier Community Center here. 

This is a tough time for everyone, but it’s the efforts of businesses like these that will help get us through. Looking to send thanks to local businesses and individuals who have been helping on the front lines? Check out our blog post about spreading positivity amidst COVID-19.