Right Now Downtown

THE BOYS ARE CALLING

LEAD US TO THE PARTY 

MO’ THAN JOE

Of course the new Cup O’ Joe/MoJoe Lounge  at the corner of Town and High Street has great coffee­­ – the perfect jolt to get you through the longest of meetings or a pick-me-up before you put on your dancin’ shoes. 

Not only do they serve up a tasty Cup O’ Joe,  they dish up everything from rockin’ food to frou-frou cocktails. How about meeting up after work for Happy Hour, Tuesday through Friday, 4-8 p.m.? This Thursday may be the perfect time since the Reaganomics will be jammin’ in the Commons across the street during Downtown Live.

Make it a date and check out this video of how Cup O’ Joe/MoJoe Lounge transformed the corner of the old Lazarus building. You won’t believe your eyes.

WHAT’S A WUNDERBLENDER?

Is it a frosty beverage or an exotic kitchen appliance? You couldn’t be further from the truth, but it might just be a little bit like speed dating for the networking-challenged. Did we pique your interest?

Wunderblender is an innovative networking opportunity set in motion by Wonderland, bringing together different groups of people to encourage creative collaboration. For the inaugural event, artists and techies will congregate at The Jury Room on August 2. Participants will move around the room in four-minute intervals talking to other peeps while adding tons of new names to their contact lists. The pace will then slow for some mingle time over another cocktail or two.

“We see a lot of great creative groups in Columbus that don’t always get the opportunity to talk about what they are doing with other groups,” said Josh Quinn, co-founder of Wonderland. “Hopefully this will spawn several new ideas that wouldn’t have happened without the cross pollination of an event like this.”

Wonderland is all about building and nurturing the creative community while providing the public with opportunities to really get involved with arts and culture in Columbus. The Wunderblender fits perfectly in this mission and might just fill your address book with all kinds of new friends, so how about joining the conversation? Click here to get the scoop.

STAND BACK, SISSIES

Fitness guru Mitch Potterf coached and trained people for years, but he got fed up with the fluff and fads of the fitness industry. He even admits getting irritated with clients who weren’t serious about their workouts.

“I got tired of training people who just wanted me to carry around their towels, and I started pushing people REALLY hard. I mean hard,” he said. “My boss at the time didn’t like it and fired me, but I found the harder I pushed people, the more they liked it.”

He started training by lifting anything he could get his hands on – logs, rocks, manhole covers, and it was fun. He also used these same kinds of things to help others get fit, and the idea started taking shape.

Now, you can find Mitch and his Fit Club right downtown at 15 West Cherry Street. Using his experience, training and a little bit of that bulldog determination, Mitch started a fitness center like no other in the area.

You won’t find fancy, schmancy studios and equipment and routines, but Mitch might just toss you a manhole cover or a bag of bricks or a couple of sandbags and race you around the block. These guys have even been known to carry each other around – just for fun. And for the record, the only part that is mandatory – the fun part.

Is it crazy, or exhilirating? Well, maybe both. Yes, you’ll be pushed. This is a serious performance-based fitness and athletic program, but the whole idea is to have fun while you’re digging this high-intensity workout. Click here to get some more info, and if you want to give them a test run, check out some of their free group classes at Columbus Commons this summer.

BALL, BOOM, BREW AND A FLICK

Calling history buffs, baseball enthusiasts, kids, bargain shoppers and peeps who like good eats. Yea, you get the point, calling EVERYONE. 

Save the date to head down to the People’s House on Friday, July 22. The fun begins at 7 p.m. with the Ohio Village Muffins vs. Ohio General Assembly in some old-time base ball, and for the record, base and ball were two words back in the day. Geez, you even get a grammar lesson to boot.  

The Statehouse Sesquicentennial celebration continues with family games, Ohio historical displays, and the dudes with the cannons even promise big booming good times. Concessions, including a cash bar with plenty of frosty beverages, will be in easy reach on the Statehouse Lawn thanks to the guys at Milo’s Catering and Banquet Service.  

Once the sun sinks behind the Cbus skyline at about 9 p.m., Glory will explode on the giant screen outdoors, so bring a blanket big enough for the entire family and plan to stay until the last credits roll. 

Oh, and if it rains? CAPA’s got you covered. They’ll show Glory on their big screen at the Ohio Theatre. What are you waiting on? Call a friend or two and invite them along. See ya at the People’s House.

KICK-A-BOOM

Boom, July is here, and back in February you planned an incredible summer, but procrastination got the best of you. Well, the daylight hours are already getting shorter so get off your duff and do something about it while you still can. 

FEED THE CULTURE

Finally, we traded in winter boots and mittens for sandals and t-shirts, but now what are you going to do for the rest of the summer? You might plan to take in the festivities of Red, White and Boom coming up this week, but what’s up after the last of the fireworks sputter?

Mark your calendars now for Picnic with the Pots at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, July 9 from 6-9:30 p.m. The list of fun stuff to do downtown is growing, and this one costs you nothing. There’s even free parking around the corner.

The event promises a sensation extravaganza – watch artists at work, take tours of the cool digs, browse the gift shop, join in an old-fashioned cake walk (mmmm…cake) and listen to great tunes by The Juggernauts. 

So, forget about digging your feet into the sand to find summer fun. At Picnic with the Pots you can scoop up a mound of clay with professional artisans to make your very own pot. You might have so much fun you will find yourself signing up for one of CAC’s fine art studio classes, which are a fantastic bargain, by the way. 

So, just where is this artistic Mecca? The Cultural Arts Center is downtown across the street from Bicentennial Park, which is part of the new Scioto Mile (set to open on July 7). For more information or to RSVP for Picnic with the Pots click here. While there, click on their Facebook page and “like” them to be entered in a drawing for a certificate worth 50 bucks to use in the gift shop.

MAKE IT A COMBO

Hump day is a day away, which means it’s almost time for Lunch for the Lawn at Columbus Commons. On Wednesdays this summer you may have a hard time choosing from all the vendors at the Food Cart, Food Court, but what about the rest of the week?

Well, Lori and Kevin Ames have been filling hungry bellies of office workers in one of their three restaurants on Capitol Square for quite a while, and now they’ve got what you’re craving at the Commons – all week long. Check out this video to see their new digs take shape.

THE BEST SEAT IN TOWN

Got plans? Wouldn’t you like to tell your ex-whatever that you’re too busy to talk because you are on your way to hang with Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant?

OK, so we can’t put you face-to-face with these Hollywood stars, but we have the next best thing. The CAPA Summer Movie Series kicks off this Friday, June 17 and runs through August 13. The line-up offers something for everyone, from classics to cult favorites to plain old beloved must-see cartoons. You can even buy a strip of 10 tickets for $25 to share with a buddy or make him buy his own – there are 23 movies to see, after all.

Either way, you will have the best seat in town – the grand and historic Ohio Theatre. Don’t be late because Clark Wilson will tickle the ivories of the grand Mighty Morgan pipe organ 30 minutes prior to each show.

No worries if you forget to buy a strip of tickets in advance – you can also get general admission tickets the day of the show and still have money in your pocket t0 pick up some Junior Mints at the concession stand.

Click here to check out the summer line-up.  And if you would like a chance to win a strip of 10 tickets, just post a comment here telling us about your funniest (or most pathetic) movie date night.