Right Now Downtown

THE BOYS ARE CALLING

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.

ROCKIN’ WITH LOCALS

Lots of us support the buy local movement, but how about showin’ some love to the Cbus music scene?

This summer you can kick off the weekend early right after work on Thursday nights and check out some of hottest local acts at Downtown Live at Columbus Commons. Click here to check out the line-up and make plans for hot tunes and cold drinks all summer long.

Local bands jam beginning at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday, June 2 – August 25. You might even want to toss an extra t-shirt and pair of shorts in your brief case before you head out the door in the morning, so you don’t waste a minute at the end of the day – the frosty beverages and friends will be waiting and ready. G Finesse & the NS and Fabulous Johnson Brothers open the concert series this Thursday.

If a little more activity is what you crave, the cool kids at Wonderland will turn it up a notch alongside the concerts with Trophy Thursdays – a grown-up version of recess.  And you can kick it up from there with Downtown Kickball; register now for the second session of the kickball league.

Or, just hang out with friends on the patio, order another cold one, a burger and fries and soak up the summer fun in the heart of downtown.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!

We’ve watched the oversized Tonka trucks and bulldozers and sod layers transform the site where the City Center Mall once stood, but the carousel horses can be contained no longer.  The fun races ahead Thursday, May 26 during the grand opening of Columbus Commons, the gorgeous nine-acre park in the heart of downtown.

The last time the peeps in C-Bus saw this much rain Grover Cleveland had just been inaugurated as President – for the second time; Frank Lloyd Wright had opened an architectural firm; and Thomas Edison was fine tuning his new-fangled phonograph.  Needless to say, the Gore-Tex rain slicker was a few years away.

It could be worse; we could live along the Ohio River where they are getting even more rain.  All the green stuff on the other side of the window pane loves it; so as you watch the grass grow, we’ve thought of a few more things you can do to make life less soggy.

10.  Clean out a desk drawer and spiff things up a bit.  Graham’s Office Supply has just what you need.  Besides, new Post-Its will help distract you while you’re waiting for that gargantuan file that your boss just emailed you to download.

9.  Pick up a few growlers of beer from The Elevator and invite a few friends over to start construction of a mini-ark.  Mmm, Dopplebock.

8.  Head on over to the Ohio Theatre to see Mary Poppins.  The umbrella that Mary uses on stage is big enough to keep your entire office dry.

7.  Dream about warm sunny days when you Kick It Up at Columbus Commons for Downtown Kickball.  Have you sent your registration yet?

6.  Hire a trainer at your favorite gym.  It may not lift your attitude, but you’ll be too exhausted to really care.

5.  Hit every downtown restaurant for happy hour specials.  Cocktails abound downtown; start creating your list here.

4.  Stroll down Gay Street and take a whiff of all the spring flowers.  Heck, Gay Street is also a good place to begin your Happy Hour Hop.

3.  Stop at our very own award-winning Columbus Metropolitan Library for a great read.

2.  Take your inner child to the Center for Creativity at the Columbus Museum of Art and recharge your artistic self.

And the number one thing that will help get you through this rainy season…  Lunch on us and here’s your chance.  Post a comment about how you like to spend your time downtown and you’ll be entered to win lunch from a variety of downtown restaurants, worth more than 30 bucks.  Yum.

BREATHE IT IN

It’s official.  Spring is here so breathe it in.  Word is snow is expected later in the week, but it can march on by – try Minnesota – we’ve heard they like the cold, white stuff.  Here in Cbus, most of us have had quite enough and are ready to move on to warm-weather activities that bring some fresh perspective.

You can get a little taste of something brand-spanking new when you visit the Fresh A.I.R. Gallery.  This multi-media art gallery might be just the thing to get your creative juices flowing and shed the doldrums of winter.

Fresh A.I.R. Gallery is part of Southeast, Inc., which provides recovery and mental health care services in Franklin County.  Did you know that more than 71,700 people in Franklin County suffer from depression and anxiety disorders?  The goal of the art gallery is to blast apart the stigma of mental illness and substance abuse by highlighting art created by individuals who are affected.  Who knew you could go see some great art and help support a noble cause all at once?

On March 22, Fresh A.I.R. presents the opening reception of Energy Through Eternity, sculptures by Chappelle Letman.  Employed as a mason, book illustrator and painter, Letman was affected by blindness later in life.  His sculptures became a representation of his life journey and gave him a way to connect with the life force energy of the universe.

Geez, suddenly complaining about the stack of virtual mail in the inbox seems pretty trivial compared to what some of the featured artists have encountered on their road to recovery.  So, clear your agenda for tomorrow from 5:30 – 7 p.m.  The gallery and opening reception offer more cool things to do right downtown that won’t cost you a dime.  All you have to do is head to the corner of Long and High streets at 131 North High, or click here to find out more about what’s coming up next.  Check it out and breathe a little fresh air into your spring.

PUMP IT UP

Some of us remember Arnold Schwarzenegger before he was the Terminator or the governor of California.  Even before he became politician acclaimed superstar, his caricature may have landed on some TVs in the form of two young Saturday Night Live actors in bulky muscle suits named Hanz and Franz.  These two guys weren’t too concerned about politics as their skit promised to Pump You Up. 

Well Columbus, the remnants of Hanz and Franz may only be uncovered by a Google search, but The Arnold is coming to town and it pumps energy (and let’s face it, a boat load of cash) into the city, especially downtown.  Many of us would love to see this kind of spirit and all year long.

CRUSH CABIN FEVER WITH DOWNTOWN DODGEBALL

Are you spending these cold, blustery days longingly looking out the window wishing May would arrive as the winter blues try to worm their way into your life?  Well, give your bad mood a rest because we have just the thing to blast through winter. 

Downtown Dodgeball is sponsored by Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District and the Downtown YMCA.  Registration is now open and games begin on Thursday, February 10.  A team must have a minimum of six people, but heck, go ahead and register a posse and let the games begin.  The team entry fee is $235 and the deadline for entry is Thursday, February 3.

Crush Cabin Fever with Downtown Dodgeball and forget leaving the office after dark, hanging out at home in front of the boob tube for weeks on end, munching on chips and candy, while you swill gallons of sugary soda as your sweats get tighter and tighter.

Whether you have a team of underdogs or you are mighty warriors, come on out and join in the fun for the six-week-league; it will get your blood pumping and help you blast through winter with a breeze.

Click here for more information and to download the registration and release forms.  Questions?  Contact Lisa Cline, Program Director, Downtown YMCA at lcline@ymcacolumbus.org or 614.224.1137, extension 274, or you can contact Melissa Fast at Capital Crossroads SID at mlfast@sidservices.com or 614.645.5281.

On your mark, get set, GO.

STOMP INTO THE NEW YEAR

It’s cold, it’s windy and winter seems like it may never end, but CAPA and Broadway Across America will soon present STOMP, and the show promises to entertain the entire family and make you forget that spring is months away.  There’s still time to buy tickets and you have a chance to win a pair of tickets for opening night.

STOMP has been going strong and recently made some big changes, so if you’ve already seen the extravaganza, there is plenty of new stuff to feast your eyes and ears upon.  As the show evolves through years, it still remains true to the original concept of creating rhythmic music with instantly recognizable objects.  “Paint Cans” grew out of the “Boxes” routine from the Las Vegas show, and “Donuts” is a piece that implements huge tractor tire inner tubes worn around the waist on a bungee cord.  Mmmm… donuts.  Wait, put the food on hold and try to win some tickets.

Post a comment here about your favorite Broadway show and a winner will be selected at random to win a pair of tickets for opening night on January 14.

For the rest of you, tickets start at just $22.50 and can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State Street), all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.  For more information on show times, click here.  Don’t miss this award-winning international sensation when it makes its triumphant return to Columbus at the Palace Theatre on January 14 – 16.

JOIN THE COUNTDOWN

Wanna bring in 2011 with a bang AND maintain full recollection the morning after?

Whether you are married or single, young or young at heart, there will be something for everyone at First Night Columbus, a community-oriented, family-friendly, alcohol-free event.  Best of all, it’s right downtown.  You will be part of Central Ohio’s Largest New Year’s Eve celebration and you won’t even come away with a hangover.

Just who is this soiree geared toward?  Well, with more than 150 entertainers in more than 15 downtown venues, perhaps the more accurate question might be who wouldn’t enjoy the shindig?

The event kicks off at 5 p.m. as it transforms downtown into a stage for a night of fun for everyone with tons of live performances including  jazz, funk, ragtime, storytelling and magic, hands-on activities and even a children’s festival.  Don’t even think about retiring early because the fireworks explode at 10:30 p.m. rousing the sleepiest of sleepy-heads into party mode as the crowd welcomes in the New Year at the stroke of midnight.

Purchase buttons in advance for 8.00, 10.00 the day of the event, or get an even better deal by using your Giant Eagle Card and buy a ticket for just 6.00.  For more information, go to firstnightcolumbus.com.  Bring in the New Year with family and friends as you celebrate what downtown has to offer.