Columbus, OH

This weekend in Columbus, OH you could . . .

Head over to Rickenbacker International Airport for the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends.

7161 Second St.
Thursday-Sunday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
888-4FLY-SHOW

*
General admission adults tickets start at $10.
Grandstand seating starts at $25.
Flightline box seats start at $45.
Legends Club tickets are $350.

Head out East to Cumberland and go to The Wilds for the Last of the Sunset Safaris.

14000 International Rd.
Saturday 5-8 p.m. (4:30-7:30 p.m. in September)
740-638-5030
$60 per person

or . . .

Head to the Columbus Children’s Theater for Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business

Park Street Theatre
512 N. Park St.
Thursday-Friday 7:30-8:45 p.m. Saturday 1-2:15 p.m.
3-4:15 p.m. and 5-6:15 p.m. Sunday 1-2:15 p.m. and 3-4:15 p.m.
614-224-6672 or 614-224-6673
$10-$20

Or, you could of course head to your favorite watering hole, friend’s place or even host your own party to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes walk all over Minnesota! GO BUCKS!!!

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Columbus, OH

Here in Columbus, OH we pride ourselves on the quality of our zoo. If you have the opportunity to go I can promise that you will find it is a world-class experience. While you are there, stop by the gorilla enclosure and see if you can catch a glimpse of Dotty, the adorable little (for now at least) female gorilla that is set to undergo surgery today to correct a lazy eye.

If left untreated, the brain might lose the sensory input from the eye. In a zoo setting, that in itself would cause serious problems; in the wild, it might easily lead to much worse.

The surgeon called in to correct the eye is Dr. Richard Hertle, chief of the division of pediatric ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Because the gorilla’s eye and the human eye are so similar, this seems to be the most logical choice for correcting the problem. With this surgery, Dr. Hertle will surgically correct the muscles that are causing the lazy eye to not work correctly in conjunction with the good eye. The results should be almost immediate and Dotty should go on to lead a normal life.

Good luck Dotty!

To read more:
The Columbus Dispatch
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Columbus Zoo

Photo of Dotty via the Columbus Zoo website.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Columbus Zoo, gorilla, Dotty, eye surgery, lazy eye

Columbus, OH
Columbus Zoo
Dotty gorilla

Gordy’s on the border of Columbus and Westerville is one of those places that has changed it’s name several times over the last couple of decades. This is a great place to have a fun, informal gathering, with friendly service and good pub food. Gordy’s is part sports bar, part restaurant and part sports venue.

Here you can grab some dinner and a beer, listen to a live band or sing karaoke (depending on the night), watch your favorite sports teams on one of the big screens or have a volleyball, pool or dart tournament with your friends.

Gordy’s always has a lot going on, so check their website for what events are scheduled.

6150 Sunbury Road
Westerville, Ohio 43081
(614) 895-1147

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Columbus, OH

Those funny guys over at WNCI have been nominated by Radio and Records Magazine for the radio industry’s Personality/Show of the Year award.

Dave & Jimmy head out tomorrow to attend the live awards show, and while they are ever so certain that they will lose out to the nearly superhuman host of everything Ryan Seacrest, I’m not ready to count our guys out just yet. Those people over at WNCI garner a suprising number of awards every year despite being from “little ole Columbus.”

Go get ‘em guys!

The nip of fall has only just begun to creep back into Columbus, yet school is now back in full swing and that can only mean one thing—

Halloween is coming!

Spirit Halloween stores have popped up all over Columbus. Over the weekend I made my way into one and I must say the selection of props is simply better than ever. Every major discount chain suddenly has a Halloween section brimming with every thing you could possibly need to spook up your yard, accessorize your children or haunt your house—and it’s not even October yet!

I want to point out two Columbus stores that are year round experts in costuming. Costume Holiday House on the northwest side and the more centrally located Costume Specialists both feature your average costumes and props for purchase, AND they both have an extensive costume rental facility as well. If you want to wear a costume that is far more authentic and interesting than almost anything you can buy at WalMart, then may I suggest renting a costume from one or the other of these stores? If you want to get something really interesting or special, or you have a specific rental in mind, do yourself a favor and go reserve your costume early.

I do not have personal experience with Costume Holiday House, but I can tell you that Costume Specialists has makeup gurus that can tell you everything from how to apply those ridiculous pink feather eyelashes to how to create a full on realistic looking zombie face complete with latex appliances.

Happy Haunting Everyone!

Click HERE for Spirit Halloween locations.

Costume Specialists
3764 E Broad St
(614) 237-6300

Costume Holiday House
1510 Bethel Rd
(614) 451-0715

Columbus, OH

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Columbus, OH

See exotic animals among changing colors, carve pumpkins and explore pioneer life at Jack Hanna’s Fall Fest at the Columbus Zoo.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
9990 Riverside Dr., Powell
Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
614-645-3550, 800-666-5397
Adults $10. Seniors $8.
Children 2-11 $6. Children under 2 free.
Parking $3.

Or, head downtown to Veterans’ Memorial on Saturday for the annual India Festival.

Veterans Memorial
300 W. Broad St., Columbus
Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
614-804-5511
$6

Then get to Goodale Park for the Goodale Park Arts Festival.

Corner of Goodale Boulevard and Park Street
Saturday 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
614-360-3808
Free

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Columbus, OH

Tonight Jennifer Eagan visits Columbus, OH. As part of the Thurber House ‘Evenings with Authors’ series, she will present readings from her new novel, The Keep, at the Columbus School for Girls.

Jennifer Egan is thought to be one of the most gifted writers of her generation. She will read from her spellbinding page-turner, The Keep, a modern-day Gothic tale of two cousins, irreversibly damaged by a childhood prank, who meet to renovate a medieval castle with even more catastrophic results. Egan has written two other novels, The Invisible Circus, and Look at Me, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her short fiction appears in The New Yorker, Harper’s, and McSweeney’s, among others, and her journalism often appears in The New York Times Magazine.

Tonight, Thursday 9/20 7:30 p.m.
614-464-1032
$18 in advance, $20 at the door

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Thurber House, Columbus School for Girls, Evenings with Authors, The Keep, Jennifer Eagan, culture

Columbus, OH

Not quite ready to let go of summer here in Columbus, OH? Well, if you are willing to take a short drive, this week the Delaware County Fair is going on. This is one of the better county fairs in the state, in no small part due to the annual running of the Little Brown Jug harness race.

The Little Brown Jug is considered one of the “Jewels” in harness racing’s own Triple Crown. This year the favorite seems to be Always a Virgin. Click HERE for a little amusing info on how Always a Virgin got his name.

Aside from the Jug, the county fair runs all week. There you can enjoy all the elements of the quintessential county fair: great food, dazzling entertainment and a sparkling midway–not to mention the best local farms, scouts and 4H groups have to offer.

To get to the Delaware County Fair take State Route 23 N out of Columbus. As you approach the area, huge signs will lead you to the fair on Pennsylvania Ave.

Admission to the Fairgrounds is $5
Fair runs 11AM-10PM through the 22nd.

Little Brown Jug runs Thursday, call 740-362-3851 or 800-335-3247 for details. Admission $15

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Columbus, OH

Little Brown Jug

Columbus, OH welcomes back OSU students

Tomorrow is the first day of fall classes for Ohio State students. Tomorrow also marks the return of Gordon Gee as president of the University.

As one of the largest residential colleges in the world, Ohio State has certainly created a huge difference in the population of central Columbus, as literally tens of thousands of students have decended upon the campus area over the last couple of weeks.

Freshmen and upper class students coming in from the regional campuses to finish their degrees often find that it is difficult to adjust to the size of Ohio State over the first week or so. You might see them diligently studying their campus maps, hoping to make it to class on time.

Seniors will be feeling nostalgic, possibly taking a look at the campus for the first time just to appreciate how pretty it can be, realizing this is their last fall quarter with both excitement and regret. My advice to them: get out your cameras now, don’t wait until spring. Capture the faces of friends reunited, the campus trees as the leaves change, the excitement of a football game from the student section. Do it now, fall is the most beautiful time of the year on almost any college campus, and with graduation looming, exams and job interviews, you will have other things on your mind come May.

Welcome Home~Many Blessings

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Columbus, OH

Today’s Selections are Table Service Only

Abuelo’s

The Arena Sports Bar & Grill

Bar Louie

BD’s Mongolian Barbeque

Bon Vie Bistro & Wine Bar

Brio Tuscan Grille

Café Bistro at Nordstrom

Café Istanbul

California Pizza Kitchen

The Cheesecake Factory

Fadó Irish Pub

The Funny Bone Comedy Club

Hama Japanese Restaurant

Max & Erma’s

McCormick & Schmick’s

The Melting Pot

Mitchell’s Ocean Club

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

Smith & Wollensky

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Columbus, OH

It’s a weekend to celebrate Ohio!

The Grange Insurance Family Fun Fest
Genoa Park, Riverfront Amphitheater
Washington Blvd., Columbus

This family festival features super sports, radical robots, amazing arts, free river rides, dog shows, and more than 50 free, interactive programs for kids of all ages. Saturday evening don’t miss the unique Waterfire presentation and outdoor family film, featuring a raccoon along with his forest friends. Their crazy antics will send you over the ledge with laughter. To top off the night enjoy fantastic family fireworks immediately following the movie.

Sat. noon-10
614-645-3800
Free

Ohioana Book Festival: A Good Roots Celebration
State Library of Ohio and the Ohioana Library Association
274 E. First Ave.

Ten distinguished Ohio authors will be coming home for a celebration of our state’s remarkable literary heritage. This year’s festival theme stems from the book Good Roots: Writers Reflect on Growing Up in Ohio.

Sat. 9:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
614-466-3831
Free

Ohio Folklife Festival
Ohio Historical Center/Ohio Village
1982 Velma Ave.

Come to the Ohio Historical Center and join the state’s best artists for two days of music, art and food as we relish all things Ohio. Learn some new licks or try your hand at historic crafts at music or arts workshops. Sing along to music that spans Ohio’s history from the earliest inhabitants to today’s hits. Taste Ohio’s best food and shop for unique gifts made by Ohio artists. And don’t forget to bring the kids. Everything you need to relish Ohio arts is waiting from you at the Ohio Historical Center.

Sat.-Sun. 9-5
614-297-2300, 800-686-1541
Adults $11. Children 6-12 $8. Parking $4.

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Columbus, OH

In a true “Duh, I could’ve had a V8″ vein, I drove past Sundance yesterday after posting and realized/remembered it is now (and has been for a few months) Screamin’ Willie’s. They have even tried to change Bourbon Street, which is something never fully done before, to part of the main bar in name.

I have it on good authority that the interior is still exactly the same.

So that makes it Screamin’ Willies, Sundance, The Big Easy, Club Dance, Atlantis & East Dallas, in reverse order.

Note: This post is very long and will cover two days~thus, there will be no post for Thursday.

Monday I wrote about Rachel’s Gentlemen’s Club. If that’s not really your thing, but you are in the area, take a walk two blocks to the North where you will find the Sundance and Bourbon Street Nightclubs.

Sundance and Bourbon Street are essentially the same club. You gain admission to both by going through either door. They are connected by a central doorway that allows passage from one club to another.

The Sundance side is the “mostly country” side where they play country music with a bit of pop thrown in. This is one of the few places in town where they are still doing a lot of line dancing on the weekends. The dance floor is absolutely huge and there is a stage where headliners still come in and perform to dancing crowds rather than mosh pits. Brooks & Dunn have made surprise appearances here and David Allen Coe plays this club on a regular basis.

There is also a ‘club within the club’ on the Sundance side called “Little Nashville Recording Studio.” It features karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights.

Sundance has gone through several name changes over the last couple of decades. It has also been (in reverse chronological order) The Big Easy, Club Dance, Atlantis and East Dallas. I only mention the frequent name changes to bring up two points. 1) Bourbon Street never changes it’s name, though it seems to have added “Crawdaddy’s” to it’s moniker. 2) Name changes tend to follow major negative events-such as violence in the club or it’s parking lot. I believe this most recent switch followed a simple management change though. (Columbus natives may refer to this club by any of the above names. They will just look at you as though you should have known what they meant when you pull in and East Dallas is actually Sundance, don’t argue, just go dance.)

Bourbon Street is currently the hip hop/pop/dance side. This side never gets busy until after 11pm, but once it does get busy, it gets BUSY. At this point it takes a while to get a drink and you may find you get faster service if you simply walk over the the Sundance side, get your drinks and walk back.

Good to Know Before You Go:

These are 18 and over clubs, expect to find a young crowd on the Bourbon Street side.

If you go and the name has changed, the country/hip hop dance sides may have switched. If you walk into Bourbon Street expecting 50 Cent and you get Tim McGraw, walk to the other side. This switch last happened in the early 90s when country line dances became popular and needed the kind of room the big dance floor could provide. Before that you would hear the pop dance music on the big side.

The cover changes for big events, but generally runs $3 for over 21, $5 for under 21 ladies and $10 for under 21 guys.

There are plenty of bars under the roof and they generally have pretty capable bartenders, but once the club gets busy these people get slammed. Try to be patient and tip well.

The dress code is fairly casual, jeans and t-shirts are welcome as long as they are clean. Most people dress a little nicer than that though.

There is a huge, well lit parking lot in front, with additional parking to the side.

Columbus’ finest patrol the parking lot. They are contracted by the club and are not out to get you. Still, use decorum.

If you are hungry at 2am, Burger King is in the parking lot, Tee Jays is two blocks to the south and there is a Waffle House across the street and another 1/2 mile down Brice.

If you have had too much to drink and need a place to crash, there are five hotels I can think of off the top of my head, within a 1/4 mile radius.

The Sundance Saloon and Dancehall / Bourbon Street “Crawdaddy’s”
1921 Channingway Center Dr., Columbus
614-866-5920

Remember Columbus clubs want you back happy and healthy and without a $6000 DUI hanging over your head. Columbus must have a dozen cab companies. If you are going to drink, either designate a driver, stay in one of the hotels, or have the bar call you a cab.

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Columbus, OH

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the first time since it happened that 9/11 falls on a Tuesday, the same day of the week as the attacks occured.

The Statehouse lawn is covered with over 3000 flags, one for each victim of the attack.

Hilliard christens “First Responder’s Park” today. This park is dedicated to the memory of the police and firefighters that were the first to the scene, and honors all first responders from across the country who do this dangerous and underappreciated job.

That’s all for today. Short and simple and with much reverence. E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One)–In God We Trust.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, September 11, Sept. 11, 9/11, Ohio Statehouse, First Responder’s Park, Hilliard, remember

Columbus, OH

Hello all! I’m back from the Outer Banks of South Carolina and whew! I guess we got out of there just in time. The drive is a long one from Columbus, but if you have the opportunity to go, Rodanthe is a great central location for all the fun things to do in that area.

On to today’s post . . .

On the east side of Columbus right on Brice Rd. you will find Rachel’s Gentlemen’s Club. This club is fairly well kept with an old Vegas kind of feeling. It is one of the few gentlemen’s clubs in Columbus that has survived the last decade without needing a major renovation or change of name.

The ladies here are going to run 18-40 with a fair mix of newbies and seasoned veteran dancers.

There is a cover charge that varies from week to week. Rachel’s occasionally runs feature dancers, so call them to be sure of the charge before you go.

The consensus on this club is that if you want attention from the dancers you should sit at a table on the floor, if you want speedy bar service, you should sit at the (very large) central bar.

Right now, Rachel’s is a fairly quiet place on weeknights, possibly due to several changes of management in the last few years, with a management turnover every 6 months or so for quite a while.

Rachel’s offers plenty of free well lit parking and security roams the lot throughout the night. The security guards are uniformed, so they are easy to spot and they are courteous gentlemen who are usually as much concierge as they are bouncer.

To get Rachel’s take I 70 E to Brice Rd. then Brice N to the first light and take a left, Rachel’s will be on the left. Watch for the pink neon sign.

(614) 863-2322 | 6065 Channingway Blvd Columbus, OH

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Columbus, OH