Things to do in Ohio in the Summer

This information was collected at our recent Relief Society Activity. If you'd like to add anything to this list or make corrections, email marblecliffrseditor@gmail.com. You can also click here to view a broader list of activities in the area, or click here to get this same list in document format. Enjoy your summers!

Sources of Information:

·         http://www.columbusunderground.com/  It's great and has a lot of info about what's going on in Columbus, new restaurants, bakeries, galleries, artists, etc. Very cool.

·         The Columbus Dispatch Thursday edition includes the Weekender – probably available online too

Cool Places to eat:

·         The Chocolate Café near Northstar and Northwest

·         Jeni’s Ice Cream (very unique ice-creams) stores all over town http://jenisicecreams.com/

·         Schmidts in German Village – cream puffs as big as your head

·         The Fudge House in German Village

·         Northstar Café (short north and Clintonville)

·         Black Creek Bistro

Free places to enjoy (State and Metro and Local Parks):

·         Beaches – Alum Creek, Deer Creek State Park (canoeing?), Madison

·         Hayden Falls http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/hayden.shtml

·         Columbus metroparks http://www.metroparks.net/  (Inniswood Metro Garden has fun stuff for kids) There’s a quarterly metroparks guide you can pick up at any of the parks that tells you about all of the many park activities – also one of the parks has buffalo!

·         Slate Run Living Historical Farm http://www.metroparks.net/ParksSlateRunFarm.aspx

·         Homestead Park in Hilliard

·         Mohican State Park http://www.mohicanstatepark.org/  canoeing, hiking, floating

·         Hocking Hills http://www.thehockinghills.org/  (1 hr south) Rock Bridge, Old Man’s Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Great to go on a warm day in January when all the waterfalls are running, etc. Recommend Millstone BBQ for yummy food

·         Scioto Trail bike ride http://www.ohiobikeways.net/olnscio.htm

·         Nelson-Kennedy Ledges  http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/nelsonk/tabid/775/Default.aspx

·         Other State parks: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/tabid/80/Default.aspx

·         Cuyahoga Valley National Park http://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm I think there’s a train too (1½ hrs north)

·         Columbus Commons park downtown (carousel, yoga, outdoor movies, etc.) http://www.columbuscommons.org/

·         Park of Roses in Clintonville – some summer concerts too Wednesday nights  7pm http://www.parkofroses.org/

·         Malabar Farm (marriage of Humprey Bogart and Lauren Bacall) http://www.malabarfarm.org/

·         Marblehead Lighthouse http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/marblehead/tabid/763/Default.aspx

Free places to enjoy (Non-park stuff):

·         Splash pads: Ballantree park in Dublin, somewhere in Powell?, Easton mall south side in front of Cheesecake Factory, Polaris mall east side in front of Cheesecake Factory

·         Kirtland http://www.historickirtland.org/

·         Grandview Library evening music http://www.ghpl.org/concerts/

·         Wexner Center for the Arts – Drive In Movies http://www.wexarts.org/fv/index.php?seriesid=169

·         National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton (free? But special exhibits/movies cost) http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

·         Amish Country – Farm in Walnut Creek

·         Shakespeare in the Park (at Schiller Park in German Village) June is the Scarlet Pimpernel , A Midsummer Night’s Dream in July, and Oedipus Rex in August – free but donations appreciated http://www.theactorstheatre.org/  Bring your chairs to sit further back, blankets to sit closer to the front. Nice restrooms available through intermission time.

·         Waterfire Columbus on the river downtown in front of COSI http://www.waterfirecolumbus.com/

·         The Book Loft (German Village) – 23 rooms of books

·         Flea markets in Monroe

·         Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield (N of Cincy) http://www.junglejims.com/ get a map so the kids can find all the funny cool things in the store

·         Ikea is also in Fairfield

·         Lehman’s Hardware in Kidron http://www.lehmans.com/   Thursday market day

·         The Peanut Shoppe in downtown Columbus

·         Anthony Thomas chocolates factory tour and shop http://www.anthony-thomas.com/tour.html

·         Short North Gallery Hop (1^st Saturday of the month)

·         Grandview Art Hop (4^th Saturday of the month)

Other (non-free) cool things to do:

·         CAPA summer movies http://www.capa.com/ 

·         CAPA events http://www.capa.com/

·         Center of Science and Industry (COSI)

·         Circle S Farms. 9015 London Groverport Rd. Grove City. Fun place in the fall with hayrides, pumpkin patch, corn maze, fresh donuts and cider. U-pick strawberries, raspberries, etc.

·         Canoeing – Trapper Johns in Darby Dale

·         Dawes Aboretum in Newark http://www.dawesarb.org/

·         Hocking Hills Canopy zipline

·         Franklin Park Conservatory and Chihuly collection http://www.fpconservatory.org/

·         Columbus topiary garden downtown http://www.topiarygarden.org/  Located next to the main Columbus library downtown. Free concerts @ noon on 6/11, 7/9, 8/13, & 9/10 (www.jazzartsgroup.org).  PB and Jazz concerts.

·         The Santa Maria downtown Columbus http://www.santamaria.org/index.php

·         The Columbus Zoo http://www.colszoo.org/

·         Zoombezi Bay http://www.zoombezibay.com/

·         The Wilds – about 1 hr east (reciprocal discounts with Zoo membership) http://www.thewilds.org/

·         Wexner Center for the Arts (stage, screen, exhibitions) http://www.wexarts.org/

·         Olentangy Indian Caverns http://www.olentangyindiancaverns.com/

·         Ohio Indian Caverns ???

·         Picnic with the Pops http://www.columbussymphony.com/calendar/  (June 25 music of Michael Jackson, July 2^nd Patriotic Pops) Melody said the bike trail runs right along the east side and you can hear the music for free

·         Roscoe Village near Coshocton http://www.roscoevillage.com/  - canal boat ride and train

·         Piqua – Johnston Farm and Indian heritage, canal ride http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/nw13/

·         Tecumseh  http://www.tecumsehdrama.com/

·         Mott’s Military Museum http://www.mottsmilitarymuseum.org/home.asp?p=homepg.html

·         Cedar Point and King’s Island

·         Kelly’s Island – no cars http://www.kelleysisland.com/

·         Kids movies at Easton on Wednesday mornings for $1?

Festivals: (included ones already finished so you can look them up next year)

·         May Columbus Asian Festival

·         Greek Festival?

·         Hispanic Festival http://events.nbc4i.com/columbus-oh/venues/show/559549-genoa-park-riverfront-amphitheater

·         June 3 – 5 Columbus Arts Festival

·         June 11-12 Granville Art and Wine Festival

·         June 17-19 Avon Duct Tape Festival

·         June 17-19 Gahanna Jazz and Blues Festival

·         June 17-19 Columbus Juneteenth Festival

·         June 18-19 Worthington Arts Festival

·         June 23-25 London Strawberry Festival

·         June 24-26 ComFest (Columbus Goodale Park)

·         July 8-10- North Market Food and Wine Festival (just north of downtown)

·         July 9-10 Westerville Music & Arts Festival

·         July 22-24 Columbus Jazz and Ribs Festival

·         Aug 5-7 Dublin Irish Festival

·         Aug 19-20 Marysville Ohio Balloon Festival

·         Sept 5 Upper Arlington Arts Festival

·         July 9-AugAug 14 Great Lakes Medieval Faire (Geneva on the Lake)

·         Oct 8 Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville

·         Oct Circleville Pumpkin Show – 1500lb pumpkins and all pumpkin foods – yum!