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Axios Columbus
A guide to Central Ohio farmers markets to visit this summer
Get ready to pick the perfect produce. As of this weekend, all the major farmers markets in the area are open for the summer season, and the 10-day forecast indicates mostly sunny weather ahead.Why it matters: Our more than a dozen markets make it easier to support local farmers, eat healthier and connect with our communities.Plus: Many offer live entertainment, food trucks and other items made by local artisans.What we're watching: One of Columbus' most prominent markets, typically outside the Downtown North Market, remains temporarily closed this year due to ongoing construction on the Merchant Building.A new outdoor plaza for...
Columbus weekend events: Taco Week, Arts Festival and Fore!Fest
๐ฎ Enjoy $2 taco deals at 11 restaurants during the final two days of Columbus Taco Week.Today and Saturday. What's on the menu.๐จ Support local artists and entertainers at the Columbus Arts Festival on the downtown riverfront.11am-10pm today, 10am-10pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday. Free!๐๏ธ Watch a golf-themed drone show at Bridge Park's Fore!Fest in Dublin.5-10pm tonight (show is at 9:45pm) and Saturday. Free!Pro tip: Watch Ticketmaster for last-minute deals on Memorial Tournament resale tickets.๐ค Recite "Rapper's Delight" with the Sugarhill Gang and Furious 5 at Newport Music Hall.7pm tonight, 1722 N. High St. $40.๐จโ๐ค Celebrate the legacies of David...
Abercrombie & Fitch among retail brands making a comeback
It's the revenge of the mall retailers: Several local chains that were once floundering are enjoying a sudden resurgence.Why it matters: Some apparel stores, including New Albany-based Abercrombie & Fitch, have refashioned their approaches to better appeal to today's customers.State of play: Several retailers are on the comeback trail, as evidenced by their recent earnings reports:Abercrombie & Fitch, with locations at Easton and Polaris, smashed expectations with a 22% jump in sales in its first fiscal period, compared with a year earlier.Gap beat top and bottom line expectations for all four of its brands: Gap, Athleta, Banana Republic and Old...
Throwback Thursday: Past A&F sales are odd AF
Long before Abercrombie & Fitch became a popular clothing brand, it was known for its outdoor gear and luxury inventory.Flashback: We searched the news archive for the most interesting and unusual sales from the 1960s:๐ฆ Stuffed rhino foot rest, $450 (1965)๐ค Donzi 16 speedboat, $3,995 (1965)๐ฝ "Folding flush toilet with self-contained closet circuit water supply," $110. (1969)๐๏ธโโ๏ธ Pink golf clubs for $20 apiece, also available in blue, green or orange (1968)๐๏ธ Hand-operated go-kart, $50 (1968)๐งฅ Shaggy wolf coat, $350 (1967)๐ฆฏ Hollowed-out cane walking stick, "can be filled with some staggering stuff." $18.50 (1964)
Ohio's tallest roller coaster remains closed
It's been a roller coaster year for Ohio's premier amusement park, and not in a good way.Catch up quick: Cedar Point debuted its Top Thrill 2 coaster last month to much hype and fanfare, but it shut down the ride a week into the season due to mechanical issues.The latest: TT2 remains closed, and the ride's manufacturer is working to adjust the vehicles, Cedar Point announced Tuesday.The park did not specify a reopening date.Flashback: The original Top Thrill Dragster closed in August 2021 after a metal piece flew off the ride and struck a guest in the head, causing her serious injuries.Cedar Point redesigned Top Thrill 2 to include three propulsive launches, one backward, that culminate in a 120 mph trip over a 420-foot tower.The bottom line: You may have to postpone your summer road trip to Lake Erie, thrill-seekers.
Where to celebrate Pride in Columbus
Happy Pride Month, Columbus! There are plenty of ways to celebrate.The latest: Downtown Pride, 4-10pm Saturday on Gay Street, is a new family-friendly festival featuring "DJs, drag queens, dancers and divas."Gahanna will also host its first community celebration this year: 6:30-10pm on Wednesday, June 26, at Hannah Park, 6547 Clark State Road.The main event: Stonewall Columbus' Pride March steps off 10:30am June 15 at Broad and High streets.The organization's two-day Festival & Resource Fair is June 14-15 at Goodale Park.A full schedule of Stonewall activities.Other celebrations, free unless noted:New Albany art tile hunt: Follow Pride New Albany on Facebook for...
The best time to cookout in Columbus
It's time to get your grill out, and grab a calendar while you're at it. Driving the news: Sunday, July 14, will be the best day for a summer cookout in the Columbus area, per a Pantry and Larder analysis of local weather data from 2019-2023. What makes that the...
Report: Columbus streets are "dangerous by design" for pedestrians
Data: Smart Growth America; Chart: Axios VisualsColumbus streets have gotten more dangerous for pedestrians in recent years, per new research from the transportation advocacy group Smart Growth America.Why it matters: Far more pedestrians are dying on American roadways now than in the recent past, particularly those living in poorer, more diverse communities.Unsafe streets might be one reason why Columbus residents are walking less frequently, a trend with its own negative health consequences.By the numbers: 7,522 pedestrians were struck and killed across the U.S. in 2022, per Smart Growth America's latest "Dangerous by Design" report.That is a 40-year high and a...
What Columbus readers think about lawn mowing times
Chart: Axios VisualsAxios Columbus readers are split on the age-old question: How early is too early to mow your lawn?Very few of you have any patience for mowers before 7am, and your safest bet is after 9am โ a plurality (37%) think any time before then is too early.๐ญ Alissa's thought bubble: As the wife of a long-time night-shifter โ and a forever "I hate mornings" person โ all of these times make me cringe.I guess before 10am, if I have to pick?Reader David T. says: "My main consideration is moisture, mostly from dew that forms overnight. Unless you have a powerful mower, wet grass is going to clump and clog up your blade.""I use a 40v electric mower and there's no chance I can mow before the dew evaporates by around 10am."
MLS tour visiting Columbus spots ahead of All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game at Lower.com Field is still seven weeks away, but an upcoming "summer roadshow" is getting Central Ohioans in the spirit.What's happening: A traveling bus tour will visit five area attractions and events over the coming weeks.Each stop will include fan contests and a chance to win free tickets to the All-Star Skills Challenge, which takes place a day before the exhibition match.๐ฆ ZOOm in: The first stop is 2pm Wednesday at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, featuring former Crew star Frankie Hejduk and fellow soccer legend Luis Hernรกndez.Zoo character ambassadors will take on the Crew's cat mascot, S.C., in a show of soccer skills.The full roadshow schedule:Wednesday: Columbus Zoo & AquariumFriday-Sunday: Columbus Arts FestivalJune 14-16: Columbus Air ShowJuly 3: Red, White & Boom!July 20-21: "Soccer Celebration," location TBD.What's next: The MLS All-Star Concert featuring Marshmello and PinkPantheress is July 21 at Nationwide Arena. Tickets start at $35.The Skills Challenge is July 23 ($25) and the All-Star Game is July 24 ($128+).
Columbus' parks are getting better, per national ranking
Data: Trust for Public Land; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosColumbus' parks system just keeps getting better, per the latest public parks index from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land.The big picture: The city's ranking among large cities jumped 10 slots this year, moving from the 56th to 46th best in the country.Why it matters: New research by the nonprofit shows cities with higher scores have residents who are on average more socially connected with their neighbors, more likely to volunteer and more likely to form friendships across socioeconomic groups.Zoom in: Columbus' ranking saw the greatest improvement in the access category, which measures...
Memorial golf tourney tees off this week
The world's best golfers return to Dublin this week for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.Practice rounds run through Wednesday and the tournament is Thursday through Sunday.Why it matters: Eight of the top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are competing for a $20 million prize purse in the PGA tour event.This includes the top five in order: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark and 2023 winner Viktor Hovland.Official ticket sales ended yesterday, but resale tickets for practice and regular rounds are available on Ticketmaster. Elsewhere, Dublin's Bridge Park will host the Fore!Fest street and music festival on Friday and Saturday evenings.Parking and admission is free.A 15-minute drone show is planned for 9:45pm Friday with golf- and Dublin-themed imagery. Viktor Hovland and Jack Nicklaus hold the Memorial Tournament trophy following Hovland's 2023 victory. Photo: Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A quest to find the most expensive pizza in Central Ohio
I have a fascination with pointless, food-related journalistic expeditions.At my old newspaper job, I once spent days counting all the places in our community where you could buy a cup of coffee. I wrote articles tallying beer and pizza sales, too.Inspired (and a little hungry), I recently set out on a new quest: Finding the most expensive pizza in Central Ohio.A few ground rules: Party and tray sizes are acceptable, but only if listed on the regular menu (not catering).And the pizza has to be expensive all by itself. No cheating by ordering a large Dominos pizza with toppings ad...
Columbus enjoys a cheaper summer for concerts
Concert prices are down this summer from last year's heights, according to new data from SeatGeek.Why it matters: It's great news for music fans as a handful of top touring acts have Columbus stops planned.By the numbers: The national average resale ticket price to attend a summer concert is $224, down from $269 around this time last year, per SeatGeek.That comes alongside an 11% increase in the total number of U.S. concerts this summer compared to last year.Between the lines: Experts say that last year's prices were likely due to historic demand to see Taylor Swift and Beyoncรฉ.The big picture:...
Grindr's bus tour headed to the Short North for Pride Month
Grindr is celebrating Pride on the road next month, with plans for a local stop.Driving the news: The dating app's Great All American-Gay Road Trip will visit 10 cities, including Columbus on Wednesday, June 19.The bus plans to stop at Union Cafe at 782 N. High St. from 8pm-1am.What's on board: Portrait studios, drag queens and free Grindr swag and information on LGBTQ+ sexual health and wellness care.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee was full of Ohio contenders
Data: Scripps National Spelling Bee; Map: Axios VisualsYou might not be able to spell "sagacious," but 17 Ohio kids definitely can.Zoom in: That's s-a-g-a-c-i-o-u-s, an adjective derived from Latin, defined as "having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments."Driving the news: Can we use it in a sentence? Sure: Over a dozen sagacious Buckeyes competed in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee.Ohio tied with California for the second-most participants from any state.The latest: Six of the 17 made it to the quarter-finals and just one, Avinav Prem Anand, advanced to the semi-final round.Anand, a seventh-grader from Olentangy Orange Middle School, finished 23rd this year after coming in 32nd in 2022 and 74th in 2023.He lost this year on the word g-e-n-e-r, a noun from the Latin meaning son-in-law.His competitor bio says he's an avid martial artist, violinist, cyclist, hiker and bird-watcher who "loves visiting his local library on Saturdays."Other competitors included Strongsville's Advait Nishit, Canton's Logan Cox, Elyria's Cayley Anne Anderson.
Columbus weekend events: Breakaway Music Festival and Hops on High
Here's what's happening around Columbus this weekend:๐ Take a sweet day trip to downtown Newark for the Strawberry Festival.11am-10pm Friday and Saturday, 11am-6pm Sunday. Free!๐ต Dance as the bass drops at the Breakaway Music Festival.4-11pm Friday and 3-11pm Saturday, Historic Crew Stadium. $99 daily general admission, $159 weekend pass.๐ถ Get funky with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, innovators of the genre.7pm Friday, OSU's Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St. $43+.๐ Feel the Force during tonight's Star Wars-themed fireworks, as well as other promotions at Clippers games all weekend long.7:05pm Friday, Huntington Park. $8-21.๐ณ Watch "Crazy Rich Asians" at Topiary Park,...
Throwback Thursday: The Ohio statues in the Capitol
Like all states, Ohio sends two senators to represent us in Washington, D.C.Yes, but: What you might not know is the U.S. Capitol building features two other famous Ohioans โ in bronze form.Driving the news: Each state gets to place two statues somewhere inside the Capitol that honor their respective histories.A sculpture of the late Rev. Billy Graham was unveiled two weeks ago representing North Carolina.Zoom in: The Buckeye State is represented by statues of inventor Thomas Edison and former President James A. Garfield.Flashback: Edison was born in the small village of Milan near Lake Erie and is famous for inventing the phonograph and incandescent light bulb.You can find his bronze statue in the Capitol's National Statuary Hall.Garfield was born in Moreland Hills, about 13 miles east of Cleveland.He was a state lawmaker and congressman before taking office as president in 1881.However, he was shot in July that year and died months later.His statue can be found in the Capitol Rotunda.
Columbus poll: What time is too early to mow your lawn?
As "#NoMowMay" comes to a close, we're asking readers: How early in the day is too early to mow?Take our poll and make your voice heard. (Closes at noon Monday.)State of play: An early morning start means avoiding hot, humid hours โ but a sleepy neighbor may curse your existence.The intrigue: Columbus' community noise ordinance says the "hourly average sound level" on residential properties can't exceed 60 dBA between 10pm and 7am, measured from within the affected home.The bottom line: We don't condone mowing by moonlight, but if you've got an ultra-quiet lawnmower, it's technically not forbidden.
The Columbus Crew is one of lowest-paid teams in MLS
Data: MLS Players Association; Note: Guaranteed compensation includes a player's base salary, agent's fees, and all signing, marketing and guaranteed bonuses annualized over the term of the player's contract, including option years; Table: Axios VisualsThe Columbus Crew is slated to pay its players a combined $15.2 million this season, per figures released by the MLS Players Association.Context: The number is on the low-end for MLS teams, coming in 21st out of 29 squads.Yes, but: The Crew's front office apparently knows how to get the best bang for its buck.Columbus has won two of the past four MLS Cup titles and...
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