The Ohio State Fair arrived this week and while it offers a multitude of attractions, it's not the only game in town. However, if you are heading to the fair, it bears mentioning that Founders Day at nearby Ohio Village is Thursday and fairgoers can present their tickets for free admission to join in celebrating the village's 50th anniversary!
On the theater stage, Weathervane Playhouse takes on "The Addams Family" in musical style and the Actors' Theatre of Columbus production of "Twelfth Night" comically reinforces Shakespeare's claim that the course of true love never did run smooth. (Yes, we're aware that quote is from a different play!)
Buckeyes fans won't want to miss the Columbus Symphony and The Ohio State University Marching Band ending the Nationwide Picnic with the Pops concert series with a bang on Friday and Saturday at Columbus Commons.
These events and several others below can keep you entertained when you're not looking down on the fairgrounds from the Sky Glider or gawking at the butter cow display. To have these ideas delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter .
Ohio Village to mark 50 years at Founders Day celebration
If you're at the Ohio State Fair on Thursday, stop over at Ohio Village, 800 E. 17th Ave., to celebrate Founders Day with music and family-friendly fun honoring the village's opening on July 27, 1974.
The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering concerts at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., vintage "base ball" games between the Ohio Village Muffins and visiting teams at noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m., vaudeville acts and more. Guests are welcome to bring blankets and chairs.
The event is included with Ohio State Fair admission, which is $12 for ages 13-59; $10 for 60 and older and ages 6-12; free for ages 5 and younger and Ohio History Connection members. Those who wish to use fair tickets can enter through the Ohio History Center museum.
Admission to Ohio Village also is included with regular admission to the Ohio History Center, which costs $16 for ages 13-59; $14 for 60 and older and college students with ID; $10 for ages 4-12; free for ages 3 and younger and Ohio History Connection members. ( ohiohistory.org/events-experiences )
Weathervane to scare up laughs with 'Addams Family' musical
Wednesday Addams is all grown up and she's head over heels in love with a most un-Addams-like young man. He's smart, sweet and from a respectable family — in other words, he's "normal." Can her decidedly "ooky" tribe tone down their weirdness for one night to meet Wednesday's boyfriend and his parents?
Find out when "The Addams Family: A New Musical" opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Weathervane Playhouse, 100 Price Road, Newark. Other performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday, as well as 7:30 p.m. July 30-Aug. 3. Doors open 30 minutes before each show.
Tickets are $36, except on July 30, when the price is $18. ( weathervaneplayhouse.org )
Love triangle comes full circle in Actors' Theatre's 'Twelfth Night'
In William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," a love triangle takes many twists and turns: Orsino is in love with Olivia, who is in love with Cesario, who is really a disguised Viola, who is in love with Orsino. To complicate the already topsy-turvy situation, Sir Andrew Aguecheek is also in love with Olivia!
Shenanigans ensue in the wild comedy being staged by the Actors' Theatre of Columbus at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays through Aug. 11 at Schiller Park Amphitheatre, 100 City Park Ave.
Admission is free, with donations accepted at intermission. Reserve a blanket or chair in advance: Zero-gravity reclining chairs are $25, blankets are $25, lawn-level lounge chairs are $20. ( theactorstheatre.org )
Symphony and TBDBITL to unite for Picnic with the Pops finale
The Nationwide Picnic with the Pops summer concert series will go out with a bang as the Ohio State University Marching Band joins the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St. Gates open both days at 6 p.m.
Led by Columbus Symphony Orchestra Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and Dr. Christopher Hoch, the Ohio State University Marching Band will salute the Buckeyes and the upcoming season with a selection of fans' favorite fight songs and battle cries. Fireworks will cap off the evening.
General-admission lawn seating is $35 for ages 13 and older and $10 for ages 3-12, plus applicable fees. Children 2 and younger are admitted free. Table seating prices begin at $484. Tickets can be purchased at the CBUSArts ticket center, 39 E. State St., by phone at 614-469-0939 or online. ( cbusarts.com )
Fest to bring food trucks, family fun and more to Whitehall
South Yearling Road between Langley Avenue and Etna Road will come alive from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, when the Whitehall Food Truck and Fun Fest brings more than 35 trucks, 20-plus marketplace vendors, a kids' zone, the new Workforce and Wellness Pavilion and more.
Enjoy live music throughout the day with evening performances by DJ Mix Master Ice, MojoFlo and headliner R&B singer Karyn White, known for the hits "Superwoman," "Secret Rendezvous," "The Way You Love Me" and "Romantic."
General admission is free. VIP seating with access to a private bar and restrooms is $40 per ticket or $350 for a table of 10. The VIP area opens at 4 p.m. and each VIP ticket comes with two drink tickets. ( whitehallfoodtruckfest.com )
Rising band Wilderado to headline show at The Bluestone
Touring in support of their upcoming album, "Talker," due out Sept. 20, Wilderado is slated to stop at The Bluestone, 583 E. Broad St., at 7 p.m. Saturday for an evening of Americana-inspired indie rock. Harbour and Windser also are lined up to perform.
With their song, "Wall of Death," featured in the new tornado flick, "Twisters," Wilderado is in good company: The soundtrack also includes such artists as Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Shania Twain and Miranda Lambert. Lead singer and guitarist Max Rainer also has a cameo in the film.
Tickets are $23. ( ticketmaster.com )
'Rockin' the Rainbow' concert to support local church, LGBTQ+ youth
Be prepared to tap your toes and have your spirits lifted at North Congregational United Church of Christ's seventh concert for a cause since 2018. "Rockin' the Rainbow" is set to take place from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at 2040 W. Henderson Road. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a silent auction.
Performers include singer-songwriter Donna Mogavero, indie/alternative trio Made of the Mist and Joyful Noises Celebrate Self.
The recommended donation is $20. Proceeds will benefit North Congregational UCC and the Kaleidoscope Youth Center, which provides young LGBTQ+ people with support, leadership development, life skills, social activities, health and wellness education and other services. ( facebook.com/JustNorthUCC )
Hot Wheels monster trucks to light up Nationwide Arena
See monster trucks as you've never seen them before: in the dark! The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party comes to Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., for three shows on Saturday and Sunday.
Besides the glowing metal monsters, fans of all ages can enjoy a dance party, laser light shows, Hot Wheels toy giveaways, a special appearance from the car-eating, fire-breathing transforming robot Megasaurus and more.
Showtimes are 12:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. A Power Smashers preshow party will be held two and a half hours before each show, allowing fans to see the trucks up close.
Ticket prices start at $21. ( nationwidearena.com/events )
Ganthers Place residents invite public to tour community's gardens
Residents will open their gardens and their hearts to visitors from all over central Ohio from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday for the 19th Annual Ganthers Place Garden Tour, set to begin at Ganthers Park for All People, 566 Reinhard Ave. Guests will enjoy live music, self-guided tours of three pocket parks and more.
Participating residents range from newcomers in their first year of the tour to event co-founders in their 19th year. This year's theme, "Memories," will highlight the many years of contributions that built the small community located just south of Downtown. ( weareganthersplace.com )
Kommuna Lux to play Ukraine benefit at Natalie's Grandview
All the way from Odesa, Ukraine, Kommuna Lux will bring folk ballads, upbeat tunes and high-spirited antics to the Music Hall Stage at Natalie's Grandview, 945 King Ave., during a benefit for their homeland at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the band of conservatory-trained musicians — one of whom left the group to join the army — began touring Europe to raise money for the war-torn country. Their first U.S. tour last fall was so successful that they founded a nonprofit called KMLX to support Ukraine.
A portion of donations collected at Kommuna Lux’s shows go toward new special beds for victims of severe burns at hospitals across the frontlines in Ukraine. Tickets are $36. ( nataliesgrandview.com )
bpaschal@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Check out these 10 cool events in Columbus and central Ohio this weekend
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