CONNECTED Columbus Magazine - Winter 2023

FUN WINTER EVENTS

by Bryan Curtiss

Normally, January and February are the months where there are not a whole lot of outdoor events and festivals taking place, due to the unpredictable Ohio Winter Weather, but there are still things taking place, as we phase out of the holiday season While some Holiday Lights shows end on January 1, there are a couple of Holiday Shows that will still be up through January 8, Holiday Blooms and Conservatory Aglow at the Franklin Park Conservatory and the Huntington Holiday Train at the Main Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

If you love Ohio State Football, the “A Walk in the Shoe” Exhibit celebrating 100 years of Ohio Stadium will be up at the William Oxley Thompson Library at The Ohio State University-Main Campus through February, featuring rare artifacts (like a piece of a goal post from the 1955 Rose Bowl, an IlliBuck Trophy from the 1980s, and a LEGO replica of Ohio Stadium) from Ohio State football over the last 100 years. The exhibit hours for “A Walk in the Shoe” can be found here.

January will also see Columbus roll out the welcome mat for the PCMA Convening Leaders Conference (a conference for event meeting planners) when it comes to Downtown Columbus The PCMA Convening Leaders Conference is the second-largest conference in the country, and is the first of two major conferences in Columbus in 2023, with the Convention of Mayors taking place this Summer

Columbus has a lot to explore year-round, and there is always something going on in the city or its surrounding suburbs And with Columbus welcoming in large-scale events like the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2018 (and again in 2027!), and the American Society of Associates and Executives (ASAE) in 2019, Columbus is setting itself to be on stage for the world to see, with trendy destinations, culture, and cuisine. Here are some of the events around the community that are taking place In early 2023.

JANUARY

The Columbus Museum of Art (480 E Broad St in Downtown Columbus) has several exhibits going on at once, including an annual staple, and the world premiere of an exhibit honoring a famed children’s illustrator

The LEGO Think Outside the Brick Show will be up at the Columbus Museum of Art through February 24. This year marks the ten-year anniversary of this annual exhibit The Columbus Museum also opened the Special Exhibit “Where The Wild Things Are Happening”, which features the artwork of illustrator and artist Maurice Sendak through March 5. This special exhibit is the first retrospection of Sendak and his anthology of work which includes the illustrations for “Where the Wild Things Are” and the musical “Really Rosie”

January 16 – Martin Luther King Day is a day of reflection to celebrate the legacy of the late Civil Rights Leader. There are prayer breakfasts in Westerville and Columbus. There is also a march in the City of Columbus In 2022, there were two marches in the City of Columbus – one down Cleveland Avenue in Linden between Hudson Street and Eleventh Avenue, and the second march circled around the City Hall Campus in Downtown Columbus

(January 16 at Ohio History Connection, 800 E. 17th Ave., Linden) will be held from Noon to 4 PM at the Ohio History Connection, with Franklin County Commissioner Erica C. Crawley as the Keynote Speaker.

FEBRUARY

February 21 – Multi-Chamber Business Expo – Every Winter, the Dublin, Hilliard, and Westerville Chambers of Commerce join forces for a Combined Business Expo featuring businesses that are members of at least one of those three chambers. It is an opportunity for people to connect with local businesses and to grow their networks

– The Arnold Sports Festival

The Arnold Sports Festival takes place the first weekend of March in Columbus, with most of the events and activities taking place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center The weekend-long event features over 60 athletic events with over 20,000 athletes from over 80 countries represented. It is the largest sporting event in North America.

MARCH

March 11 – St. Patrick’s Day

Dublin – The traditional St Patrick’s Day Parade will be back in Historic Downtown Dublin for the first time since 2019 The Parade will feature floats, community organizations, and marching bands That is just part of a weekend of events in Dublin celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

March 17 – Columbus St. Patrick’s Day Parade – The Columbus St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place at Noon in Downtown Columbus, ending at the Greater Columbus Convention Center The Parade is organized by the Shamrock Club of Central Ohio, which promotes Irish-American heritage.

There is never a shortage of things happening around the Central Ohio area Experience Columbus, which is the Columbus area ’ s Visitor and Conventions Bureau Experience Columbus is a wonderful resource for people looking for exciting things to do in the Columbus Metro area, from museums and hidden gems to festivals and concerts