Yesterday, I was in a meeting with a room-full of marketing directors that represent many of the arts organizations and facilities in town and during the meeting, each one was invited to talk about their line-up of events for this upcoming season. Wow! Suffice it to say we are in for one busy Autumn and I can't wait. Even this weekend, we're getting a sneak peek of just how jammed-packed the next few months are going to be. And after the brutal Summer we all just endured, we're about due for some enjoyable time outside without having to fight the heat, humidity and 'skeeters.
I threw my beach chair in the trunk this morning and it's going to stay there for the next few weeks so I'll be ready for this series of The Big To-Do Uptown Concert Series. Every Friday night for the next six weeks, there's a different band on stage each week and they're all bands that will have you up and dancing and put you in a good mood for the rest of the weekend. It's something you can bring the kids to and they'll enjoy just as much as you and I really like the fact that there's plenty of free parking and there's absolutely no admission charge to get into the concert. That's a really good deal!
Other things you might want to do this weekend include the 3rd Annual Columbus Children's Book Festival at the main library on Macon Rd on Saturday. This festival has gotten really big and includes everything from nationally-known authors and illustrators to magicians and cotton candy. Truthfully, cotton candy was all I needed to hear. There's also "Live Healthy in Uptown Day" and it's going on in the same area and time as Market Days on Broadway. Just a few blocks away from Broadway is an event called Transportation Playground, a fundraiser aimed at raising money for a playground in Uptown. You can see, touch, or explore, a train, a plane, exotic cars, military vehicles, emergency vehicles, unique cycles, and many more. There’s a skateboard comp, food and lots of activities for kids. And there’ll be raffles for some really great prizes! And a nice way to wind down the weekend is by heading to RiverCenter Sunday afternoon for a couple of concerts by the virtuosos at CSU's School of Music. First up at 4:00pm, it’s CSU’s Philharmonic Orchestra performing their first concert of the season with a pretty eclectic line-up and if you can’t make that one, a little later at 7:30pm, you can hear Dr. Robert Murray, Professor of Trumpet, do his faculty recital! And both of these concerts are in Legacy Hall at RiverCenter and they are both FREE!!! I love free.
Do yourselves a favor and bookmark the Event Calendar so you can go there and get the latest on all the festivities happening in and around Columbus. It sure helps when you're making weekend plans!