So there isn't room to list all thousand ways to play, but I can give you a quick list of things to get out and do this weekend! And you can always check the Community Calendar to get the latest info on all the happenings around town.
You know, Columbus has a lot of outstanding features that make us different from any other city in the nation including one of the best landmarks anywhere…the life-size replica of the USS Water Witch at Port Columbus! If you’ve driven by there and wondered if you can go on board this vessel, you certainly can and this would be a great weekend to go explore it because they have a special program this Saturday (1-4pm) called “Two Navies, One Ship: The Story of the USS Water Witch.” You’ll get permission to ‘come aboard’ and hear some really cool stories of the battle for this ship. The story goes that the Water Witch was sitting at anchor near Savannah as part of the Union blockade when the battle ensued. They say it was a brief but very bloody event, so at this event, we’ll get to hear ‘first-person’ accounts by sailors and officers from both the Union and Confederate sides.
So when you finish fighting that battle, you’ll need to have a little fun! Not only is this year flying by (hello June!), but can you believe it’s been 20 years since The Loft in Uptown Columbus opened their doors?! In fact, back in 1992, entertainment choices in Uptown were pretty much limited to The Loft and The Springer, and thankfully they are both still going strong today. That’s a milestone in any situation so there’s a big party planned in Uptown this Saturday night to celebrate these 20 years of creating music, laughter and memories. Believe it or not, this shindig is absolutely free to get into and will feature a lot of the great artists who have performed there over the years…folks like Grammy-nominate Shawn Mullins, Marshall Ruffin, Neal Lucas and Keni Thomas of Korn Bread. They’ll have a couple of different stages set up, so find the music you like and enjoy!
Now, when’s the last time you were able to get up close and personal with a real, live alligator!? If you’ve never had the chance to get close to one of these prehistoric critters, this is the weekend you need to head down to Florence Marina State Park for their Annual Alligator Day! They’ll have real experts on hand and you’ll get to meet an alligator trapper who will have a lot of cool stuff on display. If you’re brave enough, they’ll even let you touch a live alligator! But I think my favorite part of the day is hopping on the park’s pontoon boats to get out on the water and search for these beasts in their natural habitat. Sometimes you see two little bumps on the surface of the water as their eyes appear…and you know what’s underneath the surface! And as hot as it’s been, chances are good that you’ll see them sunning themselves along the banks of the river!
Here’s something else designed just for kids…especially for the really athletic kids in your household! It’s an event called “Y KIDS TRI” happening this Saturday morning at the Downtown YMCA. Y KIDS TRI is the perfect launching pad for young folks to break into the sport of Triathlon, and yes, they’ll be doing all the events in a real triathlon! The swim takes place in the pool at the Downtown YMCA and the bike ride and run will be held on closed roadways and running paths all along Columbus’ Uptown streets and RiverWalk. This is recommended for ages 6-12 and if they want to compete, make sure they bring a swimsuit, bike and running shoes. The cost for your kids to join in is $25 and 100% of the proceeds are given to the YMCA of Columbus!
There's tons to do and this list is just a sampling of what's out there, so enjoy your weekend.
Now, go have some fun...
shelby
Arts / Events / History / River Fun