Many restaurants, breweries and shops cater to seasonal activities, so you'll find your time filled with delightful things to do both indoors and outdoors.
Winter Warm Up
Bundle up before you venture out into the Central Ohio winter weather. The temperatures can linger near freezing, but you'll keep warm when you explore the hoppy, happy beer scene. The big kick-off of the season is the Columbus Winter Beerfest at the Columbus Convention Center (400 N. High St., Columbus). Don't worry if you miss the festival, though. Aim for Columbus Craft Beer Week in the spring instead. In the meantime, you can explore the breweries yourself on the Columbus Ale Trail.
Rite of Spring
Columbus rings in spring in March each year with a Blooms & Butterflies celebration at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (1777 E. Broad St., Columbus). Revel in the flutter of wings throughout the season as new batches of butterflies emerge each week and are released into the glass-covered Pacific Island Water Garden. Stroll through the gardens where you'll be greeted with fresh, spring fragrances and bright colors as swaths of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths burst into bloom.
Central Ohio Summertime Fun
Stock up on sunscreen and casual clothing to get the most of the summer activities. Scioto Mile (Civic Center Dr., Columbus), the city's massive riverfront park, is the place to go most weekends for events like the Columbus Arts Festival in June, Fourth of July fireworks, and the annual Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest. Explore the city's trails and neighborhoods on a bike rented at one of the 30 CoGo Ride Share stations around town. Keep it casual as you explore the summertime nightlife at Park Street Patio (533 N. Park St., Columbus) and entertainment venues with outdoor dancing and dining.
Fall Festivals and Fun
If you love autumn, Columbus is the place for long walks along tree-lined streets showing off their fall foliage. It's also the time when the city's breweries show off their most awesome specialties at the Columbus Oktoberfest held at the Ohio Expo Center (717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus). There's plenty of ghostly Halloween activity to get up to in late fall, too, including the spooky, family-friendly Haunted Ohio Statehouse Tours (1 Capitol Square, Columbus).
Football Season Favorites
Football season is its own phenomenon in Columbus, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Book tickets for a home game at Ohio Stadium (411 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus) as early as possible because the crowds are huge, especially if The Ohio State University football players are on the path to another Big Ten title. If you're a pro football fan, you'll soon discover you're surrounded by both Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns fans. But you're always welcome to join in cheering at friendly sports bars like Olivers (26 N. High St., Columbus) and King Avenue 5 (945 King Ave., Columbus).
Happiest of Holiday Seasons
Join in the Columbus tradition of ringing in the holidays with lots and lots of sparkling, shiny, festive lights. The beloved Wildlights display at the Columbus Zoo (4850 Powell Rd., Powell) will enchant your whole family. The grand display brightens the night sky from mid-November through December, closing only for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In downtown Columbus, the Grand Illumination twinkles and shines along the Scioto Mile riverfront and at Bicentennial Park (233 Civic Center Dr., Columbus) from early December through mid-January.
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