Need plans? Check out these 10 fun events in Columbus and central Ohio
Can you smell it? Eighties nostalgia is in the air!
Leading the throwback pack is original boy band New Kids on the Block, whose scored their first hit in 1988 with "Please Don't Go Girl." The quintet will strut their stuff at Nationwide Arena on Friday with special guests Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
The flashback fun continues next week with Howard Jones, ABC and Haircut 100 bringing '80s Brit-pop to TempleLive at the Columbus Athenaeum.
Going further back, "Dancing in the Street: Music of Motown" will return to New Albany's Hinson Amphitheater on Tuesday after being canceled last year because of bad weather.
On Saturday, Gravity's first-ever film showcase will feature short films by LGBTQ+ filmmakers or highlighting content relevant to queer identities and experiences, films by BIPOC creators, animated shorts, horror tales, films sharing Ohio stories and works by high school and college students.
More concerts and other entertainment options are on deck; read on for details. If you'd like these events delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.
Guitarist-singer Robert Cray to serve rockin' blues at Lincoln Theatre
Already a force in the blues world, Robert Cray gained wider name recognition with his 1986 crossover hit, "Smoking Gun." He's shared stages and studios with the likes of Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Tina Turner, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Rolling Stones and others.
Now a five-time Grammy winner who sells out venues with his own band, Cray will bring his soulful brand of rock-infused blues to the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St., at 8 p.m. Friday.
Tickets start at $45.77 and can be purchased at the CBUSArts ticket center at the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., by phone at 614-469-0939 and online. (cbusarts.com)
NKOTB to show off 'the right stuff' with Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff
New Kids on the Block, known to some "Blockheads" as NKOTB, is summoning the "Magic" of their 1990 tour by the same name to cast a spell on fans old and new. The popular boy band will prove they're still "Hangin' Tough" when they come to Nationwide Arena with special guests Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff at 7 p.m. Friday.
Expect to hear NKOTB hits including “You Got It (The Right Stuff)" and "Step By Step," as well as chart-toppers from their Grammy Award-winning musical colleagues.
Ticket prices start at $29.95. (ticketmaster.com)
CREATE! art-making event in Delaware to explore the elements
The elements will converge at CREATE! A Community Art Making Event that will include food trucks, hands-on projects and demonstrations involving earth, wind, fire and water from noon to 4 p.m. at Boardman Arts Park, 154 W. William St., Delaware.
Boardman Arts Park has teamed up with artists to build an interactive sluice for the park. Related activities include a demo of the construction of the sluice panels, a paint-by-number project for panels and adding a sea-glass bottom to the device.
Other demos and activities will include fire juggling, charcoal caricatures, pottery throwing, sidewalk art, arts and crafts and much more. Attendees also can paint a car belonging to park director Roxanne Amidon.
CREATE! is free, but please RSVP at givebutter.com/CREATEWithUs to assist in planning and preparation for the event. (boardmanartspark.org)
Cap City Festivals finale to offer free fun to Scioto Southland Park
For more than a decade, Columbus Recreation and Parks has presented Cap City Festivals in different neighborhoods to bring residents together for an afternoon of music, food and activities.
This year's festival series, which began in May, will conclude Saturday in Scioto Southland Park, 3901 Parsons Ave. From 3-7 p.m., guests can enjoy inflatables, a climbing wall, live music by DJ Sonicc Blush, treats from Al's Delicious Popcorn, Johnson's Ice Cream, Donatos Pizza and more.
Admission is free. (columbusrecparks.com/capcity)
Gravity showcase to premiere with nearly 50 short films, panels and art
Cinema lovers can view nearly 50 short films and watch unique live-art performances at the inaugural Gravity Film Showcase, set for noon to 10 p.m. Saturday at Gravity’s event center and courtyard at 500 W. Broad St.
The daylong screening will highlight works by Ohio-based filmmakers from student movies to professionally made films, ranging from two to 40 minutes long. Directors also will hold panel discussions.
Additionally, guests can enjoy a performance by the B-Hood dance troupe while artists Lance Johnson and Arris Cohen paint during the dance number and sculptor Jason Johnston creates his interpretation of the dance.
Tickets are $10. (bit.ly/4dsdhek)
Home Improvement Showcase to spark ideas for remodeling projects
Are you looking for ideas for your next DIY home-improvement project? Seeking a dependable contractor to do the job? Well, look no further than the Home Improvement Showcase presented by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), to be presented from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Visitors will have the chance to tour 19 homes around the city that have undergone work from complete remodeling to landscaping renovations. Contractors also will be on hand to walk consumers through the remodeling process from start to finish.
The cost of the tour is $5 per person for a single-site ticket or $20 per person for a two-day pass to all 19 homes. (trustnari.org)
'Dancing in the Street' comes back to New Albany's Hinson Amphitheater
Summer's here and the time is right for "Dancing in the Street: Music of Motown with the New Albany Symphony Orchestra," coming to the Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater, 170 E. Dublin Granville Road, New Albany, at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Gates open at 7 p.m.
Back from last year, when it was cut short by inclement weather, the show features hits by artists such as Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder. The symphony will join returning Broadway stars Shayna Steele and Chester Gregory, along with Terron Brooks, who portrayed Eddie Kendricks in the Emmy Award-winning NBC miniseries "The Temptations."
Pack a picnic or purchase food from local food truck favorites. Wine and beer also will be available for purchase.
Bring chairs and blankets for lawn seats, which cost $77. Front-table seats are $180. (newalbanyfoundation.org)
Sharp-dressed men ZZ Top to boogie down at KEMBA Live!
Known for their instantly recognizable sound and trademark beards and spinning guitars, ZZ Top will deliver an evening of boogie-rock during a rain-or-shine show at KEMBA Live!, 405 Neil Ave., on Tuesday. McKinley James will open. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
For more than half a century, “That Little Ol' Band from Texas” consisted of Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill, making them the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in popular music history. Following Hill's death in 2021, he was succeeded by the group's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis.
Tickets are $65.50 for general admission lawn seating and $125 for platinum seating. (promowestlive.com)
Tesla returning to Columbus for high-energy concert at Mershon
Though categorized as a "hair band" in the '80s, Tesla's earned respect from critics for Top 10 hits like "Love Song" and their cover of Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs." It's a safe bet that the audience will hear these numbers at Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St., where the group will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Tesla went inactive in 1996 but reunited in 2000. Their current "Keepin' it Real" tour included a five-day residency in April at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.
Ticket prices start at $47.50. (ticketmaster.com)
'Second British Invasion' show to bring Howard Jones, ABC, Haircut 100
In what could be deemed music's third British Invasion, a slate of U.K.-spawned '80s hitmakers — Howard Jones, ABC and Haircut 100 — is bound for TempleLive at the Columbus Athenaeum, 32 N. Fourth St., at 7 p.m. Aug. 28.
Jones' stream of hits in the mid to late '80s included "What Is Love?," "Like to Get to Know You Well," "Things Can Only Get Better" and "No One is to Blame." ABC is known for tunes including "The Look of Love," "Be Near Me" and "When Smokey Sings," while Haircut 100's popular singles include "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)."
Ticket prices start at $65 for the floor and $75 for seats. (ticketmaster.com)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 things to do in Columbus and central Ohio in the next week
