Need plans? Check out these 10 cool events in Columbus and central Ohio
This weekend sees the return of three events that will feed attendees in different ways. Gospel giant Kirk Franklin's "Reunion Tour" will provide food for the spirit, the Serbian Festival will offer food for the belly and the mental wellness-focused ResiFest! will offer food for the mind and soul.
Thursday is the first anniversary of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks’ being named to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Celebratory events include an open-to-the-public commemoration for the Great Circle Earthworks and Octagon Earthworks with speakers, tours, food trucks and more.
Additionally, neo-soul pioneer Meshell Ndegeocello will present "No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin," her paean to the late author-activist on Sunday at Mershon Auditorium.
There's more music, plus theater, art exhibits, comedy heading your way, and you can read about it all below. If you'd like these events delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.
Kirk Franklin brings back 'Reunion Tour' with new lineup of performers
Twenty-time Grammy-winning gospel singer-songwriter, choir director and producer Kirk Franklin, who brought his "Reunion Tour" to Columbus last year, will return with a new slate of co-headliners at Nationwide Arena at 8 p.m. Thursday.
He'll be joined by noted gospel artists Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, The Clark Sisters and special guest Kierra Sheard-Kelly.
Franklin was one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame when it was established in 2021.
Tickets start at $39.50. (ticketmaster.com)
Available Light's 'Lunch Bunch' to open for three-weekend run
In its latest offering, Available Light Theatre will demonstrate how small moments of joy can change our perspective in times of hopelessness and chaos — through food. In "Lunch Bunch," seven beleaguered public defenders use their weekly shared lunches as respite from their punishing caseloads.
Up and coming: Three shows highlight Available Light Theatre's new season coming to Columbus
The play will open at 8 p.m. Thursday in Studio Two Theatre of the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.
Other performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28 and Oct. 3-5, and 2 p.m. Sept. 29. There will be a talkback after all Thursday and Friday shows.
Tickets start at $25. (avltheatre.com, cbus.com)
Serbian Festival to be highlighted by cultural food, music and dance
The grounds of St. Stevan of Dechani Serbian Orthodox Church, 1840 N. Cassady Ave., will be transformed into a Serbian village where traditional cuisine, music, dancing and more will be offered this weekend.
The Serbian Festival, which will take place from 5-10 p.m. Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, will also feature activities for children and Saturday church tours.
Admission is $5 for ages 18 and older; those 17 and younger are admitted for free. (columbusserbianfestival)
Ceremony to mark anniversary of Earthworks as UNESCO World Heritage site
Thursday marks one year since the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks’ inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the only Ohio site on the list. The anniversary will be celebrated by the Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service at their sites in Licking, Ross and Warren counties.
A commemoration for the Great Circle Earthworks and Octagon Earthworks is set for 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Great Circle, 455 Hebron Road, Heath. The program will include speakers and a plaque unveiling.
Other activities will include guided tours of the Great Circle, a remnant walking tour, atlatl and earthwork-building demonstrations, crafts and more. Food trucks will be onsite.
Admission is free and no registration is required. (bit.ly/3ztYqRH)
Exhibition to spotlight art of New Yorker cartoonist Barbara Shermund
Beginning Saturday, more than 100 works by trailblazing feminist cartoonist Barbara Shermund, one of the first women cartoonists for The New Yorker magazine, will be on display at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster.
The exhibition is curated by Caitlin McGurk, curator of comics and cartoon art at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and an associate professor at the Ohio State University. McGurk will give a curator talk a 2 p.m. Sunday.
"Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund" runs through Dec. 29. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Admission is free. (decartsohio.org)
ResiFest! back to promote mental and holistic wellness through the arts
ResiFest! is returning for its second year to unite the community in building mental health resilience through the arts, connection and holistic wellness. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Boardman Arts Park, 154 W. William St., Delaware.
In addition to live music on two stages, food trucks, artisan vendors and mental health resources, there will be a raffle with prizes including a Nashville Guitar Works acoustic guitar.
New this year is the Ampersand Essential Oils Restoration Station, where attendees can experience restorative services such as Reiki, guided meditation, massage therapy, personalized essential oils and more.
Admission is free. (resifest.com)
Meshell Ndegeocello to pay homage to James Baldwin in 'No More Water'
Meshell Ndegeocello, who helped ignite the neo-soul movement, incorporates a vast array of genres in her music, including soul, jazz, rock, funk, reggae and hip-hop, as heard on hits like "Wild Night," her duet with John Mellencamp.
The Ohio State University Office of Academic Affairs and the Wexner Center for the Arts will welcome the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, bassist and poet to Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St. at 7 p.m. Sunday.
In "No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin," Ndegeocello will pay musical tribute to the late author, with inspiration from his revolutionary essays on race relations, "The Fire Next Time."
Tickets are $40 for the general public, $30 for Wex members and adults 55 and older, and $15 for college students and youth 18 and younger. (bit.ly/4gmvvjb)
Science and psychedelics to meet in Shane Mauss' set at Funny Bone
Comedian and frequent podcast guest Shane Mauss will bring his trademark combo of humor mixed with a vast knowledge of science and psychedelics to Columbus Funny Bone, 145 Easton Town Center, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Billed as "a one-of-a-kind immersive psychedelic comedy experience," the 44-year-old's "A Better Trip" show is accompanied by striking visual displays and animations.
Tickets are $25. (columbus.funnybone.com)
'TH13TEEN' showcases painting series and spoken word by theartofmann
"TH13TEEN," a series of paintings and a spoken-word collage film by local artist theartofmann, is on view through Oct. 4 at Secret Studio, 503 W. Walnut St., in the Franklinton Arts District.
theartofmann's work, previously featured in a solo exhibition at the Schumacher Gallery, is part of the corporate collection at EMH&T in New Albany and was featured in the 2010 Edward Zwick rom-com "Love and Other Drugs."
Visits to Secret Studio are currently by appointment only. (614-725-1310, [email protected])
The Get Up Kids to give fans 'Something to Write Home About'
The Get Up Kids, whose blend of power pop, alt-rock and punk-influence bands such as Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, will headline a show at 8 p.m. Tuesday at TempleLive at the Columbus Athenaeum, 32 N. Fourth St. The Smoking Popes will open.
Get spots for the show: Columbus natives Twenty One Pilots coming to Columbus soon. Tickets still available
The Get Up Kids are touring in support of the 25th anniversary reissue of their widely acclaimed album, "Something to Write Home About," which came out digitally last month. A physical release is set for Sept. 20.
Tickets start at $29. (ticketmaster.com)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 things to do in Columbus and central Ohio this week
