06.30.2023

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Today’s Forecast

38º | Cloudy | 10% chance of precipitation | Sunrise 7:53 a.m. | Sunset 5:23 p.m.

Even brighter than the moon

How to make the most of Red, White & BOOM! in 2023

Downtown buildings and bridges will also light up in red, white, and blue. | Photo via Canva | Photo via Canva

What’s a fireworks display without a little boom? Columbus may never know.

Red, White & BOOM!, the largest fireworks display in Ohio, returns on Monday, July 3 along the Scioto Riverfront. With 400,000+ people planning to make the trip downtown, we recommend getting ahead of the game — and the crowds. Luckily, we’re here to help with this guide.

🎆 Boom basics

This annual event takes over downtown with two stages for music, food trucks, drink stands, and activities for kids. While it’s totally free to watch the fireworks, VIP tickets are available, which grant access to VIP Village. The VIP area is located south of COSI between Town Street and Washington Street — and offers the closest view to the fireworks.

Prepare for big crowds, long lines, and heavy traffic on Monday, July 3. | Photo via @redwhiteboomcbus

🎆 Know when to go

Here’s a quick look at some of the must-do events we think you should check out:

BOOM! Street Festival, 11 a.m. — Browse 108 different vendors offering food, drinks, merchandise, and toys for kids.
Live music, 12 p.m. — Listen to 14 local musicians across two stages, the Long Street Stage and the Bicentennial Stage, with late night performances after the fireworks.
BOOM! Parade, 5:30 p.m. — Watch this parade step off from the E. Main Street Bridge and march towards Front Street followed by Spring Street.

Many downtown roads will be closed as a result of the festivities so plan your trip accordingly.

Secure your spot early in the day to make sure you have the best view. | Photo via @redwhiteboomcbus

🎆 Where to watch

Fireworks are fired from the east bank of Genoa Park starting at 10 p.m. But, if you prefer to avoid the downtown traffic jams and crowds, here are some other watch spots:

Scioto Audubon Metro Park, 400 W. Whittier St.
Schiller Park, 1069 Jaeger St.
Goodale Park, 120 W. Goodale St.
Dodge Park, 667 Sullivant Ave.

Events

Friday, June 30

Metric | Friday, June 30 | 7 p.m. | Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St., Campus | $33-$75 | This independent rock band is joined by Summore, an up-and-coming electropop group.

Saturday, July 1

Independence Day Celebration | Saturday, July 1 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Ohio Village, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus | $0-$16 | This historically accurate event takes visitors back to the 1890s to learn about the holiday.
Skate Night | Saturday, July 1 | 4-7 p.m. | United Skates of America, 3362 Refugee Rd., Columbus | $9 | Boogie skate to popular hits with the family with rentals available for $5.

Sunday, July 2

Sunday in the Park | Sunday, July 2 | 1-4 p.m. | Columbus Metropolitan Library, 96 S. Grant Ave., Downtown | Free | Have a relaxing afternoon with food trucks, live music, and summertime games.

Wednesday, July 5

Farmers Market | Wednesday, July 5 | 3:30-6:30 p.m. | Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus | Free | Enjoy shopping for fresh produce, food trucks, handmade crafts, and other locally sourced items.*

100+ more events

Click here to have your event featured.

Festival

Have the best bookish time at Columbus Book Festival

people enjoying Kaufman plaza behind the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Main Library

Visitors can explore the outdoor patio at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch + the nearby Topiary Park. | Photo via Columbus Metropolitan Library

Get lost in a book with your favorite author at the Columbus Book Festival happening Saturday, July 15-Sunday, July 16.

Head to Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library + Topiary Park for author talks, entertainment, and more. Festival headliners include:

Maggie Smith
Ali Hazelwood
Fonda Lee
Matthew Quirk
Prince Shakur
Along with 200+ other local and national authors

Bonus: The Friends of the Library’s semi-annual Big Book Sale will also take place during the weekend, showcasing special finds to build your personal library.

Explore the full festival schedule

News Notes

Trending

We can bear-ly believe this is true. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confirmed a bear sighting in Franklin County for the first time in nearly two decades. The lone black bear was spotted in an Obetz neighborhood near Three Creeks Metro Park. (10TV)

Weather

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Franklin County due to the possibility of severe thunderstorms, extreme winds, and hail. The outlook is in effect from today until Monday, July 3.

Transit

COTA will have 20+ expanded transit lines available throughout Red, White & BOOM! due to multiple downtown roads being closed. Riders can find designated pick-up and drop-off locations all throughout the city, including N. High Street, E. Main Street, and E. Broad Street.

Sports

The Ohio State University men’s basketball team will play a charity exhibition game against the University of Dayton on Sunday, Oct. 22 in Dayton. Proceeds from the game and surrounding events benefit the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio.

Edu

Columbus State Community College selected the Child Development Council of Franklin County, Inc. to run its $3.5 million child care center. This on-campus resource offers a safe place for children to relax and play while student-parents are busy with school. Services start this fall. (The Columbus Dispatch)

Number

$20 million. That’s how much revenue local experts predict the 2024 MLS All-Star Game will generate in Columbus. In case you missed it, the week-long event will be held at Lower.com Field from Monday, July 10, 2024-Monday, July 17, 2024. (ABC6 On Your Side)

Asked

July is chock-full of events, and we can always use help finding the cream of the crop. If someone could only visit Columbus for a day, what’s the one event in July you would send them to? Let us know.

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Outdoors

Decorating tip: Show your patio some love with a cute and colorful area rug. We love this outdoor-friendly geometric green one.*

Giveaway

To celebrate our revamped referral program, we’re hosting a special giveaway until Wednesday, August 2, 2023. The top referrer will receive $500, and one additional person who refers at least one friend will automatically be entered for another $100 giveaway. Find the referral section at the bottom of this newsletter.

Pets

Don’t forget the dog

Franklin County Dog Shelter offers fireworks tips for fido

Keep your dog safe with these tips from the local shelter. | Photo via Pexels

Fireworks can be fun — but not for everyone.

If your dog gets skittish during fireworks, the Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center wants to help. While no solution is perfect, the local service offered a handful of ways to keep the scaries away.

Easy, simple solutions

The biggest piece of advice from the shelter? Leave your dog at home. It’s an overwhelming atmosphere that is not suited for pups. Keep your windows closed, too.

Get prepared, stay prepared

The best plan is a proactive plan, and that’s why you should update your dog’s microchip information if needed. This ensures lost dogs can be identified, and owners can be contacted. It’s also helpful to make sure collars are secure, and there aren’t any escape points (think: broken fence in the backyard).

In the thick of it

When all else fails, sometimes you need to drown out the noise. Vets recommend soothing and relaxing music to help balance out the chaos.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Mitch

From the editor

Happy Friday, CBUS. I’ll be checking out the Pokémon tournament this weekend + hopefully scoring some rare merch. I’ll report back next week with updates.

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