This dog park and bar is designed for “good dogs and good people.” | Photo provided by Bumble’s Backyard
Small Business Week is here, and we’re gearing up to spread the local love.
We’ve chatted with some Columbus small businesses to celebrate the folks who make up the backbone of our local economy. And now, we are sharing those conversations.
First on our list is Bumble’s Backyard, located at 1280 Brown Rd. This local dog park and bar is relatively new to the city after opening in 2024 and they rep a dedicated crew of 10 employees.
Q. How would you describe your business?
A. We are Columbus’s first off-leash dog park and bar.
Q. When someone visits your small business for the first time, the one thing they have to do, see, or try is _____.
A. Our milkshakes made with homemade soft serve ice cream!
Q. What’s unique about the small business scene in Columbus?
A. Columbus small businesses are always open to collaborating with each other to bring unique and fun experiences to the city.
Chadwick Arboretum’s Annual Spring Plant Sale + Auction | Thursday, May 8-Saturday, May 10 | Times vary | Next to the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center | Free | Shop 16,000+ different edible and ornamental plants, plus meet with green-thumbed experts on how to best care for them.
Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival | Thursday, May 8-Sunday, May 11 | Historic Crew Stadium | $350+ | Pick up a three-day pass to see as many heavy metal and rock bands as you can, including Korn, Metallica, Linkin Park, Rob Zombie, and Incubus.
Friday, May 9
Breakfast at Bicentennial Park | 7-10 a.m. | Bicentennial Park | Cost of purchase | Food trucks are flooding Bicentennial Park each week offering quick sandwiches, fresh coffee, and ice cream for a true morning treat.
Shakey Graves + Ruby Waters | 7 p.m. | Newport Music Hall | $75+ | We recommend looking up “Late July” by Shakey Graves on YouTube if you aren’t familiar with this indie folk rocker.
Saturday, May 10
Pop-up Pickers Club Vintage, Makers Market at The Ave | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Ave | Cost of purchase | Don’t miss this once-per-month pop-up with 40+ vendors selling vintage clothes, handmade goods, home decor, local art, and accessories.
Mother’s Day Tea in the Garden | Saturday, May 10 + Sunday, May 11 | 2-3:30 p.m. | Topiary Park | Free RSVP required | Snack on tea and cookies while dancers elegantly flow through the park.
Sunday, May 11
Wonderful: Tribute to Stevie Wonder | 7 p.m. | Natalie’s Grandview | $31+ | This popular tribute show is back in its third year featuring timeless soul music.
Monday, May 12
Wildflower Vista | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Pinots Palette Short North | $39 | Learn how to paint a beautiful sunset scene with wildflowers, mountains, and trails — all supplies will be provided.
Tuesday, May 13
Fitness at the Commons | Tuesday, May 13 + Wednesday, May 14 | 5:30 p.m. | Columbus Commons | Free | This month features High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes on Tuesday followed by yoga sessions on Wednesday, each one designed for all skill levels.
Thursday, May 8
Blooms & Butterflies | Thursday, May 8-Sunday, July 6 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Franklin Park Conservatory | $0+ | Explore the Pacific Island Water Garden, where hundreds of vibrant butterflies flutter in a tropical paradise with nectar flowers — plus, visit the Metamorphosis Lab to see new butterflies emerge.*
Columbus helped shape the rise of sculptor Louise Nevelson, now recognized as one of the most iconic sculptors of the 20th century.
Now, a new exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art shines a new light on her remarkable work.
“Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk” brings more than 50 works to the museum, alongside rarely seen archival materials tracing her ties to the city’s historic Pace Gallery.
Catch the exhibition on display now through Aug. 24 — plan your visit.
Don’t flip — mostly because that’s Benson Boone’s job. The rising “Mystical Magical” star is coming to Columbus at Nationwide Arena on Monday, Aug. 25. Tickets are on sale now.
Biz
$78 million. That’s how much the Kaufman Gravity 2.0 apartment buildings sold for. Local reports show the buyer is potentially based in New York, though neither parties could be reached after closing the deal. (Columbus Business First)
Coming Soon
Columbus is adding a new indie bookstore to its shelf. This time its Blue Couch Bookstore, located at 1445 Grandview Ave. An exact opening date was not announced, so stay tuned via Instagram.
Real Estate
The Columbus Airport Authority plans to sell 28 acres at Rickenbacker Airport for $3.9 million by the end of this year. The Delong Co., the company behind the purchase, told local outlets they have multiple development plans for the site. (Columbus Business First)
Eat
Westerville is now home to a new Ampersand Asian Super Club, located along West College Avenue. While this is the first Ampersand in the area, the owners are familiar with the neighborhood as they also operate Asterisk Super Club, which opened in 2016. (Columbus Business First)
Festival
Heads up. Fore!Fest, a free two-day street festival along Bridge Park, is returning on Friday, May 30 + Saturday, May 31 for the Memorial Tournament. It will have live country music, food and drink stations, and retail vendors.
Opening
Soul 2 Go, a popular locally owned soul food restaurant, is opening a third location in Gahanna sometime this summer. This new spot will be at 134 N. Hamilton Rd. (NBC 4)
Watch
Star House, a local nonprofit that assists youth experiencing homelessness, is expanding into the vacant St. Ladislas Church at 277 Reeb Ave. The organization reportedly helped 1,600+ people in CBUS last year, offering mental health services, resources, and financial tips. (10TV)
Trending
All roads roots lead to Ohio. Columbus Recreation and Parks planted a new tree — that has also been to the moon — at Dorrian Green Park . The tree is a sweetgum, which is native to the Buckeye State. (Columbus Navigator)
Sports
The Columbus Blue Jackets earned the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Additionally, CBJ star defensemen Zach Werenski made a last-minute decision to join Team USA in the World Championship games. (The Columbus Dispatch)
Stat
$8,000+. That’s how much you could spend if your dog breaks a bone in a car crash, fall, or collision — from wound treatment and x-rays to emergency surgery and aftercare. Luckily,this pet insurance plan could reimburse you up to 90% of that cost.*
Wellness
Struggling to shed pounds? Simple is a science-backed app that helps users lose weight with habit trackers, fasting schedules, and personal coaching. Join millions who’ve already lost weight without medication, sustainably. Take the quiz to start your journey and get 50% off.*
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Feature your biz in our 2025 Parents’ Gift Guide
Put your business in front of thousands of daily readers. | Graphic by 6AM City
This month, we launched our 2025 Parents’ Gift Guide to showcase gifts that say I appreciate you to parents, grandparents, neighbors, mentors, and life-long friends.
While we’ve already filled all our slots ahead of Mother’s Day, we’ve opened up a few more for Father’s Day.
Whether your business offers a neat product, one-of-a-kind gift, or unique service that could be enjoyed by a father figure — we want to feature it. Secure your spot by Friday, May 23.
Start 2025 with a trip to The Book Loft of German Village. | Photo by @cassidys.bookmark
What’s better than a good book? Maybe a good book written by your neighbor. Brew up a batch of your favorite local coffee, and get ready to meet your next winter read, because we’re talking about locally written books in Columbus.
Expand your worldview
“Tigerland” by Wil Haygood | Release date: August 13, 2019 | Follow the true story of Columbus East High School in 1968 when the school won both the basketball + baseball state championships.
Personal stories
“Black Nerd Problems: Essays” by William Evans + Omar Holman | Release date: May 24, 2022 | These two authors give their insights on topics ranging from Mario Kart to Black representation in media.
Poetry
“Alive at the End of the World” by Saeed Jones | Release date: September 13, 2022 | Explore themes of grief, betrayal, and mourning in this powerful yet thought-provoking poetry collection.
It’s easy to support small businesses across the globe when you shop unique + one-of-a-kind products on Etsy. One of our favorite things to browse is Etsy’s selection of custom artwork. These are five of our favorites:
Happy Thursday, CBUS. I’m back from another New York City adventure and I’m firing off my latest hot take. Columbus has better greasy spoon diners. I said what I said.
Here’s my case: the diners here are much more affordable, coffee refills are more plentiful, and I’ve yet to find a stack of pancakes that compares to Honey Dip Donuts + Diner in UA. I think it’s because us Ohioans know the importance of subtle details, like good butter.
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