Columbus CVB Blog

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble...that is the sound you will be hearing across the country in one week! It's the sound of families coming together, sharing stories, laughter, fun, and of course, FOOD! Yummy, delicious, mouth watering food! Succulent turkey, moist cornbread dressing, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, baked macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, squash casserole, sweet potato souffle, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, pecan pie, and much, much more! Depending on your schedule and your skill in the kitchen, if you are asked to bring something to the table, you may want to consider ordering from a local restaurant, putting it in one of your own dishes and still taking all the credit. Country's, Minnie's, Buford Brownies, and Cracker Barrel are just a few places that serve up some good ol' home-cooking to-go. By the way, because I'm so food-oriented, Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday...so if you are feeling generous and have some leftovers you want out of your refrigerator, think about me : )

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Kimberly

Wow...Who knew this Thanksgiving holiday would sneak up so fast on us all this year!  If you have a little extra time off in the upcoming days or have friends and family in for a visit, here're a couple of ideas of some fun stuff to get out and do.

Have you heard about this new thing going on at the Springer Opera House?  It's called "No Shame Theatre" and it's going on every Friday night through December 18 in the Player's Saloon.  This is a really great spot to see all sorts of improv, music, comedy, poetry, dance and other fresh new works of all kinds.  There are only three rules:  Acts must be original, less than 5 minutes, and you can't break any laws.  Folks I know who have been to this said it was great!  Just remember it's for those 18 & over, so this might make for a great date-night idea.  Admission is only $5 and the show starts at 10:30pm.  For more details, call (706) 327.3688 or visit www.noshame.org/columbus/index.htm .

That beautiful music you'll hear this weekend will be coming from the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts as they welcome the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and a performance called "Let the Trumpet Sound."  The CSO will be welcoming guest artist Jens Lindemann and diving into works from Dvorak, Haydn, and Mendelssohn.  Here's a tip...if you can, go early (about 6:30pm) and conductor George Del Gobbo will be doing his "Know the Score," an informal discussion about the music that will be performed that evening.  He always makes it fun!  The performance will be held this Saturday (Nov 21) at 7:30pm and you can get ticket information by calling (706) 323.5059 or visit the Symphony's website at www.csoga.org 

Lots of outdoor stuff to do at Callaway Gardens this weekend including an Autumn Adventure Hike on Saturday (Nov 21) from 10:00am-3:00pm.  This hike will take you through the wonders of the Cason Callaway Memorial Forest and is about 5 miles long, so for that reason, it's recommended for ages 12 & up.  If 5 miles is a bit much for you, then maybe the Mountain Creek Trail Stroll will be a better fit.  This one is Sunday (Nov 22) from 1:30-3:30pm and will meander about 1.5 miles along the shore of Mountain Creek Lake with a naturalist as you delight in the sights and sounds of the fall season!  For information about ticket prices on the hikes, call (706) 663.5153 or go to www.callawaygardens.com .

Here's an extra special event at Callaway Gardens...so special that Santa and Mrs. Claus are cordially inviting you to attend!  It's the March of Dimes NightWalk 2009 at Callaway's favulous holiday light extravaganza, Fantasy in Lights.  You'll be able to experience Fantasy in Lights in a whole new way as you walk through 5 miles of a winter wonderland.  Not to worry, you can hop on a bus for the return trip!  The event will be held on Sunday (Nov 22) with walks beginning at 6:00pm, 6:30pm, and 7:00pm.  Registration is from 4:00-7:00pm at the Callaway Beach gate entrance.  For more details, call (706) 660.0160 or www.callawaygardens.com .

If you need some hockey action, the Columbus Cottonmouths will hit the ice at the Civic Center on November 20 & 21 as well as November 26 & 28.  Tickets range from $12-$22.  Get the scoop by calling (706) 571.0086 or www.columbuscottonmouths.com. 

Now that we're talking about the weekend after Thanksgiving, not to worry, there's still plenty of fun to get into!  What a great weekend to visit the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus because it's one of their Cool History Program weekends.  This one's called "The Dramatic Capture of the USS Water Witch" and it will be taking place Friday & Saturday (Nov 27 & 28) at 11:00am, 1:00pm. amd 3:00pm.  Scenes from the caputre of the ship will be reenacted on-board the rebuilt full-scale model of this Civil War ship outside the museum.  A living history camp with demonstrations of period military activities from naval blacksmithing to rope making will also be in the area of the ship.  Civil War-era sailors and marines will be on hand to talk to visitors each day.  There's no extra cost to the program...just pay regular admission to get in!  You can find out more by calling (706) 327.9798 or check out their website at www.portcolumbus.org.

How about getting up close to some of the history in Columbus?  On Friday (Nov 27), it's the "Walk with the Shadows" tour where your guide will tell you chilling tales of unexplained murders, haunted houses, and accidental deaths as well as the ghosts that still haunts the river's edge.  In this spell-binding tour, you'll glimpse one of America's Most Haunted Buildings--The Springer Opera House, hear the bizarre story of The Lady on the River, and learn about the good ghost that saves lives in the Historic District!  This 1-mile, lantern-lit walking tour lasts 1.5 hours and cost is $13.  (Recommended for ages 13 & up.) 

Or if you've got kids to entertain, let them be a part of the iSpy Tour that will take place on Saturday (Nov 28) beginning at 5:00pm at Heritage Park in the Historic District.  This is really good for ages 4-10...they'll love it because they get to use flashlights to search for answers to historical events, play a games of iSpy Red Light/Green Light, find encrypted messages, and discover history through clues!  The adventure ends with a game of hide-n-seek at dark.  They'll be so busy having fun, they won't even realize they're learning something!!  Cost is $8 per child and parents/guardians get to come along for free.  To learn more about either of these tours, call (706) 992.9461 or www.southernodysseys.com .

There are tons of events going on and the best place to find out what's happening in and around Columbus is to check out the Community Calendar at www.columbusgacalendar.com .

Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving...go have some fun!

shelby

Do you hear what I hear? Maybe the sound of cash registers ringing with holiday purchases for your family and friends? If you are racking your brain trying to come up with the perfect gist for the hard to buy for person o your list, head to the many unique shops in Uptown Columbus. Fantastic new and vintage jewelry at Broadway Jewelry & Beads, clothes or accessories that no one else has at K-Rawk's Closet, homemade salsa from Locos Amigos Cantina, a painting from Joseph House Art Gallery, or even a gift card from one of several delicious local restaurants. If you are looking for something Columbus-specific to send to an out of town relative, come by the Visitors Center for a large selection of items, from t-shirts to cookbooks to regionally produced foods. Uptown Columbus is where you can go to get all of your holiday shopping done early and you can sit back and enjoy this wonderful season.

This is one of those weekends coming up that no matter what you're interested in, you'll find something going on that you'll like!

Here’s something to get you into the holiday spirit!  It’s the 21st Annual Madrigal Dinner at the Windsor Hotel in Americus, GA.  That’s the perfect setting for something like this because it is one of THE most beautiful hotels in this part of the country!  The entertainment, which includes old English songs & a little dance, is provided by the GA Southwestern University Chamber Singers and Brass Ensemble…complete with period costumes.  The meal alone sounds like it’ll be worth the trip—all sorts of appetizers, soup, roast beef au jus or stuffed turkey breast with wild rice and green bean bundles, dessert...even a glass of wine or wassail!  The hotel is offering a special package if you’d like to spend the night.  Americus has a very quaint downtown, so maybe spending the night and doing a little Christmas shopping the next day would make for a nice weekend.  Cost to attend the dinner is $39.95 (includes tax & gratuity).  You can find out more about the dinner and the hotel package by calling (229) 924.1555 or http://windsor-americus.com.

According to the experts at the Springer, Route 66 doesn’t actually run from Chicago to Los Angeles…it runs now thru Saturday at Foley Hall inside the Springer Opera House!  But the Route 66 they’re talking about is a really great musical that features hits from the late 1950s and early ‘60s.  It’s like a rip-roaring, radio-road trip down memory lane featuring hits like “Dead Man’s Curve,” “King of the Road,” “Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around” and of course, “Route 66.”  And as the audience, we actually go to various stops along this highway where a variety of characters sing and dance to these timeless tunes!  This one ought to get your toes tapping.  Shows will be held November 12-14 beginning at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $38.  To get tickets or more details, call (706) 327.3688 or visit www.springeroperahouse.org.

Here's a talented guy who can sing it all!  Darius Rucker, formally of pop super-group Hootie & The Blowfish, has crossed over to the world of country music and he's done it in a big way.  His first county album has gone platinum...selling more than a million copies!  He'll be performing at the Columbus Civic Center this Sunday (November 15) at 7:00pm.  Tickets are $29.50 and $39.50 and can be purchased by calling 800.745.3000 or www.columbusciviccenter.org.

Nerds, and nerd-wanna-be’s, unite for this one because it’s just for you!  It’s Nerdacon v4 and it’s back at the Davidson Student Center at CSU's Main Campus and it's bigger and better than ever!  Being a nerd is really cool and that explains why this event has grown by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years.  This year, they’ll have activities like anime viewings, video game tournaments and free play, one-shot role-playing sessions of Dungeons & Dragons, martial arts demonstrations, and a raffle that offers some really great prizes like a NetBook and an X-Box 360.  There’ll also be vendors, guest speakers, panel rooms, and live music.  This is the only event like this in the region, so this is a great place to get in touch with your “inner nerd!”  These guys know how to party because they'll be welcoming you Friday (November 13) from 6:00pm-11:30pm and on Saturday (November 14) from 10:00am-11:30pm.  Free Admission!  For more info, call (706) 329.9028 or www.nerdacon.com.

It's hard to believe, but this Saturday marks the end of Family Fall Fun Days at The Rock Ranch, but it looks like they may have saved the best stuff for last!  This one is called “The Great Outdoor Adventure,” and they’ll have a huge Birds of Prey program, a reptile show with Jason Clark of Animal Planet, live music with a hot band out of Atlanta called “Grand Prize Winners from Last Year,” and the headline attraction is an exhibition from Mark Muir and his top Frisbee dogs—Rocket, Gipper and Irish—who just won a national competition in Super Open Freestyle!  Of course, they’ll have their old favorites like slide hill, pedal boats, petting zoo, even cane pole fishing!  This week’s featured guests are Boy Scouts & their families get in for a reduced rate on Saturday!  This is such a cool place...if you haven't been before, this should be the perfect weekend to check it out.  Admission is $14 per person, ages 3 & under get in free, and active duty military with valid ID get in for half-price.  (By the way, you can also get $2 off coupons from participating Chick-Fil-A restaurants.)  Activities will be going on from 10:00am-10:00pm.  The Rock Ranch is in...you guessed it...The Rock, GA, which is very near Thomaston.  You can find out more by calling (706) 647.6374 or they have a cool website...www.therockranch.com.

To wind things up this weekend, the Historic Liberty Theatre Cultural Center is hosting what sounds like a very interesting play called "Direct from Death Row:  The Scottsboro Boys."  It's a performance that sheds light on a forgotten, but important part of American history...the story of 9 African-American boys who were unjustly imprisoned in 1931 Alabama.  (FYI-this one isn't suited for young children, as there is some strong language and adult content.)  Performances are this weekend only, so put this one you schedule of things to do!  You can catch it this Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm.  Tickets are $10-$12.  If you'd like to order tickets or need more information, call (706) 653.7566.

It's the Weekend...go have some Fun!

shelby