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See what’s happening in central Ohio this weekend
10 best music festivals to attend in 2024
See your favorite artists at the 10 best music festivals in the United States for 2024, as voted by USA TODAY 10Best readers.
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This weekend brings several blasts from the past, leading off with Woodstock. lf you or someone you know was at the legendary 1969 music festival, you can make an appointment to tell your story to the Museum at Bethel Woods (also known as “the Woodstock Museum”). Keep reading to find out how!
In other flashback news, Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire are sure to offer up plenty of old-school hits when they play a double bill at the Schott, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will do the swing thing at the Athenaeum.
Filed under “something new” is “7 Villages: Musical Journey of Black Columbus Neighborhoods,” a free concert using original compositions to musically explore six local Black neighborhoods plus Galveston, Texas, where Juneteenth originated.
There’s more music, plus theater, festivals and a glass show coming down the turnpike and you can read about them all below. To receive these ideas in your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.
Museum seeks Woodstock attendees for oral history project
Were you at Woodstock in 1969 or do you know someone who was? The Museum at Bethel Woods would like to hear your story for its Oral History Initiative. The upstate New York organization, often called “the Woodstock Museum,” brought the project to Columbus last year and has partnered again with ComFest to return June 28-30.
Pop-up interviews are to be conducted by appointment in Goodale Park. More than 1,000 stories have been documented since 2020; the museum’s goal is to collect at least 4,500 — roughly 1% of estimated Woodstock attendees. To make an appointment, email oralhistory@bethelwoodscenter.org. (bethelwoodscenter.org)
Weathervane to stage Ken Ludwig’s take on ‘Robin Hood’
Weathervane Playhouse, 100 Price Road, Newark, continues its summer season with the ribald, rip-roaring romp, “Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Follow along on the adventures of well-known characters such as Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck and Maid Marian in Ludwig’s spin on the classic tale.
Other performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday, as well as 7:30 p.m. June 19-22. Doors open 30 minutes before the show, which is recommended for adults. Tickets are $36. (weathervaneplayhouse.org)
Melanie Martinez to perform artsy pop at Nationwide Arena
If you’re hoping to see alterna-pop singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez, cross your fingers and hope you’re lucky enough to snatch up one of the few remaining tickets to her show at 7 p.m. Thursday at Nationwide Arena.
Martinez is known for songs such as “Cry Baby,” “Sippy Cup,” “Dollhouse” and “Pity Party.” Her highest-charting album, “K-12,” entered the Billboard 200 at No. 3 and was praised by Forbes as “a perfect conceptual album in the streaming age.” At press time, tickets were scant, with only verified resale tickets available starting at $284. (ticketmaster.com)
Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire to play throwback hits
Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire are sharing the bill on the “Sing A Song All Night Long” tour, set to stop at the Schottenstein Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Named after hits by Earth, Wind & Fire and Richie respectively, the tour was extended from last year, when the R&B artists performed before sold-out crowds. Between the two are countless hits including Richie’s work with the Commodores, as well as his solo releases. Ticket prices start at $25. (ticketmaster.com)
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to swing into the Athenaeum
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will prove it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Athenaeum Theatre, 32 N. Fourth St. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The band got their big break when three of their songs were featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 comedy-drama “Swingers.” Big Bad Voodoo Daddy also appeared in the film at a club that the characters visit. Floor (standing) tickets are $35; standard seating starts at $40. (ticketmaster.com)
Heisey Collectors to hold annual glass show and sale
Lovers of vintage, handcrafted, American-made glass can find a broad selection of collectible tableware at the 2024 Heisey Collectors of America annual glass show and sale. The event is set for 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, noon to 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Skylight, 85 E. Main St., and other sites in Newark.
A showcase of creative table settings themed “In the Heisey Garden” is planned, with designers on hand at 1 p.m. Friday to discuss their displays. Residents are also invited to bring a table and set up for free at Newark’s Glass Flea Market from 8 a.m. to noon at the Canal Market District, 36 E. Canal St. (heiseymuseum.org)
Franklinton Arts District to host family-friendly block party
In conjunction with Franklinton Fridays, the Ninth Annual 614 Day: An Open Streets Block Party is slated for 4-10 p.m. Friday. Local art displays, live music, food trucks and plenty of family-friendly activities fill the block between Land-Grant Brewing, 424 W. Town St., and the Idea Foundry, 421 W. State St., bordered by Town and State streets.
Admission is free. Stay afterward and enjoy Salve! at Land-Grant, an evening of house, funk, reggae, Afrobeat and other music spun by DJ and Columbus native J. Rawls. (facebook.com/614daycbus)
Worthington Arts Festival to offer fine art, crafts exhibits
Drawing 20,000 visitors annually to Village Green Park, the 2024 Worthington Arts Festival is set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. This community fine art/fine crafts show with more than 120 artists is produced by the McConnell Arts Center.
Food trucks are to be on-site and Worthington has a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) from South Street to Village Green Drive. Adult beverages are only permitted in this area. Admission to the festival is free. (worthingtonartsfestival.com)
Group to visit ‘7 Villages’ in music, dance and spoken word
The show, “7 Villages: Musical Journey of Black Columbus Neighborhoods,” an evening of drum solos and duets along with music, vocals, dance and poetry, is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Short North Stage, 1187 N. High St.
Seven new, original multidisciplinary compositions musically interpret six Black neighborhoods in Columbus: Linden, Mt. Vernon, Driving Park, Flytown, Franklin Park and King-Lincoln Bronzeville. A seventh town, Galveston, Texas, is added in honor of Juneteenth. The concert is presented by poet, author and founder of Streetlight Guild, Scott Woods in partnership with the Johnstone Fund for New Music. Admission is free. Seating is first-come, first-served. (bit.ly/3x6YyWd)
Jenny Lewis to bring Joy’All Ball to Newport Music Hall
Critically praised indie rocker Jenny Lewis, who became prominent in the 1980s as a child actress, is slated to bring her Joy’All Ball tour to Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St., on June 19. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Lewis is well known as the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, the band she formed with fellow ex-child actor Blake Sennett in 1998. The group disbanded in 2014 and Lewis has performed with other bands simultaneously with her solo career. Dean Johnson also is to perform. Ticket prices range from $30-$65. (bit.ly/4e6z7ox)