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Fest Food With Nick

By Dr. Breakfast (aka Nick from Marketing, Communications & Events)

Even though I’m technically working the entire weekend of the Columbus Arts Festival, I still look forward to trying as much of the food as I can. The gastronomic offerings at the Festival have been growing and changing in recent years, and while you can still find all the fair favorites — cold lemonade, corndogs, shaved ice, funnel cakes — you now get a fuller experience of the culinary arts while you enjoy the visual and performing side of the Festival!

If you look at the Festival map, you’ll see the main concentrations of food are split on Town Street (west of the river) and on Main Street (on the east side). These are convenient collections of food and drink close to music stages, family activities, artist booths — you name it.

As I stroll the Festival grounds, you can bet I’ll be eyeing my next meal the whole time. That’s half the fun of the Festival: just walking and waiting to see what you discover. A few of the meals on my radar:

  • Cluckwagon served chicken and waffles (my kryptonite) last year, with a special offering of Nashville-style hot chicken (my other kryptonite). You can be sure I’m making another pass again this year. That or Chicky Chicky Waffle on the other side of the river!
  • Buckeye Donuts is a perennial favorite. I can never resist them. If you can’t find me during the Festival, I’m probably hanging out there.
  • Cousin’s Maine Lobster made its debut in Columbus last month. The truck — one of many across the country — was started by two guys from LA who hit it big on Shark Tank. As you can guess from the name, they focus on lobster rolls, chowder and other New England specialties.
  • I’ve also never been to Loops. They have a brick and mortar in Grandview, and their truck is appearing at the Festival this year. Loops does gyros, fried chicken, Chicago hot dogs, etc. They were one of Guy Fieri’s stops for the Columbus Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives episodes. (Side note: I was on it, too, for like two seconds.)
  • I’m still thinking about the empanadas and the bacon churros from Barroluco. And the owner, Omar, is the nicest guy. So you can bet I’ll be back.
  • You’ll need to cool down at the Festival, and the tastiest way to do this is by finding Cody at Rime Time Curiously Crafted Pops. He comes up with some of the greatest combinations, like strawberry Angostura, peanut butter and jelly, or coconut marble.

And there are many more favorites: hot dogs from Angry Weiner, sliders from White Castle, watching the guys chop veggies at Island Noodles, the occasional cream puff from Schmidt’s and a bite (or two) of barbecue.

Pro-tip: you can check out the Festival Guidebook early here or download the new Festival app, look in the Food tab, preview menus (which are subject to change) and even bookmark places you want to visit.

And what goes better with food than beer? Although I’m not imbibing while working the Festival, I’m excited for the new Local Craft Beer Garden on the west side of the river. I love festivals where you can enjoy a brew while you stroll and listen to music or check out vendors, so I appreciate that you can snag a beer from the likes of Seventh Son Brewing, Columbus Brewing Company, Four String and BrewDog. All four should have perfect festival-going beers for sale!

Come join me at the Columbus Arts Festival, June 8-10 on the beautiful downtown riverfront, and if you run into me, say hi!

columbusartsfestival.org

#food at the fest#dr breakfast#cbusartsfest#Columbus Arts Festival#food trucks
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There’s More Than One Way to Get to the Columbus Arts Festival

Approximately 450,000 people attend the Columbus Arts Festival, which has become the city’s “welcome to summer” event. With such large crowds and the road closures to accommodate fine art and fine craft from more than 270 juried local and national artists, six stages and all the other great food and fun the festival brings, here are some transportation alternatives, as well as parking information.

While you’re at the Arts Festival, visit Smart Columbus, Official Smart Cities Partner for the Festival, at the Smart Columbus Experience Center at 170 Civic Center Dr. to learn how mobility is changing in our city and how you can make Columbus more livable, more sustainable and smarter by re-thinking your mobility patterns.

Bike: With multiple bike lanes and the Scioto Greenways paths, biking to the Festival is easy. In addition to ample bike parking along the riverfront, the Festival will provide a secure parking corral on the east side of the river on Civic Center Drive at Town Street. The bike corral will be monitored by teams riding in Pelotonia ’18; a suggested donation of $5 goes directly toward the their Pelotonia fundraising efforts.

There are also CoGo Bike racks in Bicentennial Park and at Washington Boulevard and Broad Street.

COTA: Visit the COTA booth at the “Transportation Corner” at the intersection of Town Street and Civic Center Drive. COTA, our official transportation sponsor, has stops along High and Front streets throughout downtown. Festival patrons can explore the best routes to get to the Columbus Arts Festival at COTA.com. Local fare is $2, or buy a day pass for $4.50. Only cash is accepted on the buses, and drivers do not make change.

Once you’re downtown, you can also catch the CBUS. This free circulator service travels from the Brewery District, through downtown, to the Short North Arts District and back again. It’s free and it’s easy.

Hopper Carts: The Festival has partnered with Hopper Carts, a 100% eco-friendly, on-demand shuttle service that offers safe, free transportation to and from the Festival to neighborhoods within their service area. Hopper uses electric carts to lower costs and works with local and national clients on branding and advertising campaigns to pay for the service. The Hopper pick-up and drop-off point is at Rich and Front Streets. Use the Hopper app to see service area in Columbus or visit HopperCarts.com.

Parking: Parking is available on surface lots both east and west of the river, at metered spaces on surrounding city streets and in garages throughout the downtown area, including the Columbus Commons garage, River South at Front and Rich and the LeVeque Tower Garage at Broad and Front. Guests can even reserve parking spots at: columbusartsfestival.org/festival/parkingbiking-info

Limited wheelchair-accessible parking is available to those with disabled parking placards at bagged meters on the north side of Mound Street west of South Second Street, and on the east side of Civic Center between Town and Broad streets.

For a list of street closures, please click here.

Festival Hours: Friday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Please note: on Friday and Saturday artist booths close at 9 p.m.)

To volunteer at the Columbus Arts Festival, please go to columbusartsfestival.org/get-involved/volunteer.

For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call (614) 221-8625 or visit columbusartsfestival.org.

The Columbus Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

The 2018 Columbus Arts Festival is powered by American Electric Power. Additional sponsors and partners include Smart Columbus, AT&T, Bank of America, Blue Moon, Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, Columbus Recreation & Parks, COTA, CoverMyMeds, Easton Town Center, G&J Pepsi Cola, Graeters, Grange, Hotel LeVeque, Huntington, IGS Energy, Jose Cuervo, LAZ Parking, LBrands Foundation, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Nationwide, The Ohio State University, OSA Technology Partners, PNC, Puffin Foundation West, Three Olives Vodka, Toyota, Vintage Wine Distributors, Westin Columbus, White Castle and Worthington Industries. Media sponsors include ABC6/FOX28, CD102.5, Dispatch Media Group, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Mix 107.9, Ohio Magazine, Orange Barrel Media, RBX Media, RSVP, WCBE 90.5 and WOSU Public Media.

About the Greater Columbus Arts Council: Through vision and leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the Greater Columbus Arts Council supports art and advances the culture of the region. A catalyst for excellence and innovation, the Arts Council funds exemplary artists and arts organizations and provides programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. The Arts Council thanks the city of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support. www.gcac.org

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A Luxurious Mini-Vacation at the Columbus Arts Festival

Sometimes you just need to treat yourself, and the Columbus Arts Festival (June 8-10)  has teamed up with the Hotel LeVeque to help you turn a visit to the Art Fest into a true vacation experience.

Combine a gorgeous boutique hotel room and a top-tier bar and restaurant with a VIP experience at one of the finest arts festivals in the nation that includes shopping, music, and food and you have a fabulous mini vacation to kick off your summer.

This special travel package includes a room at the Hotel LeVeque, which is literally across the street from the Columbus Arts Festival, two VIP Arts Festival packages, two free drinks in The Keep Liquor Bar, a custom-made signature candle, and free breakfast for two.

In addition to a fabulous swag bag, Festival VIPs have access to a shaded lounge sponsored by PNC, with free water and coffee (as well as free water at any festival beverage station), package storage and access to exclusive air-conditioned restrooms. There is a special VIP section with a bar for the evening headliners—Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox on Friday and G. Love and Special Sauce on Saturday. 

Visit ColumbusArtsFestival.org for details on booking your vacation package.

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Advanced Tips for Using the Arts Festival App

By Lacey Luce

We are so excited to finally have an app for the Columbus Arts Festival that you can download for free from Apple and Google Play!

And, yes, this means that you can have an easily accessible map right on your phone, which is all well and good, but it does so much more. 

For example, the map is interactive, which means that you can:

  • Tap any stage and get that stage’s schedule
  • Tap the Hands-On Activities area and get a list of activities
  • Tap Big Local Art Tent and get a list of artists doing on going demos and what they are demonstrating
  • Tap on graphic that lists artist booth numbers and you get a list of the artists assigned those numbers and you can link to more info on the artist.
  • Tap on a food icon and you get a list of who is there—tap on a vendor from that list and most will give you a menu with prices.

Just be advised, the map cannot tell you where you are in relation to the map. You’ll need to figure that one out on your own.

All of this is great, but if, like me you are PLANNER—if you like to research before you shop, take time to know all of your entertainment options before deciding on one, and prior to going out to dinner will peruse a restaurant’s online menu to have an idea of what your choices are—if you are as OCD as I am, then you will appreciate the more advanced options that allow you to do some real pre-festival planning.

Let’s start with the artists. We have 270 incredible artists coming and our Festival covers a lot of ground. I like to check out images of the artists’ work so I can narrow down the artists I most likely to want to buy from—we all have different tastes, and this allows me to pinpoint some artists whose aesthetic speaks to me.

I can now do this with the app and create an easy to do list that reminds me of whom I wish to visit and where they are located. Ta-dah!

I can also add hands-on activities and specific food vendors that interest me to my list.

Speaking of food vendors. Almost all of them include a menu with pricing —as well as their location, which makes it easy to do a little planning so that you aren’t making a food choice at the last minute when you and your party are already HANGRY. (Please note menus are subject to change. Items are not guaranteed to always be available.)

Now let’s talk performances. We have six stages and about 150 acts. The app offers a My Schedule option that you can add performances to. You can browse by stage and then by date; next to each performance is a button that lets you add it to your calendar. If you want, you can even set a reminder for 15 minutes before the show starts. Want to plan even further? We have playlists organized by stage for three of our music stages. You can check out each artists’ sound and decide who you want to see play live.

A little disclaimer: I’ve been playing with the app on an iPhone. It may look different on an Android.

You can download the app for free on your device and start planning your Arts Fest adventures now! Find here for Apple and here for Google Play.

#columbus arts festival#apps#arts festivals#festivals
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I’ve always thought of God as a painter, and nature as his constantly evolving work of art. It never stops changing or expanding and it never answers to how humans think it ought to be. Every twig and modest grain of sand works perfectly together to create to something esoteric and wondrous. Nothing is overlooked, nothing is insignificant and everything has a purpose. Whether or not we understand the purpose it’s still there. I don’t want to force purpose onto my work but rather discover it.

— Kaylyn Gouhin, 2D mixed media, 2018 Columbus Arts Festival Emerging Artist, Columbus, OH

#Emerging Artists of the Fest#emerging artists#Columbus Arts Festival#cbusartsfest#artmakescbus#mixed media#Kaylyn Gouhin
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I love improvising with limited materials. One of my favorite moments was when I was volunteering at Art & Clay on Main. One day while I was working there a coworker came up to me, distressed, saying they didn’t have enough cups for all of the kids to make snake puppets in the day’s workshop. So she asked me if I could come up with a simple design using only three cups. I had never tried making a puppet of any kind before, but I was excited for the challenge. So I looked up a snake’s skeletal structure, reflected on how their muscles moved, looked back on a wooden toy snake I had as a kid and came up with a way to make an eight-inch long snake with one cup before my time was up. I felt so flipping cool.

— Ashley Snyder, digital artist, 2018 Columbus Arts Festival Emerging Artist, Columbus, OH

#emerging artists#Emerging Artists of the Fest#Columbus Arts Festival#cbusartsfest#artmakescbus#Ashley Snyder#digital artist
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With 150+ performances on six stages over three days there is plenty to entertain you at the 2018 Columbus Arts Festival, presented by American Electric Power, June 8-10 along the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus. National acts Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and G. Love & Special Sauce are headlining Friday and Saturday respectively thanks to Worthington Industries and CoverMyMeds. Fest fans will find music of all types, dance, theater and spoken word. See the full schedule at http://www.columbusartsfestival.org//application/performances/

#cbusartsfest#Columbus Arts Festival#festivals#arts festivals#postmodern Jukebox#G. Love & Special Sauce#music#live music#live dance#spokenword#theater
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What’s New at the 2018 Columbus Arts Festival?

There are always new things to discover at the Columbus Arts Festival presented by American Electric Power (AEP)! Here are some the adventures in store for the more than 450,000 guests coming to the 2018 festival, June 8-10:

A New App and a New Pocket Map! This year Festival guests will find it easier to locate a favorite artist, discover hands-on activities, check performance schedules and navigate to amenities using the Festival’s new downloadable app. Powered by Guidebook, the app will feature an interactive map, complete schedules, a full directory of artists and much more. The app is available to download for free for any smartphone or tablet. New information will be added to the app as it becomes available.

This year, the Festival will also introduce a square foldable map that offers visitors a handy, pocket-size overview of Festival highlights, including stage headliners, hands-on activities and more. The complete printed Festival guidebook and the folded map will be available near the end of May wherever you pick up Columbus Alive.

Genoa Park Music Stage The new Genoa Park Stage on the west bank of the Scioto River takes advantage of the stepped amphitheater with beautiful views of the Columbus skyline. Presented by Huntington, the stage will offer more than 20 performances throughout the three days of the Festival, and is situated close to food and beverage vendors.

National Headlining Acts to Play Friday and Saturday Nights The ABC6 Bicentennial Park Stage will host national headlining acts during the Festival, presented by CoverMyMeds and Worthington Industries. On Friday, June 8 at 9 p.m., Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox will delight audiences with their reimagining of contemporary pop, rock and R&B hits in vintage musical styles. Saturday, June 9 at 9 p.m., the alternative hip-hop stylings of G. Love & Special Sauce will bring a bit of 90s nostalgia to the Festival.

Hands-On Activities Has Moved Taking advantage of the newly completed Scioto Peninsula Park, the always-popular Hands-On Activities Village has moved to the west of COSI. With a playground and shaded picnic tables the park is the perfect place for families to take their time and enjoy the hands-on activities, Children’s Gallery (where kids 12 and under can buy artwork at allowance friendly prices) and performances of St. George and the Reluctant Dragon by the Grass Patch Performers, local actors ages 4-12. Parents will be pleased to find food vendors nearby as well as the Family Safety & Care Station, courtesy of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which offers a private air conditioned space for diaper changing, nursing and relaxing.

Now Serving Local Craft Beers! This year the Festival will also introduce a Local Craft Beer Garden presented by Blue Moon and featuring local craft brews from BrewDog, Columbus Brewing Company, Four String Brewing Company and Seventh Son Brewing. Find the Beer Garden on Washington Blvd. between Town and Rich Streets.

Patron Party Open to the Public A long-time favorite of the Columbus community, the opening night Patron Party at the Cultural Arts Center is now open to the public! Ticket sales to the party, sponsored by The Ohio State University, will be used to fund artist awards, which the Festival doubled this year. During the Patron Party there will be a unique opportunity to watch the making of Painting in Progress: An Art Action. This installation by artist Stephanie Lüning will be in production during the party and on view throughout the Festival at the Cultural Arts Center. The Patron Party is Friday, June 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Entertainment, food and beverages are included in the ticket price of $50/one person or $75 for two. To purchase tickets go to: columbusartsfestival.org/patron-party/

Retro Columbus Arts Festival T-shirt Produced by Homage using vintage Festival art, these will be a limited edition item at the official Festival merch booths. All Festival souvenir shirts are locally designed and produced. This year the Festival also partnered with Tonic Studios on the 2018 Festival Tee, as well as a limited edition Art Shark-inspired kid’s shirt designed by Columbus College of Art & Design students.

Wex at the Fest The Wexner Center for the Arts will kick off their summer programing with a celebration of homegrown musical talent starting at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 9, on the ABC6 Bicentennial Park Stage. This wildly eclectic outdoor show starts with Future Nuns, followed by Hugs and Kisses, minimalist percussion ensemble Tigue (Ohio State alumni Matt Evans, Amy Garapic and Carson Moody) and finishes with drummer/musicologist Mark Lomax II with tenor saxophonist Eddie Bayard and DJ Krate Digga.

Keep up with Festival updates at columbusartsfestival.org; the Festival app, official guidebooks and folded maps will be available wherever Columbus Alive is distributed by the end of May.

Festival Hours: Friday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Please note: on Friday and Saturday artist booths close at 9 p.m.)

To volunteer at the Columbus Arts Festival, please go to columbusartsfestival.org/get-involved/volunteer.

For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call (614) 221-8625 or visit columbusartsfestival.org.

The Columbus Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

The 2018 Columbus Arts Festival is powered by American Electric Power. Additional sponsors and partners include AT&T, Bank of America, Blue Moon, Columbus Recreation & Parks, COTA, CoverMyMeds, DMG, Easton Town Center, G&J Pepsi Cola, Graeters, Grange, Hotel LeVeque, Huntington, IGS Energy, LBrands Foundation, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Nationwide, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, OSA Technology Partners, PNC, Puffin Foundation West, Reed Arts, Toyota, Vintage Wine Distributors, Westin Columbus, White Castle and Worthington Industries. Media sponsors include ABC6/FOX28, CD102.5, Dispatch Media Group, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Mix 107.9, Ohio Magazine, Orange Barrel Media, RBX Media, RSVP, WCBE 90.5 and WOSU Public Media.

About the Greater Columbus Arts Council: Through vision and leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the Greater Columbus Arts Council supports art and advances the culture of the region. A catalyst for excellence and innovation, the Arts Council funds exemplary artists and arts organizations and provides programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. The Arts Council thanks the city of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support. www.gcac.org

#cbusartsfest#Columbus Arts Festival#postmodern jukebox#G. Love & Special Sauce#festivals#Arts festivals
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There’s something about looking at the sky that instantly pulls me out of the noise of my day-to-day. It lets me press pause and be right here, right now. And then it fills me with awe. It’s always been there, for centuries before us and for cultures to come, full of stories of gods and lessons and guidance and wonder. There’s something about that that is so unifying and inspiring to me. It's calm and it's exhilarating. It's timeless and it's everyday. It's peaceful and it's strong. It's simple and it's nuanced. I love those complementary contradictions. When I first started metalsmithing, wearing the jewelry I made became a daily ritual of self-care, almost like an armor that kept me connected to that quiet strength throughout my busy days. And it confirmed for me that jewelry can be something we love to wear for looks, and also for connection. I think jewelry has the potential to be more intimate and expressive than clothing because a lot of us end up having favorite pieces that we wear again and again, pieces that grow with us and live with us every day. I love having the chance to create pieces that embolden and celebrate that strong, natural spirit in all of us.

— Andrea Kaiser, jewelry, 2018 Columbus Arts Festival Emerging Artist, Columbus, OH

#Emerging Artists of the Fest#emerging artists#Columbus Arts Festival#cbusartsfest#artmakescbus#jewelry#Andrea Kaiser
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