Thursday, April 7, 2011
Get Your Spring Fun On!
Another beautiful Spring weekend! Are you ready to get out and enjoy? If you're looking for some ideas of happenings you might like to explore, check out this quick list or better yet, to get all the scoop on everything going on this weekend, head to the Community Calendar for a full listing…and get ready to play!
How about some great music to kick off the weekend? It’s time for the 4th Annual Frogtown Hollow Jam, a 2-day music festival with tons of fun for the entire family. Located in Woodruff Park, the green Space on Bay Avenue (Uptown Columbus), the perfect location for a perfect Spring weekend. There will be hot air balloon rides, inflatables, train rides, crazy hair and more for kids of all ages. And no festival is complete without food…take your pick from BBQ, burgers, funnel cakes, frog legs and so much more! And since it is a music festival, there will be live bands on the stage at all times. You’ll hear Peggy Jenkins (she is an incredible performer!), Whisky Bent, and Marshal Ruffin just to name a very few. New to the event this year, on Saturday at 5 PM The Big Cat Quest Catfish Tournament will hold their award ceremony on the main stage. You do not want to miss this! Enjoy the fun Friday (April 8) from 6:00-11:30pm and just about all day Saturday (April 9) from 12:00pm-11:30pm. Admission is $10 and kids 6 and under are admitted free.
OK, how perfect of a segue-way is this…Speaking of frogs, it’s the 10th Annual Reptile Fest at Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center this Saturday (April 9). This event is a lot of fun and definitely something different to do with the family. If you’re the skittish type, don’t worry…the reptiles will be contained. The day is packed full of reptile-related activities, including live reptile displays, a jump house, a 30-foot reptile wagon, reptile crafts, games with prizes and much more. There’s even a "Hiss Columbus" Pageant where the contestants are local pets and the winners will of course win fabulous prizes. If you’ve never been out to Oxbow Meadows (South Lumpkin Road), it’s a great facility, where kids of all ages have a great time and don’t even realize how much they’re learning. All the fun starts at 11:00am and admission is only $5 per person, kids 3 and under admitted free.
Don’t forget the Friday night Movie Under the Stars at Wetherby Field (Ft. Benning) cranks up at 8:30 pm. This week's movie is "Megamind." Bring pets, coolers, lawn chairs, but they’ll supply the free popcorn. FREE POPCORN! How cool is that?! This is completely free and open to the entire community.
As part of the Chattahoochee Valley Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration (that's fancy-speak for the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War), the National Infantry Museum (1775 Legacy Way) is holding a Civil War Infantry Symposium this Saturday. It is an all day event featuring book signings, lectures, and panel discussions. You’ll see exciting presentations by Dr. Donald Stoker, Mr. Richard Barlow Adams, Mr. Jeff Seymour, Mr. Dave Stieghan, and Mr. Jeff Reed. These distinguished speakers are a mix of notable authors and historians. This event is completely free as are the coffee and pastries from 9 – 10 AM, but space is limited so reservations are required. You can register at nationalinfantrymuseum.com or call their office at 706.685.5814. This is a great and rare opportunity for all the Civil War history buffs.
Ready for a little more music? It’s the 2nd Sunday of the month, which means it’s time for the Columbus Jazz Society’s monthly Jazz Jam at the Liberty Theatre (813 8th Ave). Dr. Alex Pershounin is not only the director of the Jazz Society but also directs the Columbus State University Jazz Ensemble, who will be the special guest group at this month’s concert. The CSU Jazz Ensemble has won all kinds of awards and has an amazing repertoire of music from the contemporary to the classical. The concert will start at 6 PM and as always, there will be a jazz jam starting at 8 pm where other musicians are invited to sit in and play. Admission is only $10 but there is no charge for musicians that wish to sit in. What a great way to spend a Sunday evening!
How much do we love our Cottonmouths!? And they are in the hockey playoffs! The Columbus Cottonmouths have a playoff game at home at the Columbus Civic Center. Game Two for the Playoff series is happening at the Snake Pit this Saturday (April 9) at 7:30 PM. The Cottonmouths will take on the Augusta RiverHawks. Tickets range from $12 - $22. Call 706.571.0086 for more information.
Wow! There really is a lot of stuff going on this weekend and to think…this is just a sampling. You can always find out details about these event and others by paying a visit to the Columbus Community Calendar to find out more…or to start making plans for next weekend!
Now, go have some fun…
shelby