Best Bets: 10 things to do in Columbus include 'Shawshank,' OSU marching band, Paddlefest

Cameron Teague Robinson, Margaret Quamme, Nancy Gilson, Peter Tonguette and Michael Grossberg
·6 min read

Although it's hard to believe that this is the last weekend in July, there is still plenty of summertime fun left this season.

Given the weather forecast, which is calling for temperatures in the low 80s, visiting the Ohio State Fair might be on the top of many people's list this weekend. If so, don't miss out on all of the food and the butter cow display!

It also sounds like a perfect weather to take in the final Picnic With the Pops concerts at John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons. Featuring the Ohio State University Marching Band, the concert will get Buckeye fans in the spirit for the upcoming season!

Enjoy all that the weekend has to offer.

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All Elite Wrestling will make its debut at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Schottenstein Center.
All Elite Wrestling will make its debut at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Schottenstein Center.

AEW takes it to the mat

Can't get enough of wrestling? All Elite Wrestling, which is billed as the second-largest wrestling organization in the country, behind WWE, will make its debut in Columbus at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Schottenstein Center, West Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road, with AEW Dynamite. The Jacksonville-based organization, founded in 2019, broadcasts the wrestling matches on TBS. Expect a full roster of fighters, possibly including Konosuke Takeshita, Luchasaurus, Christian Cage and Swerve in Our Glory. Tickets start at $32. (614-688-3939, www.schottensteincenter.com)

Catherine Garcia as Alex Owens in Weathervane Playhouse’s production of “Flashdance the Musical.”
Catherine Garcia as Alex Owens in Weathervane Playhouse’s production of “Flashdance the Musical.”

'Flashdance' on stage

“Maniac,” “Manhunt,” and “Flashdance … What a Feeling” are among the 1980s pop hits in “Flashdance the Musical,” the stage version of the 1983 film about a steel worker who works nights as an exotic dancer but aspires to become a serious dancer and auditions for a ballet academy. Weathervane Playhouse will end its summer-stock season with the musical, which will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2-6, at 100 Price Road, Newark. Tickets cost $15 to $37. (740-366-4616, www.weathervaneplayhouse.org)

The Columbus Symphony will welcome The Ohio State University marching band in concert Friday and Saturday.
The Columbus Symphony will welcome The Ohio State University marching band in concert Friday and Saturday.

Attention, OSU marching band fans

The Columbus Symphony marks the end of the Picnic With the Pops season with a nod to the coming college football season: At 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons, East Rich and South High streets, the symphony will welcome The Ohio State University marching band for a concert that will feature the formidable musical groups performing singly and jointly. The extravaganza will be conducted by CSO Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and marching band Director Christopher Hoch. Lawn tickets cost $36.75, or $10.50 for ages 3 to 12, free for age 2 and younger. (www.columbussymphony.com)

Mae West and W.C. Fields in "My Little Chickadee"
Mae West and W.C. Fields in "My Little Chickadee"

Classic comedies at the Ohio Theatre

Quick: What do W.C. Fields, Mae West, and Abbott and Costello have in common? They will each be on screen at the CAPA Summer Movie Series’ Classic Comedy Double Feature at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St. Two films will be screened back-to-back: “My Little Chickadee,” starring Fields and West; followed by “Who Done It?,” starring Abbott and Costello. Tickets cost $6, or $5 for senior citizens. (www.capa.com)

The All-Ohio State Fair Band will perform at the Park of Roses.
The All-Ohio State Fair Band will perform at the Park of Roses.

All-Ohio State Fair Band at Park of Roses

Can’t make it to the Ohio State Fair this weekend? Get a taste of the fair with a free performance by the All-Ohio State Fair Band at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Whetstone Park of Roses gazebo, 3923 N. High St. The show, part of the summer-long Park of Roses concert series, may not feature any butter cows, but expect plenty of lovely and inspiring music. Attendees are advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket. (www.northcivitanclub.org)

Peter Stafford Wilson will lead the Westerville Symphony in "The Sound of Music."
Peter Stafford Wilson will lead the Westerville Symphony in "The Sound of Music."

‘The Sound of Music’ in Westerville

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical “The Sound of Music” will be given a symphonic spin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Alum Creek Park North Amphitheater, 221 W. Main St., Westerville. Backing up actors playing the iconic parts in the musical will be the Westerville Symphony, which is led by conductor Peter Stafford Wilson. Tickets cost $15. (www.westerville.org/tickets)

Paddlefest at the Darby Bends Lake area of Prairie Oaks
Paddlefest at the Darby Bends Lake area of Prairie Oaks

Paddlefest at Prairie Oaks

Ever want to try a canoe, kayak or standup paddleboard? You'll have a chance from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Darby Bends Lake area of Prairie Oaks Metro Park, 2755 Amity Road, Hilliard. The free Paddlefest, the Metro Parks' largest paddling event of the year, offers visitors the chance to try out one or more of the 60-plus boats that will be on-site on a first-come, first-served basis. Those 10 and older can try out single-person kayaks (275-pound weight limit) or stand-up paddleboards, while all ages are welcome to test out canoes as long as one adult is in the canoe. Instructions will be provided. (614-879-8903, metroparks.net)

Visual artist Queen Brooks and jazz vocalist Jeanette Williams, who died this year, will be inducted into the Lincoln Theatre Walk of Fame on Saturday.
Visual artist Queen Brooks and jazz vocalist Jeanette Williams, who died this year, will be inducted into the Lincoln Theatre Walk of Fame on Saturday.

Walk of Fame induction at the Lincoln

Two Columbus natives will be inducted into the Lincoln Theatre Walk of Fame at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. Visual artist Queen Brooks and jazz vocalist Jeanette Williams, who died this year, will be honored with a celebration inside the theater, including a performance by Columbus jazz keyboardist Bobby Floyd. The ceremony will then move outside to reveal their stars on the Walk of Fame and to dedicate the Theatre's new Mural Plaza. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance. (www.lincolntheatrecolumbus.com)

'The Shawshank Redemption' in 4K

Widely regarded as one of the best films ever made, "The Shawshank Redemption" will be back in theaters this weekend at Gateway Film Center, 1550 N High St. The theater will show a restored version of the movie, in 4K quality, at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Filmed in Mansfield, at The Ohio State Reformatory, it has become an iconic movie since its release in 1994. Tickets for the shows vary in price, but are $12.50 for the Friday time and $9.50 for the weekend matinee. (https://gatewayfilmcenter.org)

Ah, want a 10-cent hot dog? Check out the Columbus Clippers.
Ah, want a 10-cent hot dog? Check out the Columbus Clippers.

A dime-a-dog at Clippers game

Baseball in the summer is always a good idea and the Columbus Clippers are back home at Huntington Park for a series against the Rochester Red Wings. Located at 330 Huntington Park Lane, Huntington Park will host the series beginning on Tuesday. What’s better than baseball on a summer evening? Baseball that includes 10-cent hot dogs. The opener of the series will also be Tansky Tuesday Dime-a-Dog Night to entice people to come out and watch the game. Ticket prices vary, but can be bought at https://bit.ly/3cBfIRc. (https://www.milb.com/columbus/schedule)

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Things to do in Columbus: Flashdance, Shawshank, Paddlefest, AEW