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🏓 Downtown Columbus Is Adding Public Pickleball Courts Along the Scioto

Plus: 🏗️ A New Riverfront Innovation District Is Headed To Historic Dublin

Author

Chelsea Wiley
January 29, 2026

In partnership with

Sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council 🖼️
Explore Columbus through a new lens by checking out the arts-focused event calendar from Art Makes Columbus. Discover the events that bring our community together and experience art made authentically. For more info, head over to columbusmakesart.com.

Hello, Thursday! Chelsea, here.

It is brutally cold out there right now, and most of us are still recovering from shoveling, slipping, and questioning why we live here. So let’s talk about something warmer. This summer, pickleball is officially coming to downtown Columbus with brand-new public courts right by the Scioto. It’s the kind of news that makes you momentarily forget about frozen sidewalks and salt-covered boots. I’m talking sunshine, river views, and arguing over whether a ball was in or out instead of digging your car out of a snowbank. Sounds great, right?

🏎️ Remember When Downtown Was Transformed Into A Racetrack? A Look Back At The Columbus 500
In the mid-1980s, race cars tore through the streets of downtown Columbus at jaw-dropping speeds as part of the short-lived Columbus 500. It’s a wild, almost hard-to-believe chapter of city history that feels even more surreal when you picture it happening on today’s downtown streets.

🏗️ A New Riverfront Innovation District Is Headed To Historic Dublin
COhatch is taking on its biggest project yet with Riverview Village, a new riverfront development planned for Historic Dublin. The space will blend coworking, restored historic homes, dining, and community events, all set along the Scioto River.

Headlines 📰 

⚽️ Henrik Rydström is settling into his first week in the U.S. as Columbus Crew’s head coach, getting to know the team and preparing for preseason in Florida. (NBC4)

🤠 Columbus musicians are putting on a full-on Dolly love fest at Natalie’s Grandview with Grindstones & Rhinestones, a tribute to the queen herself. Go for the rhinestones, stay for the heart. (Matter News)

🎨 Mitch Menchaca is the new president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, bringing years of experience from Phoenix and a passion for public art. He’s hitting the ground running to grow funding, support local artists, and position Columbus as a thriving, creative destination. (Columbus Monthly)

🌤️ Weather: Partly sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -4.

Coming Up This Week 📆

Coming Up This Month 📆

🖼️ The Best Things To Do This January In Columbus
January doesn’t slow Columbus down. From hockey games and big-name comedy to ice sculptures, winter hikes, and late-night museum events, this month is packed with reasons to get out and do something, even when it’s cold.

Today's Photo 🤳

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🌅 Stay warm out there, Columbus! This cold snap is no joke, so bundle up and take care of yourself.

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- Chelsea