Friday, December 6, 2024

Author

Chelsea Wiley
December 06, 2024

Sponsored by Columbus Recreation and Parks Department ☃️
Celebrate the season at WinterFest Columbus! Join us at Bicentennial Park on December 7 for a cozy winter escape filled with live music, craft brews, festive cocktails, and top-notch food trucks. Free admission, family-friendly, and outdoor winter fun for all! Click here for more info!

Hello, Friday! Chelsea here.

The first week of December is almost in the books, my friends. There is SO much happening around downtown this weekend, including Winterfest, Wanderlights, the holiday Trolley, and Yultide on Gay. Located at the intersection of Gay and High, the area will be transformed into a pedestrian-only spot with holiday food, drinks, and activities. The event is free to attend, and it’s going to be one heck of a weekend to be downtown! Get out there and enjoy it, Columbus!

Navigator Feature Story: Gay Street Is Turning Into A Winter Wonderland For One Day Only 🎉

🎄 Unwrap Holiday Magic In Ohio’s Most Charming Christmas Villages
If the hustle and bustle of downtown isn’t your vibe, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to embrace the holidays, including taking a little road trip to some extremely charming Christmas villages.

🌟 These Metro Parks Are Twinkling With The Glow Of Charming Holiday Light Displays
I never need an excuse to explore our Metro Parks, but if you tell me I can earn a prize for doing it and get to take in beautiful twinkle lights that take the edge off the sun going down at 5 pm… I’m so there!

Headlines 📰 

👏 A new pilot program is giving 32 Columbus single mothers $500 a month for a year, offering much-needed relief for essentials like food, rent, and gas. Nonprofits behind the initiative want to make it permanent. (NBC4)

🏥 Ohio State Wexner Medical Center may soon be out-of-network for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield members as contract negotiations continue. If unresolved by Jan. 1, 2025, tens of thousands of Central Ohio patients could face higher costs. (Dispatch)

💵 Ohio’s Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy and the Department of Children and Youth secured a $2M federal grant to study child care quality and access over five years. This comes as Ohio lawmakers consider several child care bills, including expanded subsidies, tax credits, and affordability initiatives. (Ohio Capital Journal)

☀️ Weather: 32 and mostly sunny

Sponsored by Short North Stage 🎭
Get ready for a night of music and drama with Jersey Boys at Short North Stage! From November 21 to December 29, 2024, on the Garden Theatre MainStage, experience the rise, struggles, and unforgettable hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. For more info, head over to shortnorthstage.org.

Coming Up 📆

Today's Photo 🤳

👍 Over the past few years, it’s been wonderful to watch how Downtown Columbus is embracing change. It’s cold here for a few months, sure, but that doesn’t mean that we have to stay hidden inside! There are so many places where you can go out and embrace the cold weather, including ice bumper cars at Land-Grant’s WinterGarden!

Want your photo to be featured? Use #columbusnavigator or tag us!

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- Chelsea