🦁 The Zoo Bus Is Back!

Plus: 🚨 Downtown Festival Postponed Due to Expected Bad Weather

Author

Chelsea Wiley
May 22, 2026

Sponsored by Columbus Recreation and Parks 😎
Celebrate the return of sunny days at FountainFest, a lively afternoon along the Scioto Mile packed with music, hands-on fun, and plenty of ways to cool off. From splashy fountain moments to live entertainment and family-friendly activities, it’s the perfect excuse to spend the day downtown. Grab your friends, bring the kids, and make a day of it. FountainFest is free, full of energy, and the ultimate kickoff to summer in Columbus. You can learn all about FountainFest right here.

Hello, Friday! Chelsea, here.

Memorial Day weekend is the start of summer in Columbus. School is wrapping up, pool bags are coming out of storage, and everyone is looking for affordable ways to make the most of the season. This year, one of the city’s best summer deals is officially back. COTA’s Zoo Bus returns this weekend with daily service to the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay, giving families a way to skip parking headaches while scoring discounted admission. Between cheap rides, $5 Zoo entry, and a full day of adventure, it might be one of the smartest summer outings in the city. Here’s what you need to know!

📚 This Columbus Bookstore Is Rewarding Summer Reading With Pizza
Prologue Bookshop’s summer reading challenge is back with merit badges, community activities, and a $15 Yellow Brick Pizza reward. It’s a fun excuse to finally tackle that summer reading list.

🚨 Downtown Festival Postponed Until August Due to Expected Bad Weather
This Discovery District festival is still set to bring murals, music, food trucks, and performances to downtown Columbus, but it just won’t be this weekend. Inclement weather has forced organizers to postpone this weekend’s festivities.

Headlines 📰 

🚗 Thousands of Bruno Mars fans spent hours stuck in traffic outside Ohio Stadium Wednesday night, with many missing the opening act and part of the concert itself. Concertgoers are blaming poor traffic planning, while Ohio State says weekday congestion and bad weather created the perfect gridlock storm. (NBC4)

💸 Ohio’s controversial data center tax breaks cost the state nearly $1.6 billion in 2025 alone, more than 11 times higher than original estimates. The new figures are reigniting debates over subsidies for tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Meta as lawmakers question whether the incentives have grown too large. (WOSU)

⛳️ The U.S. Senior Open is returning to Scioto Country Club this July, bringing some of golf’s biggest veteran stars back to Columbus during a milestone year for the city’s golf scene. The tournament also arrives as the Memorial Tournament celebrates its 50th anniversary, making 2026 a major summer for golf fans in Central Ohio. (Columbus Monthly)

☔️ Weather: 65 and rainy

Coming Up This Week 📆

Coming Up This Month 📆

🎸 The Best Things To Do in Columbus This Month
May in Columbus is absolutely packed, with everything from huge concerts and festivals to food events and neighborhood favorites popping up all over the city. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to get out and do something fun, this is your month.

Today's Photo 🤳

Instagram Post

💦 It’s going to rain a bunch this weekend, which isn’t great for a holiday weekend. But imagine how gorgeous the waterfalls will look by Monday!

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- Chelsea