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What Should We Do This Weekend? December 1-3, 2017: Holiday Edition

This weekend includes so many Christmas and Holiday related events! In order to include as many as I could, I had to shorten the information provided, so please check the link for all the important details! 🙂

Friday:

10:00 AM – Storytime with Kara at Me and the Moon – this week’s story time theme is Imagination!

10:30 AM – KidX Wake Up Santa! at Indian Mound Mall – this preschool story time includes music, snacks and a craft. After the story, the kids can go on a scavenger hunt to find Santa and wake him up!

5:00 PM – Olde Village Holiday Gathering in Olde Pickerington Village – includes tree lighting ceremony, shopping, games for kids, carriage rides, carolers, Santa and more!

6:00 PM – Winter Festival on the Mallway Park, Upper Arlington – includes caroling, carriage rides, bonfire, visits with Santa, ice sculpting and more!

6:00 PM – Christmas in the Village 2017 in the City of Canal Winchester -includes tons of activities all throughout downtown including the tree lighting, visits with Santa, cookies and card making, games, train rides, crafts and more! (Also happening Saturday night at 5:00 PM.)

6:00 PM – Holiday Carriage Rides at Easton Town Center – happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

6:00 PM – First Friday “Home for the Holidays” in Downtown Delaware – includes live reindeer, carolers, carriage rides, ice skating, tree lighting, visit from Santa and more!

7:00 PM – The Preschool Poets: An Animated Film Series – local artists have created a movie depicting kids’ poems. The film debut includes an onstage conversation with the directors and poets and a free public reception.

7:00 PM – Westerville Tree Lighting Ceremony at Westerville City Hall – live music, candle lighting, hot chocolate and the annual tree lighting.

8:00 PM – Holiday Pops with the Columbus Symphony – the Columbus Symphony and Chorus will perform your favorite holiday songs and Santa stops by! Several performances are happening throughout the weekend.

Saturday:

7:00 AM – Holiday All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast at Aladdin Shrine – this all you can eat meal includes pancakes, sausage juice, milk and coffee.

9:00 AM – The Santa Race 5k and Little Reindeer Dash at Creekside Gahanna – this festive 5K event also includes a Little Reindeer Dash for the kids! Register by 12/2.

9:00 AM – Christmas Prelude at The GRAND of Dublin – event includes craft vendors, musical performances, silent auction, children’s crafts and games and breakfast with Santa!

9:00 AM – Kitty Adoption Party at PARTY Like It’s Your Birthday – adopt a plush kitten, paint it’s home, make a collar and take it home with you! The party includes cat themed snacks!

9:30 AM – Family Improv Class at Hilltop YMCA – this free event, presented by CATCO is Kids, includes improv and acting games for the whole family!

10:00 AM – Maker Mania – Gift Edition at PAST Innovation Lab: Kids can choose from one of the gift making options like Recycled Robot Art, Seed Bombs, Thumbprint Lights and more! This event is open house style and parents can join their kids in the process! Admission is $10 if you purchase it online, $12 at the door.

10:00 AM – National Lionel Train Day at Moody Street Trains – discounts will be available on train sets and accessories and kids can operate Lion Chief Trains in the store!

10:00 AM – Free Pictures With Santa at Saxton Real Estate – bring a toy donation for Firefighters for Kids and get a free picture with Santa!

10:00 AM – Sensitive Santa at Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities – – free pictures with Santa are done in a sensitive environment. Register online and consider a donation of a new hat or pair of gloves for the Common Grounds Free Store.

10:00 AM 2017 Grove City Christmas Celebration in Grove City Town Center – a full day of events includes visits with Santa, live entertainment, a parade, Mistletoe Market and more!

10:00 AM – Cheryl’s 2017 Annual Holiday Party at Cheryl’s Cookies and Brownies – event includes a visit with Santa, visitors from the Columbus Zoo, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, Secret Santa shop and more!

10:00 AM – Storytime at Grange Insurance Audubon Center – free nature-themed story time!

10:00 AM – Christmas Fairy Garden Workshop at Dutch Mill Greenhouse – make a winter-themed fairy garden! Register online.

10:00 AM – HOOT 81: Holiday HOOT at Gateway Film Center – kid-friendly short films with a holiday theme, music from The Shazzbots and crafts and kids activities!

10:00 AM – Holiday Open House at Main Street Delaware, Inc. – see Santa, shop local and enjoy community events for all ages!

10:45 AM – Family Yoga Class with Youth Yoga – School aged kids and their parents are invited to attend a family yoga class hosted by the Youth Yoga Project. Stay for The Shop for the Cause shopping party after class!

11:00 AM – WinterFest at Bicentennial Park Scioto Mile – the first annual WinterFest includes live music, food trucks, seasonal ales and the Empty Bowls project!

11:00 AM – Dash for Dasher at Main Street Delaware, Inc. – explore downtown Delaware in search of Dasher the reindeer! Visit the Santa House when your search is complete!

12:00 PM – Winter Fest in Downtown Lancaster – event includes free carriage rides, music, elf scavenger hunt, pictures with Santa, local shopping and the Tour of Trees!

12:00 PM – Toys For Tots DRIVE THRU Toy Drive at Mikey’s Late Night Slice – drive thru with your donation for Toys for Tots and receive a coupon!

12:30 PM – Uptown Scrooge in Uptown Westerville – take a walking tour of Uptown Westerville in this walking theater performance featuring a local version of Dickens’ The Christmas Carol. Several times available this weekend.

1:00 PM – Nutcracker Celebration at Licking County Library – this celebration includes a performance of The Nutcracker by Central Ohio Youth Ballet, a hand bell choir, visit from Santa, hot chocolate, a holiday train and more!

1:00 PM – Historic Dublin Holly Days in Historic Dublin – kick off the season with tons of activities going on around Historic Dublin including craft activities, tours of fire trucks (bring a donation for Firefighters for Kids), letters to Santa, carolers and more!

1:00 PM – 12 Elves of Dublin – during the month of December you can go on the 12 Elves of Dublin scavenger hunt! Pick up your 12 Elves Card and hunt for an elf at each of the participating locations. At each stop you will receive a treat when  you find it!

2:00 PM – Holidays in Powell in the City of Powell – event includes free children’s activities and crafts, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and more!

2:00 PM – Lazarus Santa’s Workshop at the Lazarus Building– see Santa at the iconic Lazarus Building! There will also be crafts for kids, refreshments, free carousel rides at Columbus Commons and more!

3:00 PM – Columbus Police vs Fire Basketball Challenge to Benefit RMHC at Columbus Fire Training Academy  – watch the Police take on the Fire Department in this game that benefits Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio! Kids 12 and under are free!

3:30 PM – 2017 Main Street Christmas Cookie Walk & Lighted Parade in Downtown Pataskala – walk downtown Pataskala for the annual Cookie Walk! Other activities include kids crafts, letters to Santa, hot chocolate, face painting, a lighted Christmas Parade and more!

4:00 PM – Short North Arts District Holiday Hop 2017 in the Short North Arts District – this special Gallery Hop includes street performers, holiday window displays, photos with Santa and more!

4:00 PM – Free Family Portrait Day at Jerry L. Garver YMCA – all families are welcome to have their family pictures taken for free! See link for info on RSVPing.

6:00 PM – GRAND OPENING EVENT at AR Workshop Grove City – celebrate the grand opening of AR Workshop in Grove City with live music, food, drinks, desserts, Santa and goodie bags for the kids! There will also be swag bags, raffles and more giveaways!

Sunday:

12:00 PM – HolidayVille 2017 in Clintonville – this neighborhood-wide event includes hoping, carolers, cookies, sales and activities like a make and take ornament station, free s’mores, samples, cookie decorating, a visit from Santa and more!

2:00 PM – Christmas Open House at Orange Johnson House – enjoy “An Old Time Christmas” with live music performances and refreshments!

2:00 PM – Rudolph Run/Walk 5k (kid-encouraged!) on State Street in Westerville – this family friendly run/walk kicks off the Westerville Children’s Parade!

5:00 PM – Hilliard Holiday Hop & Tree Lighting in Old Hilliard – event includes balloon twisting, face painting, food trucks, hot chocolate, live reindeer, petting zoo, Santa, the Empty Bowls Project and more!

5:00 PM – Village Lights in German Village – stroll through a candlelit German Village enjoying treats, specials, live music, story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus and more!


A big thank you to the Historic Dublin Businesses Association for sponsoring this post!

Historic Dublin is kicking off the holiday season in a Merry way beginning December 2nd. It’s the start to the popular 12 Elves of Dublin scavenger hunt. Stop by one of the following locations December 2 through December 16 to pick up your 12 elves card: La Chatelaine, Boho 72, Dean Insurance Group, Chelsea Borough Home, Ha’penny Bridge Imports of Ireland, Winan’s, Our CupCakery, Donatos, or the Dublin Library.

Pick up your card and search through the shops of Historic Dublin to find the 12 Elves. Each time you find an elf you will be rewarded with a special treat from each shop!


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ICYMI: 3 Places I Love to Take My Kids in Columbus: Signe Anderson

*Please be aware,  information is gathered from multiple community sources.  Times, dates and locations are subject to change. There may be a fee to participate in a featured activity.  Please call ahead or check links to confirm activities.  Enjoy what you do today!*