I work with a variety of groups visiting Columbus – girlfriend getaways, family reunions, church groups, school groups, book clubs…the list goes on. And they almost always ask for “something different” to do.

In response to these requests, Experience Columbus has worked with a number of partners to develop a variety of options for people looking to do something fun and hands-on. We now have 57 different “experiential” activities that include everything from interacting with exotic zoo animals to learning about herbs to tasting and toasting with Irish beers .

If you’re part of a group looking to plan something unique in Columbus, check out some of what’s available:

• Be a Columbus Clippers baseball player . Attend a press conference announcing your signing with the team, dress in the clubhouse, warm up in the cages and then take the field.

 

• Go behind the scenes of the renowned BalletMet and discover what it takes to bring a production to life. Learn secrets the audience never sees, enjoy an interactive meeting with dancers and take an exclusive backstage tour

 

• Participate in a one-of-a-kind sensory experience in Worthington . Blend and pour a scented candle, then sniff and sample among two-dozen distinctive wines.

 

• Learn what’s in fashion from the experts , create scrapbook memories , and learn to cook with top chefs – all at Easton Town Center.

 

• Cook with spicy foods master CaJohn , sample an array of amazing tastes and learn how artisan ice cream is made from farm-to-table at Columbus’ lively and historic North Market

 

• Tour a 13,000 year-old cranberry bog where only a rare few are permitted to travel, create a blown glass ornament and make teas when you explore Licking County

 

• Pamper yourself at a spa , enjoy an evening of adventurous dining , and become a winemaker in the lively Short North Arts District

 

• Be a horse trainer for a day , learn about saddles, bits and more or discover some betting secrets of the pros with a behind-the-scenes thoroughbred racing experience

 

A complete list of current tours can be found here . For more details or to set up an experience for your group, feel free to call me at 614-222-6136 or send me an email .

Photo: Shadowbox ,
The Sketch Comedy and Rock-n-Roll Club

Our friends at Shadowbox have done it again.

They’ve produced a remarkable production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum , the Tony Award winning musical by Stephen Sondheim.

Every time I attend a Shadowbox performance I’m struck by how fortunate we are to have such talent in our own backyard. This show has it all: great comedic acting, perfectly executed dialog, and wonderfully choreographed music, singing and dancing. The result is non-stop, goofy, hilarious entertainment. Throughout both acts, I was either laughing hysterically or smiling ear-to-ear.

Steve Guyer (Executive Producer/Director) and Julie Klein (Assistant Director) have done a masterful production job. The entire cast shines, but special acknowledgment goes to J.T. Walker for his performance as Pseudolus and Jimmy Mak as Hysterium. They were totally in synch throughout the show’s entirety.

My favorite thing about a Shadowbox experience is that the actors are also your servers. Amy Lay , who plays the amusing dumb-blonde Philia, was our server Sunday. Being able to interact with the actors during intermission, before and after the show creates a powerful intimacy. I had to ask Amy, “How did you cross your eyes like that?”

I can’t wait to see Forum again. You can check it out on Sundays only, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. through April 26.