Culture
Central Ohio: Fun This Summer Indoors, Outdoors, or Underground
< < Back toBy Steve Stephens
The Columbus Dispatch
Family fun in central Ohio comes in all shapes but, ideally, in just one size: big.
Whether you’re a local or visiting from out of town, you and your family will undoubtedly enjoy at least a few of these destinations, with each offering a distinct or unusual way to spend a big day of togetherness in the heart of the Buckeye State.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
4850 W. Powell Road (Delaware County)
The world-famous zoo houses more than 7,000 animals, including a super-cute polar-bear cub born in November.
Most of the animals are displayed in naturalistic habitats grouped by their native continent in areas such as Asia Quest and Heart of Africa. Alas, there is no Antarctica exhibit, although you can visit South American penguins at the Shores & Aquarium exhibit.
Adjacent to the zoo is Zoombezi Bay, a water park with animal-themed rides and attractions.
Admission: free (children younger than 3) to $19.99; parking: $10
Admission/information: 614-645-3400, columbuszoo.org
Slate Run Living Historical Farm
1375 State Route 674 N., Canal Winchester (Pickaway County)
Visiting this Metro Park site is akin to stepping back into 1880s Ohio — without the cholera.
Guests can experience firsthand what life was like on an Ohio farm while costumed staff tend to pigs, geese, turkeys and horses near the big barn. A restored 1856 farmhouse is open for tours. And visitors can even help with chores such as washing clothes by hand or — gulp! — butchering chickens.
Admission and parking: free
Information: 614-891-0700, metroparks.net
COSI Columbus
333 W. Broad St. (Franklin County)
Acclaimed as one of the best family science centers in the country, COSI in Downtown Columbus offers myriad hands-on exhibits and entertaining demonstrations.
Visitors can ride in a space capsule, make robots dance and even watch rats play basketball. COSI also features a giant-screen theater and a planetarium.
Admission: $15 (children ages 2-12) to $20; additional fee for movies and some exhibits; parking: $5
Information: 614-228-2674, cosi.org
Aha!
315 S. Broad St., Lancaster (Fairfield County)
The hands-on children’s museum features an array of colorful exhibits that allow kids to climb, play, pretend and learn.
Visitors can make art, “drive” pretend construction equipment, try interesting and unusual musical instruments, and put on shows.
A special “Plop Zone” for children 36 months or younger lets even the newest family members in on the fun.
Admission: free (6 months or younger), or $6; parking: free
Information: 740-653-1010, aha4kids.org
Velvet Ice Cream’s Ye Olde Mill
11324 Mount Vernon Road, Utica (Licking County)
Creamy, sweet goodness is excuse enough to visit an ice-cream factory.
But families who stop by the popular attraction can also participate in many free activities, including visiting an ice-cream museum, taking a factory tour, and feeding ducks and fishing in the catch-and-release mill pond.
Admission and parking: free
Information: 1-800-589-5000, velveticecream.com
Rock Mill Park
1429 Rock Mill Road N.W., near Lancaster (Fairfield County)
Visitors to the historical park will get a double — and doubly beautiful — dose of history.
Rock Mill, a grist mill built in 1824 on a rocky gorge high above Hocking River Falls, has been completely renovated and fitted with a replica 26-foot water wheel. Nearby sits pretty Rock Mill Covered
Bridge, constructed in 1901, about four years before the mill stopped grinding grain.
Admission and parking: free
Information: 740-681-7249, historicalparks.org/rock-mill-park/
Columbus Metropolitan Library and Topiary Park
96 S. Grant Ave. (Franklin County)
Bibliophiles, young and old, will love visiting Columbus’ Downtown library, which is marking the one-year anniversary of its massive $35 million remodeling and expansion.
The expansion enlarged the original 1907 Carnegie Library, which still serves as a beautiful entryway to the modern and airy site.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in the new reading room provide a delightful view of the nearby Topiary Park, at 480 E. Town St. — itself a great family destination. The park features a rendition of Georges Seurat’s iconic painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” — with every figure, including the monkey, rendered in sculpted yew plants. The living “painting” is surrounded by a verdant 7-acre park.
Admission: free; parking: free for first half-hour, 50 cents per half-hour thereafter
Information: 614-645-2275, columbuslibrary.org; 614-645-0197, topiarypark.org
Clear Creek Metro Park
185 Clear Creek Road, Rockbridge (Fairfield, northern Hocking counties)
Perhaps central Ohio’s most natural and untouched park, it also includes the 4,769-acre Beck Preserve, the state’s largest state nature preserve.
On the 5,300-plus acres of Clear Creek, visitors find vast woodlands dotted with picturesque sandstone cliffs. The park, which is crisscrossed with beautiful ravines and creeks, is home to hundreds of animal and plant species, including Ohio’s last remaining populations of native rhododendron. Families can revel in nature’s beauty.
Admission and parking: free
Information: 614-891-0700, metroparks.net
Olentangy Indian Caverns
1779 Home Road, Delaware (Delaware County)
A short trip underground takes visitors millions of years back in time to when these natural caverns were formed by an underground river. Many eons later, but still hundreds of years ago, Wyandotte Indians are thought to have used the caverns as gathering places.
Present-day visitors can tour three levels of the cave, plus enjoy the “Animal Encounter” petting zoo, play miniature golf and mine for gems in an old-fashioned mining sluice.
Admission: free (children 3 or younger) to $9.95, plus fees for activities; parking: free
Information: 740-548-7917, olentangyindiancaverns.com
The bridges of Union County
The county northwest of Columbus has one of the best collections of covered bridges — old and new — in the state, including four historic covered bridges and a historic steel-truss bridge.
Visiting the bridges, most of which are near the Big and Little Darby scenic rivers, can make for one of the most picturesque drives in central Ohio. For lunch, you can take a picnic and visit the nearby Milford Center Prairie, Bigelow Cemetery or Smith Cemetery state nature preserves or stop in one of several restaurants in Marysville or another nearby town.
Information: 937-642-6279, coveredbridgefestival.com
sstephens@dispatch.com
Central Ohio: Other attractions
A sampling of additional seasonal activities, compiled by Dispatch staff members.
THEME AND WATER PARKS
COCO KEY WATER RESORT
• Description: Whether the sun is shining or rain is falling, visitors to the resort can enjoy the 50,000-square-foot water park that has body slides, a wading pool, hot tubs and more.
• Location: Cherry Valley Lodge, 2299 Cherry Valley Road S.E., Newark (Licking County)
• Open: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; check website for special summer dates
• Admission: free (under 36 inches tall) to $25; $10 spectator passes
• Parking: free
• Tickets/information: 1-800-788-8008, 740-788-1200 or www.cherryvalleylodge.com
OHIO STATE FAIR
• Description: A hallmark of summer in Columbus, the 167nd annual event will feature entertainment, rides, youth organizations, fine arts, livestock competitions and a natural-resources area.
• Location: Ohio Expo Center, Interstate 71 and E. 17th Avenue, Columbus (Franklin County)
• Open: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 26 through Aug. 5 and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 6
• New attractions: Wild About Monkeys Animal Show, featuring baboons who have appeared in films such as “Evan Almighty” and “Rock of Ages;” iFlip Aerial Acrobatics, featuring acrobats and stunt artists performing feats with bungees, trampolines and more; and a variety of strolling entertainers.
• Admission: free (children younger than 5) to $10
• Midway wristbands: $25 for unlimited rides; $1 coupons for individual ride tickets available
• Parking: $5
• Tickets/information: advance $6 tickets are available through Aug. 6 at Kroger, participating AAA locations with AAA membership, and Ticketmaster (online); all-day-rides wristband vouchers, $20, available at Kroger and AAA locations and Ticketmaster (online) through July 25; 614-644-FAIR, www.ohiostatefair.com
ZOOMBEZI BAY
• Description: Ah, what better way to enjoy the hot summer days than by visiting the 22.7-acre water park — adjacent to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium — featuring 17 water slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, private cabanas and a kiddie play pool.
• Location: 4850 W. Powell Road (Delaware County)
• Open: daily through Aug. 18, weekends only Aug. 19 through Sept. 4, operating hours vary; call for details
• Admission: free (children 2 or younger) to $32.99
• Parking: $10
• Tickets/information: available at the park, AAA, Columbus-area Kroger stores and online; 614-645-3550, 1-800-MONKEYS, www.zoombezibay.org
OUTDOOR DRAMA
Actors’ Theatre of Columbus
• Description: The 36th season of classic plays offers “Julius Caesar,” Shakespeare’s historical drama about power, war, honor and betrayal; “Pride and Prejudice,” Jon Jory’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel about love, manners and class in British society; “The Emperor of the Moon,” Aphra Behn’s rarely revived 1687 Restoration farce about servants and lovers; and “The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s drama about an outcast noble who rules a small island with magical powers.
• Location: Schiller Park amphitheatre, German Village
• Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays (“Julius Caesar,” May 25 to June 18; “Pride and Prejudice,” June 22 to July 16; “The Emperor of the Moon,” July 20 to Aug. 6; “The Tempest,” Aug. 10 to Sept. 3)
• Admission: free, but donations are requested; $20 for reserved seating with advance online purchase.
• Seating capacity: About 800, for those who bring chairs or blankets for lawn seating; some lawn chairs available with reserved seating
• Running time: about 2 ¼ hours
• Information: 614-444-6888, www.theactorstheatre.org
OUTDOOR MUSIC
BUCKEYE COUNTRY SUPERFEST
• Description: The third-annual two-day, open-air country festival featuring A-list country acts is set for June 10-11
• Location: Ohio Stadium, 411 Woody Hayes Drive
• Performances: June 10: Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Jana Kramer, Craig Campbell; June 11: Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Billy Currington, Frankie Ballard, Lanco
• Parking: $20 to $60 daily in adjacent lots ($350 for two-day RV parking)
• Tickets: $45 to $500
• Information: www.buckeyecountrysuperfest.com, (1-800-745-3000)
THE BLUEGRASS CLASSIC: MUSICIANS AGAINST CHILDHOOD CANCER
• Description: An annual event to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
• Location: Hoover Y-Park, 1570 Rohr Road, Columbus (Franklin County)
• Performances, July 19-22 include: Mo Pitney, Blue Highway, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Bradley Walker, Lonesome River Band (check the website for a complete schedule)
• Parking: free
• Tickets: $40 to $110; half-price for children 11 to 15 daily ($55 for children’s three- or four-day pass); free for children 10 or younger accompanied by a parent. Tickets available at Bluegrass Musicians Supply, 614-443-3558 or 1-800-783-2583; at www.musiciansagainstchildhoodcancer.com or www.ticketbud.com; by calling 740-548-4199; or at the gate. Camping: $10 to $25 a day
• Information: 740-548-4199, www.musiciansagainstchildhoodcancer.com
FASHION MEETS MUSIC FESTIVAL
• Description: Rockers meet the runway when music and models share a spotlight. The event will change venues this year.
• Location: Fortress Obetz, 1841 Williams Road
• Performances: Aug. 18-19, include Fetty Wap, DNCE, Third Eye Blind
• Parking: $10 at stadium
• Tickets: $40 to $90
• Information: www.fmmf.us
EXPRESS LIVE
• Description: An intimate outdoor amphitheater in the Arena District
• Location: 405 Neil Ave., Columbus (Franklin County)
• Performances include: May 31: Old Crow Medicine Show; June 3: the 1975 (sold out); June 8: Lil Uzi Vert; June 10: CD 102.5 Summer Kick-Off with Portugal. The Man, Electric Guest, Beth Ditto; June 16: Bleachers and MisterWives; June 22: Twenty One Pilots (sold out); June 27: Dispatch: America, Location 12 Tour with Guster; June 30: Megadeth; July 1: Tour de Fat with Smallpools; July 18: Slayer; July 26: Lifehouse and Switchfoot; Aug. 2: Maddie & Tae; Aug. 10: My Morning Jacket; Aug. 22: Gov’t Mule and Blackberry Smoke
• Parking: area lots and garages
• Tickets: prices vary; check website for details
• Information: 614-461-5483, www.promowestlive.com
BREAKAWAY FESTIVAL
• Description: Travis Scott and Diplo will headline the fourth round of the increasingly popular electronic and hip-hop festival, which will move to Mapfre Stadium for its two-day run.
• Location: Mapfre Stadium, Interstate 71 near East Hudson Street (Franklin County)
• Performances: Sept. 1-2, include Travis Scott (Sept. 1) and Diplo (Sept. 2)
• Parking: $20 to $30
• Tickets: $80 to $130
• Information: www.breakawayfestival.com; (1-800-745-3000)
LANCASTER FESTIVAL
* Description: The long-standing community festival offers 11 days of music, art and free family activities spread throughout the city, a 40-minute drive southeast of Columbus.
* Location: downtown Lancaster
* Performances: July 19-29 include: July 22: the Mavericks; July 29: the Beach Boys
* Parking: area streets and lots
* Tickets: vary per event; check website for details
* Information: 740-687-4808, www.lancasterfestival.org
JAZZOO
* Description: Soak in the sights and sounds during jazz performances in the heart of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
* Location: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Road (Delaware County)
* Performances: July 14: “Sing, Sing, Swing”; July 21: “The Ultimate American Songbook”; Aug. 4: Basie, Brubeck & Beyond”; Aug. 11: “Rock & Jazz Hits of the ’70s and ’80s”
* Parking: $10, or free for zoo members
* Tickets: $35, or $40 at the door; series tickets available
* Information: 614-724-3485, www.columbuszoo.org
PICNIC WITH THE POPS/POPCORN POPS
* Description: Casual outdoor performances featuring the Columbus Symphony and guest artists; reserved and lawn seating available
* Location: John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons, East Rich and South High streets, Columbus (Franklin County)
* Performances: Picnic With the Pops, June 17: “A Symphonic Tribute to Prince”; June 23: Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9”; June 24: “Beethoven V. Coldplay”; July 1: “Patriotic Pops” featuring the Harmony Project; July 8: “Remember When Rock Was Young” (Elton John tribute); July 15: “A Symphonic Night of Hip-Hop,” featuring Common; July 22: Three Dog Night; July 28-29: the Ohio State University Marching Band (all shows will begin at 8)
* Performances: Popcorn Pops, June 30: “Patriotic Popcorn”; July 21: “We’ve Got Rhythm” (all shows at 7 p.m., pre-concert activities at 5:30 p.m.; a movie screening will follow each concert)
* Parking: $5 for underground parking off S. 3rd Street and in the City Center garage between East Main and South High streets; metered parking nearby
* Tickets: $25, or $10 for children 3 to 14; $10 for adults and children 3 to 14 for Popcorn Pops; children age 2 and younger are free
* Information: 614-469-0939, www.picnicwiththepops.com
RHYTHM ON THE RIVER
* Description: The series highlights four shows along the Scioto River: three concerts and one ballet performance.
* Location: Bicentennial Park, 233 Civic Center Drive
* Performances: June 2: the Blind Boys of Alabama, MojoFlo; June 23: the Fabulous Thunderbirds with Kim Wilson, Hadden Sayers Band; July 14: the Seldom Scene, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper; Aug. 25: BalletMet
* Parking: area lots, garages and street meters
* Admission: free
* Information: www.sciotomile.com
MUSEUMS
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART
* Description: In late 2015, the museum unveiled its $37.6 million expansion, highlighted by the new 50,000-square-foot wing on the eastern side of the building. The museum is known for its collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century American and European modern art and its regional collections, including woodcarvings by Columbus folk artist Elijah Pierce, and the world’s largest repository of paintings and lithographs by Columbus native George Bellows.
* Location: 480 E. Broad St., Columbus (Franklin County)
* Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays
* Admission: free (children 5 or younger) to $14, free for everyone on Sundays
* Parking: $5; or free for museum members and those visiting the Schokko Art Cafe and museum store.
* Special exhibits: “Allan Sekula: Aerospace Folktales and Other Stories,” consisting of 142 photographs and four audio tracks (through July 2); “MOTION,” a family-friendly exhibition that brings together a variety of works in the museum’s collection that depict movement (through April 2018); “Red Horizon: Contemporary Art and Photography in the USSR and Russia, 1960–2010,” looks at the period shortly after Stalin’s death in 1953 until the late 1980s and beyond, when artists attempted to represent the everyday realities of the USSR and Russia by mixing a variety of styles, including pop and conceptual art, documentary photography, surrealism and abstraction (June 16 through Sept. 24); “Greater Columbus: The 2017 Greater Columbus Arts Council Visual Arts Awards Exhibition,” displays work by artists based in central Ohio who have been recognized by the Greater Columbus Arts Council for their outstanding talent and ability (July 13 through Nov. 26).
* Information: 614-221-6801, www.columbusmuseum.org
KING ARTS COMPLEX
* Description: The complex features the cultural and historical contributions of African-Americans.
* Location: 867 Mount Vernon Ave., Columbus (Franklin County)
* Open: complex hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; gallery: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays
* Admission: free; donations accepted for gallery
* Parking: free
* Special exhibits: “Woodrow Nash,” Elijah Pierce Gallery — featuring sculptures by the artist, who was born in Akron in the 1940s (through June 17); “Word: The Art of Text,” Elijah Pierce Gallery — featuring the work of artists who use text effectively as an element in their work (June 29-Aug. 5); “Start at Home: Art from the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center Collection,” Elijah Pierce Gallery — a multi-venue exhibition (King Arts Complex, Urban Arts Space and Hopkins Hall Gallery) in collaboration with the Ohio State University’s Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, OSU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the university’s libraries and its Arts Initiative, showcasing more than 200 works from the 600-piece collection (Aug. 22 through Nov. 4)
* Information: 614-645-5464, www.kingartscomplex.com
OHIO HISTORY CENTER AND OHIO VILLAGE
* Description: The center focuses on connecting visitors with the state’s history; Ohio Village is a re-created 1890s-era community.
* Location: Interstate 71 and E. 17th Avenue, Columbus (Franklin County)
* Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; Ohio Village: same hours Memorial Day through Labor Day
* Admission: free (children 5 or younger and members) to $10
* Parking: free
* Special exhibits: “Bhutanese-Nepali Neighbors: Photographs by Tariq Tarey,” featuring 30 photographs that emphasize the historic sequence of the Bhutanese-Nepali refugee experience (through Jan. 7); a WW I display commemorating the centennial of the United States entering World War I. Explore hundreds of artifacts, including military uniforms and weapons, patriotic pins and other homefront ephemera, souvenirs brought home from Europe by troops and volunteers, and more (ongoing).
* Information: 614-297-2300, 1-800-686-6124, www.ohiohistory.org
THE WORKS
* Description: An interactive history, science and art learning center for people of all ages. The center offers a variety of camps, classes and programs.
* Location: 55 S. 1st St., Newark (Licking County)
* Open: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
* Admission: free (children younger than 2) to $10
* Parking: free, on-site
* Special exhibit: an area dedicated to aviation record-breaker Jerrie Mock. Climb aboard a vintage Cessna airplane — outfitted like the “Spirit of Columbus” flown by the Ohio native, the first woman to fly solo around the world — then test your skills at the flight simulator. Visitors can chart Mock’s historic flight path around the globe (ongoing).
* Information: 740-349-9277, www.attheworks.org
SPORTING EVENTS
Baseball
COLUMBUS CLIPPERS
* Description: The Cleveland Indians’ triple-A International League affiliate plays in the intimate confines of Huntington Park, in the heart of the Arena District.
* Location: Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, Columbus (Franklin County)
* Upcoming home series include: today: vs. Norfolk; June 5-8: vs. Louisville; June 9: vs. Indianapolis; June 13-15: Durham; June 16-18: Gwinnett; June 22-25: vs. Toledo; July 5-6: vs. Indianapolis; July 7-9: vs. Norfolk; July 17-19: vs. Buffalo; July 20-23: vs. Syracuse; Aug. 1-3: vs. Indianapolis; Aug. 4-6: vs. Toledo; Aug. 15-17: vs. Rochester; Aug. 18-20: vs. Pawtucket; Aug. 28-31: vs. Toledo; Sept. 1-4: vs. Louisville
* Admission: $5 bleacher seat (children 12 or younger and senior citizens 60 or older) to $20 day of game
* Parking: nearby lots
* Tickets/information: available at the Clippers office, 614-462-2757; through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com); 614-462-5250, www.clippersbaseball.com
Soccer
COLUMBUS CREW
* Description: Description: An original Major League Soccer team in its 22nd season, Crew SC is looking to return to the MLS playoffs after failing to qualify last season.
* Location: Mapfre Stadium, Interstate 71 near East Hudson Street (Franklin County)
* Upcoming home series include: May 31: vs. Seattle; June 24: vs. Montreal; July 1: vs. Atlanta; July 17: vs. Eintracht Frankfurt; July 22: vs. Philadelphia; Aug. 12: vs. Chicago; Aug. 23: vs. Los Angeles; Aug. 26: vs. FC Dallas
* Admission: starting at $24
* Parking: $15, on Ohio Expo Center grounds
* Tickets/information: at the Crew office, 614-447-2739; Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com); www.columbuscrewsc.com
Lacrosse
THE OHIO MACHINE
* Description: In its sixth season in Major League Lacrosse, the Machine has a new stadium in Obetz, Fortress Field, as it tries to make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
* Location: Obetz Fortress, 1841 Williams Road, Columbus (Franklin County)
* Home games: June 10: vs. Boston; June 24: vs. Chesapeake; July 15: vs. Denver; July 29: vs. New York
* Admission: $20 to $40 on game day
* Parking: $5
* Tickets/information: 614-754-1973, #3, or www.theohiomachine.com
Golf
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
* Description: Many of the best golfers in the world come to Dublin to play in the event that Jack Nicklaus started in 1976. William McGirt won the title in 2016.
* Location: Muirfield Village Golf Club, 5750 Memorial Drive, Dublin (Franklin County)
* Dates: May 29 to June 4
* Admission: $185 (weekly patron badge), $35 (all three practice rounds); free for 18 or younger when accompanied by paying adult
* Parking: Main lot is off Dublin Road near the 6th tee; overflow parking is available in the Ashbaugh lot off Brand Road. Complimentary shuttles transport patrons between the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the tournament-grounds main gate Thursday through Sunday.
* Tickets/information: badges available by calling 1-877-682-2343 or online at thememorialtournament.com
NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP
* Description: The event, in its 11th year, is part of the Web.com Tour Finals, a series of tournaments that helps determine which golfers move up to the PGA Tour the following year.
* Location: Ohio State University Golf Club, 3605 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington (Franklin County)
* Dates: Aug. 28 to Sept. 3
* Admission: free
* Parking: Walk-up parking available off McCoy Road, Greensview Drive and Nottinghill Gate Road. Shuttle parking: available off Ackerman Road and State Route 315. Shuttles will run from one hour before the first tee time to one hour after play ends.
* Tickets/information: 614-764-4653, www.ncc-golf.com
Motor sports
NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY
* Description: The drag-racing facility hosts amateur and professional events from May through October, as well as the state high school cross country meet in November.
* Location: 2650 National Road S.W., Hebron (Licking County)
* Events include: Weekly racing with special events including NTR JEGS Wednesday Night Series; JEGS ET Series; NHRA Member Track Madness, June 7; NMRA Ford Super Nationals, June 8-11; ET Series — Slicks Test & Tune, June 16; NHRA Summit Jr. Dragster Challenge, June 18; JEGS Jr. Dragster Buckeye Open, July 1-2; GoodGuys Friday Night Drags, July 7; Night of Thunder, July 8; Super Chevy Show, July 28-29; NHRA Buckeye Fuel Wars, Aug. 3-6; Mopar Nationals, Aug. 10-13; Fall Import FaceOff, Sept. 3
* Admission: varies by events
* Parking: free for most events
* Tickets/information: at the gate; 740-928-5706, www.nationaltrailraceway.com
Harness racing
LITTLE BROWN JUG
* Description:
The highlight of the Delaware County Fair, the Jug attracts top 3-year-old colts to central Ohio to compete in a leg of pacing’s Triple Crown.
* Location: 236 Pennsylvania Ave., Delaware (Delaware County)
* Date: Sept. 21
* Admission: $25 to $250 for reserved seating
* Parking: $5, parking passes available; $60 Jug Day permit for Wednesday overnight parking/camping (available for purchase only at the Route 23 gate)
* Information: 740-362-3851, 1-800-335-3247, www.littlebrownjug.com
ELDORADO SCIOTO DOWNS RACINO
* Description: The 5/8-mile harness track is one of the fastest in the nation. The grandstand is under renovation, but seating will be available to patrons on the patio and in the clubhouse and penthouse.
* Location: 6000 S. High St., Columbus (Franklin County)
* Season: Wednesdays through Saturdays (post time 6:30 p.m.; post time 2 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and special holidays), through Sept. 9; simulcasting daily
* Admission: free
* Parking: free
* Information: 614-295-4700, www.sciotodowns.com