From Halloween chills to sweet thrills, here are some of the best places to celebrate the season. Columbus Parent Whether you prefer pigskin or pumpkin spice, changing colors or changing temperatures, fall in Central Ohio is a special time. From…

Sept. 16 to Oct. 29 Freeman’s Farm 6142 Lewis Center Road, Galena;freemansfarm.com Freeman’s Farm will again hold its annual fall festival, drawing families from Delaware County and beyond. Take a hayride, shop the farm market, snack on fresh kettle…

These hot spots for family fun offer cool fun on steamy summer days. Families are always on the lookout for cool things to do, especially when the weather gets hot. Good thing, then, that Central Ohio boasts a bevy of splash pads and…

Richard Roll of Gahanna has been officiating middle school basketball for 35 years, often several times per week. But he never faced a challenge like the evening of Jan. 12, during a seventh-grade girls basketball game at Columbus Academy in Gahanna…

Columbus Alive Drummer/composer Mark Lomax will never do this again. “This” refers to composing and recording 12 albums worth of original music for seven different ensembles, all released on the same day, as he recently did with400: An Afrikan Epic.…

Bela Lugusi is still dead, but the contemporary goth scene, which traces its history back to – and through – the seminal 1979 Bauhaus song, remains alive and, in large part, well. The scene remains vital here in the (614), too, an intergenerational…

Creating pathways for Jewish families from across the country and around the world to find their way to Columbus is the goal of a new program started by a team of the city’s Jewish leaders. Rabbi Avi Goldstein of Beth Jacob Congregation in Columbus,…

According to local experts, the first and most important question in selecting entertainment for a bar or bat mitzvah is not what the budget, timetable or venue should be. Instead, the most important question is, what does the child want? “The best…

Central Ohio is a great place for families, and fortunately for parents and grandparents, there are plenty of ways to stay busy. Indoor play places are a fun way to get active year-round, though they come in particularly handy on days when the…

Ralen Cleveland, safety and security coordinator at Columbus Academy in Gahanna, said his job is to make plans he hopes to never have to carry out, for scenarios he hopes never happen. But that kind of preparedness can save a life and did earlier…

Educating young people has become more complex and officials from public, private, secular and religious schools said they are adapting to the changing needs of students and society. “Public education has changed over the last few decades and even in…

Amid the stress brought on by the 2022 hostage crisis in Colleyville, Texas and the rise in antisemitism nationwide, the Wexner Foundation and the Columbus Board of Rabbis partnered for a program to address the unique mental and emotional challenges…

Zach Herman recalls his days at Jewish summer camps fondly, from friends and fun activities to the reinforcement of the values of his Jewish faith. Of course, Herman just has to remember as far back as last summer when he served as a senior counselor…

For Ben Gelber, making music with his ensemble Friday Night Live has always been about tradition. And not just the song “Tradition” from the Broadway play “Fiddler on the Roof,” although the set list for his musical ensemble does include selections…

ThisWeek | USA TODAY NETWORK Residents of Powell’s Downtown District will have access to funding through the city for exterior renovations and upgrades under the Downtown Housing Renovation Program implemented by City Council on Jan. 3. The program…

Dining in Columbus has gone to the dogs. And also the coneys, franks, wieners and sausages. That crisp “snap” you’re hearing around Columbus is folks biting into gourmet hot dogs, as a growing number of shops are offering fresh, elevated takes on the…

ThisWeek | USA TODAY NETWORK Olentangy Schools is to host a Community Engagement Series event on the topic of student mental health and well-being at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11, at the Olentangy Administrative Offices, 7840 Graphics Way. The free event is to…

ThisWeek | USA TODAY NETWORK Olentangy Schools has announced another round of redistricting, a sometimes difficult reality in a growing school district. This latest redrawing of attendance boundaries is in preparation for the fall 2023 opening of the…

ThisWeek | USA TODAY NETWORK While some finishing touches remain to be added, Liberty Township’s new township hall and administrative-offices building is open and occupied. Township officials, joined by residents and other local leaders, held a…

ThisWeek | USA TODAY NETWORK Former Liberty Township Fire Chief Eugene “Andy” Anderson died Dec. 3 in Columbus. Anderson, 91, served in the Liberty Township Fire Department for 40 years, starting as a volunteer right out of high school and retiring…