Your guide to summer fun in Ohio:
Columbus Summer Fun
These Columbus places are perfect to bring the whole family!
Zanesville Community Theatre
“High School Musical”
940 Findley Ave., Zanesville
Dates: through June 9
Zanesville Community Theatre’s stage version of the Disney Channel’s popular movie musical explores first love, friendship and family among jocks, thespians and other student cliques at East High.
Admission: $5 to $15
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St.
Dates: Aug. 8 – 11
Under the direction of Music Director David Danzmayr, the orchestra will return from its summer vacation early for the latest installment of its outdoor Summer Music Series.
Admission: free
Steve Brady
Summer fun for the kids
Columbus, Ohio
Neighborhood pools will soon be bustling — if they aren’t already — and parents will do their best to persuade their children to take part in library reading programs to keep their minds sharp. But when kids are done swimming or finished reading, how else to keep them occupied?
Fortunately, the summer schedule is jam-packed with events and attractions around the region to keep kids satisfied until school is back in session.
Westgate Home and Garden Tour
2925 W. Broad Street
Date: June 8
Featuring “Unexpected” Homes and/or Gardens, all are invited to see what makes Westgate so “Unexpected!”
Admission: $12
“Shrek The Musical”
Hilliard Darby High School, 4200 Leppert Road, Hilliard
Dates: through July 14
Hilliard Arts Council presents the Broadway musical comedy, by composer Jeanine Tesori and playwright David Lindsey Abaire, based on the animated film about the unlikely romance between an ogre and a princess.
Admission: $5 to $15
“Elf the Musical Jr.”
Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave.
Dates: through July 7
CATCO is Kids presents a family-friendly one-act version of the Broadway musical comedy based on the holiday film about a man, raised by elves, who journeys to New York to find his birth father.
Admission: $12
Brooke LaValley | The Columbus Dispatch
Doo Dah Parade
Intersection of High and Buttles streets
Date: July 4
The parade is a uniquely irreverent event featuring inventive satires and send-ups.
Admission: free
Adam Cairns | The Columbus Dispatch
Red, White & Boom
Scioto Mile
Date: July 3
Celebrate America’s birthday with several hundred thousand of your closest friends. Set your blanket down, check out the parade honoring veterans, then return for the fireworks.
Admission: free
Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File
Ariana Grande
Value City Arena, West Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road
Date: July 1
The ponytailed pop star told Columbus “thank u, next” when Coachella double-booked her original April tour date. She moved the local show to July, and the anticipation might be enough to fuel all of Red, White & Boom.
Admission: $46.95 to $336.95
[JORDAN STRAUSS/INVISION]
Twenty One Pilots
Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd
Dates: June 29-30
Ohio’s biggest export is industrial machinery, but some would argue the alt-rock/pop/electro band is a close second.
Admission: $79.50 to $588