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Insider tips for visiting Ohio's herb capital.
If you’re like us, we can hardly WAIT to kick off the Holiday season! And for team #VisitGahanna--and anyone who wants to join us—we’re throwing a BIG Holiday Lights Celebration this Sunday, November 18 from 3-6:30 pm in Gahanna’s Creekside District (117 Mill St.) to welcome the season!
Best of all, the event is FREE and offers more than 100 family fun activities for all ages. We’ve pulled out all the stops and included a new Kringle Market and Kringle Zoo, live entertainment, camel rides, pony rides, reindeer, a game truck, ice carving demos, a Calliope, a live nativity, Santa arriving by Firetruck and FIREWORKS! There will also be an endless variety of hands-on crafts and interactive fun. Did we mention that it’s all free? That’s right. Visit Gahanna (the Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau) works hard to find sponsors and community partners to help support this event so that visitors can focus on family fun and making great memories together!
Here are a few things you should know before you attend the Gahanna Holiday Lights Celebration this Sunday:
Looking for the perfect spot to host your family gathering or holiday party? Don’t sweat it! Gahanna, Ohio has some beautiful and unique event venues that offer the perfect setting for every occasion, big or small. But don’t delay, these event spaces book up quickly this time of year!
For larger or more formal parties, check out some of Gahanna’s designated banquet centers that can accommodate larger groups.
La Navona La Navona is a 10,000-square-foot venue featuring rustic décor, with several patio spaces for outdoor wedding ceremonies and a large built-in bar. Your guests will be captivated by their made-from-scratch menus, their industry-leading standards and attention to every detail.
Creekside Conference & Event Center The 9,000-sq.-ft. facility offers a perfect setting for corporate meetings and special events. Two executive boardrooms and a stunning 6,000-sq.-ft. plaza ballroom can accommodate up to 450 guests. Chandeliers, exquisite flooring, a beautifully appointed reception space, inviting lounge areas and a marble fireplace add stylish décor. With views that overlook Gahanna’s lovely Creekside Park and District, your guests will feel like they are attending a VIP soiree.
The Olde Gahanna Sanctuary The Olde Gahanna Sanctuary is a charming place to hold a meeting, reception or special event. The historic facility, located in a restored church built in 1875, offers breathtaking stained glass windows, woodwork and more. Rental space includes the banquet and community rooms — offering accommodations for up to 250 guests.
Jefferson Country Club Jefferson Golf & Country Club's spacious Clubhouse offers private banquet space designed to accommodate up to 350 guests. The beautiful facility hosts a variety of special events including social gatherings, weddings, golf outings, business meetings and more.
If you’re looking for more unique, “non-traditional” locations, or want a space that’s more intimate, check out some of our other locations in town:
Ohio Herb Education Center For a smaller gathering, The Ohio Herb Education Center offers a charming Victorian era setting idea for family gatherings, bridal or wedding showers. The Nafzger-Miller house, home to the Herb Center, is listed among the National Register of Historical Places, with the earliest part of the house dating to 1855.
The Golf Depot Perched on a hill that is the highest point in Franklin County, the outstanding view of the Columbus skyline is one of the most unique features of this facility. Two meeting rooms and Barry's Grill (with catering available), make the Golf Depot ideal for events.
Jorgensen Farms This breathtaking privately owned farm is a popular wedding and event destination--where events are hosted year-round in the beautiful Historic Barn and at the modern Oak Grove. Gahanna Municipal Golf Clubhouse This lovely facility overlooks Creekside Park and the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course. Tables and chairs are available for up to 100 people. The facility offers an affordable meeting space ideal for meetings, family reunions, team banquets, wedding receptions, parties, etc.
Wyandotte Winery The tasting room and wine shop can hold groups of up to 35 people and the Informal Space can hold up to 80 people. Your group can enjoy a wine tasting, wines by the glass or bottle, and you can even book a tour of the winemaking facility. The Wyandotte team can even include customized wine bottles with private labels designed just for your group!
Barn at Rocky Fork Creek With a warm inviting atmosphere, attentive hospitality and several fabulous menu options, The Barn offers three private dining areas. The Loft and The Three Seasons Room can accommodate up to 40 guests and The Black Falls Room can accommodate up to 10 guests.
Barrel & Boar This local-favorite restaurant is known for their scratch kitchen in a modern/rustic setting. Barrel & Boar Creekside has private event spaces to accommodate 25 to 75 guests. Price is determined by number of guests, menu, day of the week and time of the day.
101 Beer Kitchen Locally and family owned, this local hot spot specializes in seasonal, handcrafted food with a carefully curated draft & bottle list our gastropub. Add to it an awesome kids menu & the whole family is happy! Portions of the restaurant can be reserved for groups. Noble Cut Distillery Gahanna's new distillery serves as a unique space to hold any event. Stop in and check it out or take a tour of distillery offered Thursday through Saturday! Kindred Brewing Kindred's Tasting Room and Barrel House serves as a community gathering place and the home of their barrel-aged wild and sour ale program, and their space offers a unique space to hold any event. Kindred can accommodate parties of up to 180 people. They have an in-house food trailer or caterers that will work with you to create a special event for all of your needs and occasions.
For a full list of meeting & group spaces, check out our listing on our website: https://visitgahanna.com/plan/Meetings-Groups Happy holidays!
Gahanna, Ohio is gaining a new, fit neighbor! Oak Studio will open its doors this Thursday, November 8, welcoming the community with open arms. We had the privilege of chatting with Holly and Jenny Oak, sisters and owners of Oak Studio, to talk about what sets their studio apart from other fitness studios and what drove their passion to quit their jobs and follow their dreams.
What are your names and the name of your business? We are Jenny and Holly Oak—the two sisters behind Oak Studio! We are located at 1370 Cherry Bottom Rd. in Gahanna.
What is your background? Holly: I was a lawyer for the past 5 years. During that time, I took yoga classes while practicing law. I have an athletic background since I’ve been an avid runner and was even a rower in college. I’ve lived in Gahanna for the past 5 years and I’m a certified yoga instructor.
Jenny: I was an IT Project Manager for 7 years and lived in Madison, Wisconsin, although I hardly ever “lived” there, since I was constantly traveling for work. I moved to Columbus about a year ago and I’m also a certified yoga instructor.
What inspired the opening of your studio? We were chatting one day about getting a little burned out in our professional careers and not feeling fulfilled. We were always thinking about the next fitness class we were going to take, so we thought-- why not do something you’re passionate about? We identified the need to have a fitness studio with yoga, strength and cardio all under one roof because we’ve held several studio memberships for different types of workouts. We’re both runners and ran the Columbus marathon and several half-marathons so we love cardio--but we also love yoga. We just wished we had all our memberships under one roof! We wanted a space where you can get all of this at one place, and we saw there was a void in Columbus for a studio that included all aspects of fitness.
And since we were going to different studios, we never formed a connection to people at these studios. We wanted a sense of community--somewhere where you can go and feel welcomed and supported. I don’t think either of us would have done this alone, so we knew we had to do it together!
Can you describe your studio? It’s a 2,400 square foot space that we designed to be light and energizing for you to de-stress, connect to others and get an amazing workout. We have plenty of seating with cubbies and coat racks. We also have free coffee and tea! We want this to be a place where people hang out and enjoy a sense of belonging.
One unique aspect is that we have marked spaces on our floor where the corners of your yoga mat fit just right—so there’s always room for you, no matter what time you arrive. We also have bathrooms and showers in case you need to clean up to go to work or an event after class.
What kinds of classes do you offer? Our tagline explains the categories of our classes. Fit. Bend. Sculpt. The “fit” is our boot camp classes, “bend” is for yoga, and sculpt is yoga with weights. On our website, we have a “Layer” tab to help people who are not sure what type of class to take. This tab allows you to hover over the categories to see what best you connect with!
All classes are beginner friendly, and our instructors are trained to modify each workout to accommodate different skill levels. We have a description of each class on our website so you know what to expect. For instance, if you’re a beginner, you may want to do a slow flow yoga class rather than power yoga at first.
If you’re completely new to yoga, we are offering a FREE 45-minute class once a month to allow people to get familiar with poses before going to an actual class.
How did you pick Gahanna as home for your business? We both live in Gahanna. We brainstormed other spaces and felt the downtown area was saturated. We also wanted a place that was welcoming and inviting--something we would want since our target demographic is people like us; those in their mid-twenties to forties that like a variety of workouts. As we were looking at spaces, we fell in love with our current space, and we felt that Gahanna is under served. There are other studios here, but not one that offers exactly this. It’s just what we were looking for, and it’s close to home for us which is a big plus!
What sets Oak Studio apart from other Yoga Studios? Other than the diversity of classes we offer [Fit. Bend. Sculpt], we put customer experience first and foremost. We know people feel vulnerable going into a new fitness studio, so we want to make it as supportive as possible.
Anything else you’d like people to know about Oak Studio? I think people will find our prices to be affordable, which is intentional. Our open house is Thursday, November 8 and we’re offering FREE classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday while spots are open. We also have a new client special which is two weeks of unlimited classes for $22! We have class package offerings as well that you can find here.
Where can people find Oak Studio online? Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oakstudiofit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakstudiofit/ Our website: https://oakstudiofit.com/
* * * Don’t forget to post pictures using the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website! ~Post by Braeden Chicase, Visit Gahanna Social Media Assistant
One of the best parts about the changing seasons is seasonal food and drinks. Gahanna restaurants love to celebrate each season by putting their own creative twist on classic menu items. Like the fall color, these features won’t last--so savor the flavors while you can!
101 Beer Kitchen As the reigning champion of seasonal menus, 101 Beer Kitchen Gahanna is all about fall flavors in their menu options. If you’re a butternut squash lover, then you may want to sink your teeth into their Butternut Squash Pierogies made with Pecorino cheese, sage, shallots, brown butter, sherry vinegar and wilted spinach. 101 BK also features a Butternut Squash Soup topped with spicy pumpkin seeds and creme fraiche.
Their seasonal salad is a Fall Apple Chicken Salad with grilled and shaved chicken breast, applesauce, fall greens and chop mix, dried cranberries, bacon, red onion, pecans and blue cheese tossed in bacon dressing.
If comfort food is more up your alley, then try the Fall Grilled Cheese and Soup made with Honey-fig jam, Brie and pears on sourdough bread served with beet chips and butternut squash topped with spicy pumpkin seeds & creme fraiche. Add a side of 101BK’s homemade Mac & Cheese or the amazing Roasted Brussels Sprouts (one of our staff’s obsessions)!
Barrel & Boar The local favorite scratch kitchen is celebrating fall with a Fall Spinach Salad made with baby spinach, pears, cranberries, spiced pecans, goat cheese, tossed in a cranberry maple vinaigrette. If you have room for dessert, then look no further than their Pumpkin Cheesecake New York Style Cheesecake made in house. And we haven’t even mentioned that amazing brisket and BBQ pulled pork, homemade Mac & Cheese and other comfort food favs. (We’re big fans of the “Lunch box” deal -- featuring the best of everything.)
Barrel & Boar also features several fall-inspired craft cocktails including the “Fall Forrester” made with house infused Old Forester Bourbon, apple cider, fresh honey and cinnamon; served on the rocks. The Apricot Eclipse cocktail features Noble Cut Apple Whiskey (local love), agave, lime juice, with fresh apricot preserves and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cap City Fine Diner Nothing says fall foods more than Thanksgiving Day. Luckily, Thanksgiving came early this year and Cap City has a Thanksgiving Day Sandwich made with roasted turkey breast, house made stuffing and cranberry mayo on toasted buttermilk bread. Cap City is known for its comfort food options including Southern Fried Chicken (with skillet beans, pecans, honey, buttermilk mashed potatoes, pan gravy), Pecan Crusted Pork Chops and Meatloaf!
Healthy Day Nutrition If you’re starting early on your health goals for the New Year, then Healthy Day Nutrition may be your go-to stop. Their meal replacement shakes come in a wide variety of flavors which includes a glazed donut shake. Sure, donuts are year-round treats, but isn’t there something about donuts in the fall that make them taste that much better? Bonus: Stop into Healthy Day on Halloween to get your shake for $5! Anyone wearing a costume is eligible for this promotion on October 31st ONLY
* * * For more great dining options in Gahanna, go to VisitGahanna.com. Don’t forget to post pictures using the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website! ~Post by Braeden Chicase, Visit Gahanna Social Media Assistant
Your sweet tooth will soon be directing you to Gahanna’s newest (and sweetest) shop! Buckeye Candy Company (BCC) opens today at 104 Granville Street, directly between Subway and Gahanna Barbershop. We caught up with Jay & Shana Sokol, the owners of Buckeye Candy Company, to learn about how BCC came to be and the sweet treats the shop will feature.
Tell us about your new venture! Buckeye Candy Company was born from our original company, The Sweet Spot Candy, LLC, which we began in California over 10 years ago. We aim to be the premier boutique candy shop with the largest selection of modern, nostalgic, sweet and spicy candy that we all know and love. We have visited America’s best candy stores from coast-to-coast for inspiration and will have a huge selection of candy and sweet treats from around the world.
How did you pick Gahanna for your location? We searched all over Columbus and were impressed by Gahanna’s strong sense of community and downtown commerce district. With all of the great local events like the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Taste of Gahanna and the many great mom-and- pop businesses, it seemed like a perfect fit for our family business.
What will your shop feature? Buckeye Candy Company will carry a huge selection of chocolates, gummies, sours, and much more from around the world. There will be something for every palate in our 100+ bulk bins, extensive Jelly Belly selection, retro classics like Pop Rocks and Abba Zaba, and today’s hottest candy trends like premium dark chocolate sea salt bars and scorpion lollipops (yes, you can eat the scorpion). And of course we will have buckeyes, in milk, dark and white chocolate.
Who is your target market? Anyone looking for a little something sweet.
Will you do special events? Yes, BCC will provide candy for events such as weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, corporate events, etc. With unlimited options, you can do anything from create your own delicious candy buffet to set up at your party or make specialized party favors. We also plan to have a mobile candy service where we can schedule to visit businesses where people need a mid morning or afternoon sugar boost and provide grab-and-go options.
What is unique about your shop? Our shop, (the initials BCC were named for our three children – Beckett, Cooper & Cassidy), will be a place that will bring joy and happiness to all who enter it. We will carry dozens of hard-to-find candy options, so everyone will find something to make them smile at Buckeye Candy Company!
What made you decide to open a business like this? We had a candy buffet at our wedding in 2007 and everyone loved it so much they suggest we turn it into a business – so we did! We were the first company to offer “candy catering” in California and always dreamt of opening our own shop someday. When we relocated to Columbus in 2017 we started looking for retail spaces and when we found this one in Gahanna we knew it was meant to be.
Anything else you would like folks to know about your shop? While we have searched high and low to offer you hundreds of mouth-watering candy options, if we don’t have what you are looking for, let us know and we will see what we can do to make your sweet dreams a reality!
Where can people find you online? Come follow us on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckeyeCandyCompany Instagram: www.instagram.com/BuckeyeCandyCompany Drop us an email at buckeyecandycompany@gmail.com And our website is coming soon www.buckeyecandycompany.com
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Don’t forget to post pictures using the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website!
Copyright © 2014 Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved. 167 Mill St. Gahanna, Ohio 43230. 614/418-9114. 866/424-2662