Discover Gahanna Ohio

Oh autumn, you beautiful season. We want to take a second and thank you for the crisp breezes, the crunch of brittle leaves under our feet and making us bring out our favorite cozy sweaters. Your red, orange and yellow foliage makes us want to buy all things fall-themed and take a stroll in a park to enjoy the scenery. And I think we might just do that.

Nothing is better than decorating your home to fit the season. Whether you think of fall blooms in a vase on your counter, finding the cutest decor for your shelf or sipping tea from your favorite mug, your local shops have all of these basic fall desires covered.

Great Gift & Paper Co.
Located in a charming shop with decor, stationery, jewelry and more from floor to ceiling, this place knows how to bring together the delightful finds you’ve been looking for. Stop in and browse around to inspire your inner interior designer or pick up that items you’ve been eyeing for weeks. Start your holiday shopping, while you are there. They are getting new arrivals every day!


Expressions Floral Design Studio
There’s nothing quite like flowers to make a house feel like a home. Expressions serves every season and event imaginable, so it’s not hard to believe their fall flower assortment is fantastic. They even have an Ohio State collection - perfect for football season! Everything about this shop makes us happy!

Ohio Herb Education Center
Celebrate fall with some herbal teas to relax with or to boost your immune system. The Ohio Herb Education offers everything from great classes (like the upcoming Botanical Beauty Bar Workshops) to a Gift Shop filled with locally made honey, bath products, teas, essential oils, books and dried herbs. 

HALLOWEEN FUN: Creepside!
Calling all boys and ghouls ... Gahanna's annual Creepside Festival offers a family friendly festival filled with endless Halloween activities. Wear your costumes and enjoy free music, games, activities, a trick or treat and plenty of candy. 11 am-3 pm Saturday, October 27 at Creekside Plaza. (117 Mill St.) 

FALL IN LOVE … OUTSIDE!

One of the best things about living in the heart of Ohio is getting to experience vibrant fall colors. Gahanna is home to several parks that will satisfy your need to put on a hoodie and boots and see the trees of fall transition to red, orange and yellow. Gahanna has no shortage of trails to enjoy. Stroll through Creekside Park, enjoying the colors--then enjoy a Happy Hour or meal at one of the restaurants at Creekside Plaza. Here are a few of our other favorite local parks …

Woodside Green Park
This beautiful 32 acre park offers wonderful amenities such as a playground, canoe launch into the Big Walnut Creek, softball and baseball fields, basketball court, catch and release fishing pond, heated restrooms and a rentable shelter with grill and ample parking. Woodside Green Park multipurpose trail connects to the Big Walnut Trail north to Academy Park and South to the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course, providing a scenic nature hike or bike ride.

Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve
This beautiful, secluded nature preserve encompasses a variety of wooded and successional habitats in an urban setting. At 50+ acres, the preserve offers plenty of scenic hiking trails and areas for picnicking. There are two main trails for adventure -- one being dog-friendly if you have a furry friend.

Academy Park
Academy Park is the largest in Gahanna with 107 acres including seven baseball diamonds and two basketball courts. Creek fishing, a playground and heated restrooms are just some of the highlights available.

Hannah Park
This 34.5 acre park features tennis and basketball courts, a playground, ball diamond and nearly a mile of walking trails. There is also plenty of green space, ponds, catch and release fishing, heated restrooms and a rentable, covered shelter.

Pizzurro Dog Park
In addition to Pizzurro’s 23 acres of parkland, it is home to a dog park, which includes a 4 acre fenced area where dogs can run off-leash. The dog park includes a fenced area for small dogs, 25 lbs. or less, and an agility area for all dogs. A paved path runs through the large dog area making it accessible for wheelchairs.

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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!

Starbucks may have made the Pumpkin Spice Latte famous, but Gahanna’s local coffee shops, distilleries and breweries have put their own twist on other classic fall drinks. From Fall Mules and Lavender Lattes to Pumpkin Beer, fall in Gahanna, Ohio is the best time to warm up to coffee or unwind with an in-season drink.  Let’s raise a glass and enjoy the fallidays and our local gems.

Blank Slate Coffee
Holiday Spice is back! Your favorite cold weather drink is returning for its third year at your favorite AirStream coffee shop, located in the heart of Gahanna’s Creekside District.  BSC also has a Lavender Latte that gives a nod to our “Herb Capital of Ohio” status, is perfect for sweater weather and hard to pass up!

Pigskin Brewing Co.
Making its return for football season, Pigskin’s Punt Return Stout is back in the lineup! The fall beer is a dark sweet stout made with Ohio maple syrup and fresh pumpkin puree. Be sure to pair it with one of their yummy soups/chili! Hello autumn!

Noble Cut Distillery
Beer and coffee are not the only drinks you can fall for in Gahanna. Whisky drinkers can savor Noble Cut’s 3 seasonal flavored whiskeys including Pumpkin Spice, Salted Caramel and Maple. Just the scents alone will remind you of the season.

Upper Cup Coffee
There’s no better time of year for a great Caramel Latte or Iced Caramel Latte than fall!  And the best coffee-based drinks always start with single origin house-roasted coffee--something that our friends at Upper Cup Coffee have mastered.  But don’t worry if you are a tea drinker, Upper Cup offers a variety of tea blends that are ideal for the season. (Did we mention the fresh donuts available there, as well?!)

Kindred Brewing
Calling all cocktail fans.  Kindred has recently introduced a fall cocktail menu that puts a creative twist on classic favorites! Their Mill St. Mule features vodka, cinnamon, apple, and more. Other drinks include a Chai White Russian and Jack & The Devil made with Noble Cut’s Maple Whiskey, Fall Falernum, apple cider and egg whites.

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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!

For the past 16 years, Gahanna Bead Studio has been an inspiring place for creatives to express themselves through bead weaving, mixed media classes and more. We recently took a tour of the local gem, and spoke with Helen O’Donnell--owner of Gahanna Bead Studio--to learn more about the shop, their classes and how they inspire others. 

How long has your business been located in Gahanna?
Gahanna Bead Studio has been located in Gahanna since its opening in 2002. We were first located on Johnstown Rd., until we moved to our current location in Silver Lane Shopping Center about 10 years ago.

What do you like best about Gahanna-and being a business owner in the city?
I love the sense of community, Creekside, my landlords and the friendly atmosphere everywhere I go in Gahanna. My daughter and her family live in Gahanna, and I don't think they could have chosen a better place to live. My Gahanna customers are open and friendly, down-to-earth, and we are proud to be a part of our local community. We have wonderful shop owners in our mall. We will never relocate out of Gahanna!

What does your shop feature?
In addition to the widest and most unique selection of beads in all of Columbus, we offer classes in beading and art. Many of our beads have stories, are vintage or antique, are handmade, and/or are exclusive to us. From silversmithing to bead-weaving to basic bead stringing, there's something for everyone at Gahanna Bead Studio. We bring in national and international teachers--two of whom are from Ohio--who teach silversmithing, collage and painting. By renting a separate studio space, we are able to offer Open Beading every Monday and Art Therapy First Friday every month. The additional space allows us to host classes for developmentally disabled people in wheelchairs. We can host birthday parties and ladies' nights out, as well.

What makes your business unique?
We're not a cookie-cutter bead shop. Some of our samples and classes include fabric, personal photographs, fibers, and personal talismans in the creation of very personal adornments for home and individuals. The bottom line has never been our focus. Rather, our focus has been offering our customers a safe, secure and supportive place in which to create. We hand out hugs on a daily basis, and our mantra has always been to make our corner of the world a little bit kinder.

What kinds of classes do you offer?
We offer basic beading classes where people can learn how to string a basic necklace and earrings and turn a perfect wrapped loop for earrings. We offer instructions on bead-weaving with tiny beads, needle and thread. Most of the designs are original and created by me. Twice-a-year we offer metalsmithing classes using sterling silver or copper with Eva Sherman, an international instructor from the Cleveland area; and twice-a-year we offer art classes by Jacqueline Sullivan, an international instructor from the Cincinnati area. Mixed media classes, especially in jewelry, are also offered. Our goal is to inspire our customers with techniques so that they can make something totally unique. We try to be innovative and odd!

Your business's tagline is: Touch. Connect. Create. What inspired this?
This was an inspiration after I read a book about millennial shopping habits, and the recognition that people are shopping more and more online than ever before. We battle the Amazon giant every day! The value of shopping local at small independent stores is that it provides the opportunity to touch and feel the items you want to buy. You can feel the cold temperature of real, natural stones; fondle the softness of sari silk cording; balance the weight of your choices when deciding how much you can wear around your neck. You connect with us in face-to-face interactions, so critical to our humanity and so important to maintaining our sense of empathy! Hardly a day goes by that we don't give a hug to someone who needs it. Then I know they leave feeling better than when they came in! There is just no substitute for in-person interactions, and we think that communities are enhanced when people get out and meet face-to-face. Once you touch and feel the beads, once you connect with us and learn how helpful and supportive we are, you can't help but feel creative! Touch. Connect. Create.

Do you do special events? If so, could you describe a few of them?
Weekly, we offer free Open Beading. Bring a project, any project, and work in the studio space with other like-minded people. The camaraderie and friendships that develop are worth the investment of time, every Monday, 1 - 4 pm. On Monday holidays, we may open the studio earlier for a special Mixed Media Mania open studio time, since many people are off work on those days. For those who work during the week and are unable to make Open Beading on Mondays, we offer Art Therapy First Friday on every first Friday of the month from 6 - 9 pm. It’s the same kind of event as Open Beading, but usually someone will bring wine!

We also have our annual Halloween Social and Chili Potluck coming up on October 26! We’ll have board games, adult coloring, Chili, and beverages. This is a night for friendship and camaraderie, so come to have fun, meet new people and prepare to have a great time! You can register for our Halloween event here!

Is there anything people should know about your shop?
If people don’t support their independently-owned small retail shops, that those shops will soon become dinosaurs--and won’t be around when you need support and assistance. Retail businesses improve their local communities by collecting sales taxes, which help fund community services; they keep local residents employed; they keep landlords' spaces filled; they provide havens for like-minded people to meet and socialize; and they improve the vibrancy and fabric of their communities.

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Gahanna Bead Shop
1028 N Hamilton Rd.
Gahanna, OH 43230
(614) 933-8948

HOURS:    M-F 10 am-6 pm   / Sat 10 am-5 pm   / Sun 12-5 pm

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!

Pizzas, brews, inflatables, live music and Caramel Apple Pie cupcakes? Hello fall!  Visit Gahanna presents the inaugural Pies in the Park (sponsored by G&J Pepsi)--an event that EVERYONE can get behind. Join the fun between 1-5 pm, this Sunday, October 7, and get into the spirit of the falliday--enjoying fall flavors and free family activities at Friendship Park (150 Oklahoma Avenue).

The event will feature live music and signature pies from Gahanna area pizza shops including Jet’s Pizza, Gatsby’s, Coaches, Fire Up Pizza, MOD Pizza, The Goat and Jet’s Pizza. G & J Pepsi will have water and Pepsi products for sale, and wine and Craft beers also will be available. (Cash or credit for beverages.) The owners of Noble Cut Distillery will be there, selling samples of their new Pumpkin Spice and Salted Caramel flavored whiskeys. Tickets for food vendors can be purchased for $1.50 per, and each vendor will determine how many tickets they will charge for their food items.

Live music will include Bill Foley (1-2:30 pm) and Will Freed (3-4:30 pm).  In addition, Pies in the Park will have a variety of free family activities that will focus on outdoor fun, such as face painting, bouncy castles, corn hole and more. Staff from the Ohio Herb Center will show participants how to create their own herbal dipping oils for pizza, and they will lead a fun and informative “Herb Walk” through the Park.  Namaste in Love Yoga Studio will offer yoga demonstrations for adults and kids. And for the fall football fans, a big-screen TV will be set up to watch the Cleveland Browns game.

Event attendees are encouraged to sample the offerings and then vote for their favorite pizzas. Categories will include Best Crust, Best Sauce, Best Herbal Topping, and People’s Choice for overall favorite pizza.

Hey ... We need Volunteers! Sign up online today for a Pizza the Action! 
(Volunteering? Please complete the 2018 Pies in the Park volunteer form 
and bring it with you.)

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Come join the fun and post event pictures using the hashtag #PiesinthePark on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website!

Did you know that Gahanna is a Pollinator City with the status of Bee City USA? The city even has plans to celebrate National Pollinator Week annually, during the third week of June. We spoke to Shannon Barnette, the Horticulture Coordinator for the city--and the person who oversees the city’s beehives--to learn more about what it means to be a Pollinator City. 

How did Gahanna become a Pollinator City with the status of Bee City USA?
It started when my coworkers and I were looking at different environmental designations for which Gahanna qualified. We already had beehives at that time, so it seemed like a perfect fit. When looking more in depth at the credentialing process, Gahanna was already operating with many of the pollinator- safe methods of landscaping and maintenance.

How does this benefit the community?
We benefit from this designation because the increased biodiversity within our natural spaces, yards and the surrounding environments are more healthy, overall.  The city also spends less money on maintenance activities by adding in larger pollinator-friendly habitats such as “no mow” areas. We are also transitioning most of our garden beds and landscaping to native perennial plants which saves time and money on springtime plantings.

What initiatives will the community start to see?
The community may be noticing more colorful plantings in our flower beds, as we are increasing diversity of plant species. Also, I hope they notice many more pollinator species visiting plants.  We have noticed a significant increase in the butterfly population this year!

What is something that most people would be surprised to know about bees?
Most bees only live between 40-50 days. Also, it takes 12 bees working their entire lives to produce a single teaspoon of honey!

What are some ways residents can create a pollinator-friendly habitat in their own backyards?
I would encourage residents to include plant species native to Ohio in their landscapes. Some plant species you can include are Spicebush (Lindera Benzoin), Wild Ginger (Asarum Canadensis), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Pyramidatum), New England Aster (Aster Novae-Angliae), Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida Pinnata), Cardinal flower (Lobelia Cardinalis), Blazingstar (Liatris Spicata), Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium Fistulosum) and Spiderwort (Tradescantia Ohiensis).

Our bee species co-evolved with these plants, so they greatly appreciate having access to them for pollen and nectar.   Leaving fountain grasses standing or chopped to about a foot tall during fall clean-up is another great way to help. Many of our native bee species overwinter in sticks and hollow branches. One of the best things homeowners can do to help bees is to have plants blooming spring until our hard fall frost. This will provide food sources for many pollinator species that may be passing through their yard. 

Do you have plans to offer classes or workshops with additional information?
I will be teaching some beekeeping classes coming up; however, dates have not been finalized, so be sure to check in on that on the  City of Gahanna’s website. You will also be able to find more information on our initiatives there.

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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!