Discover Gahanna Ohio

In case you haven’t heard, Gahanna, Ohio is the Herb Capital of Ohio! In addition to breathtaking herb gardens and a popular Herbal Cocktail Trail, there is one week each year when we focus on ALL things herbal: Herb Week! (May 6-12)  

Signature Gahanna restaurants take part in Herb’n  Restaurant Week (May 6-12)--offering herb-inspired menu specials and features, and the Ohio Herb Education Center (an excellent resource for everything herbal) hosts Herb Day on Saturday, May 12. In addition to Herb Day this year, the Herb Center will present a new VIP preview event, Herbs in the Alley on Friday, May 11. We had the opportunity to talk to Brooke Sackenheim, Manager of the Ohio Herb Education Center, to talk about the events and details surrounding Herb Day.

What is Herbs in the Alley and when is it the event?
Herbs in the Alley will be held on Friday, May 11 from 6:30-9:30 pm. This is a fundraising event for the Ohio Herb Center. It was created for those who really love learning about herbs and their myriad of uses, and it supports our mission of educating people about herbs. This is a smaller, more intimate affair to encourage attendees to be more one-on-one with people who grow and use herbs. This is also an opportunity for attendees to purchase their herbs before the general public on Herb Day.   


Can people learn more about herbs at this event?
Yes, this is an intimate event where guests can get a variety of opinions from many herbalists and experts. They can have their individual questions answered by our experts. Our experts for the evening include Mark Miller of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Susan Liechty of the Herb Society of America. They will discuss their favorite uses for herbs as well as their best gardening tips for the season.


Will there be food/drinks?
Yes, there will be appetizers and a food truck on site. There will also be three wineries where wine flights can be purchased.

How can people get tickets?
Tickets can be purchased at www.celebrateherbs.eventbrite.com. Proceeds from this event support the Herb Center’s mission based programming and a portion of each ticket is tax deductible. Each ticket holder will receive the Herbal Swag Bag containing:

• One $10 voucher towards Herb Center classes

• $5 towards food or beverage during the event

• The “mystery herb”, a new herbal varietal that will only be sold during this event. 

Additionally, out-of-town visitors can come for Herbs in the Alley and stay for Herb Day by taking advantage of a great VIP Herbal Getaway hotel package at the SpringHill Suites Columbus Airport/Gahanna. The package includes a deluxe hotel suite, upgraded herbal bath amenities and a $25 gift card to Lola & Guiseppe’s Trattoria (a
local favorite)!

What is Herb Day and when is the event?
Herb Day is a one-day, annual celebration of all things herbal for the local Gahanna community and the region. This year it is Saturday, May 12, 9 am-4 pm, at Creekside Plaza (117 Mill St.)

Why do we celebrate Herb Day?
Education is the primary mission of the Herb Center and Herb Day is a way that we can give back to the public. It is also a very large plant sale, we have more than 4,000 herbs for sale that day. And it has become such a staple in Gahanna that its popularity is spreading. We have people who travel from all over Ohio to attend this event.

What can people find at Herb Day?
There are six speakers from a variety of backgrounds who speak about using herbs from culinary, craft, gardening and traditional medicine perspectives. There are more than 50 vendors--with a majority who make and sell their own wares. And then there are the plants. There are 4000+ individual culinary herbs for sale.

Yes, we are excited about a new children’s area located at the Ohio Herb Center. Families are invited to participate in activities throughout the day—a perfect way to take a break from walking when the kids need a rest. Activities are run by community volunteers and will be offered throughout the day.  



Here is the schedule of free activities:
9 - 11 am: Have some fun using your imagination “planting” your own garden in our sensory gardening bins.

11 am - 1 pm: Participate in a pollination scavenger hunt.  Look all around the Ohio Herb Center and Creekside looking for our flying friends and early bloomers.  Return your completed scavenger hunt for a fun surprise!

1 - 3 pm: Make a Loop Bird feeder to take home and hang in your backyard for our feathered friends.

All day long there will be herb coloring pages when the little ones need to take a break from walking.

Will there be presenters/experts?
Yes, we have six presenters from very different backgrounds but have one thing in common, they love herbs. More details can be found here. Here is our lineup:

• 9:30 am: Creating a Buffet for Butterflies with Luke Messinger, Executive Director of The Dawes Arboretum

• 10:30 am: Teas for Self-Care with Aniko Zala, Wild Origins herbalist, maker and educator

• 11:30 am: Hops and Dining: Perfect Pairings with the Herb of the Year presented by “Pants,” Kindred Brewing master mixologist (Sponsored by Gahanna’s Herbal Trail and the Gahanna Convention and Visitors Bureau)

• 12:30 pm: Herb Walk with Sarah Clement, owner and creator of Jeanne Wildherb Apothecary

• 1:30 pm: Sweeping Up the Leftovers: Herbal Whisk Brooms with Janell Baran, herb farmer and full-time proprietor of the Blue Owl Garden Emporium

• 2:30 pm: Backyard Flavors with Kate Hodges from founder and co-owner of Foraged & Sown

Is there anything else people need to know about this community event?
Herb Day is a free event for the public. A lot of gardeners show up early for the plants. For the best selection, we recommend arriving in the morning. Many items sell out by 12 noon, and year-to-year it’s hard to predict the popularity of different herbs. Fortunately, there so much more than the plant sale to enjoy. Many people stay and listen to lectures, tour the Herb Center, eat at one of the great restaurants in Gahanna (taking advantage of the Herb’n Restaurant Week features), or  just enjoy the beauty of Creekside Park.

Let’s be real … your mom deserves to be celebrated. Good thing La Navona is putting on a good celebration this Mother’s Day! La Navona--a beautiful, rustic event venue here in Gahanna, Ohio--is hosting a dinner show this Mother’s Day.  Titled, “Sinatra & Friends,” this is one event that you and your mom won’t want to miss this. We caught up with Teena Parker, Director at La Navona, to find out more about this unique event and learn more about the gorgeous venue.

What is La Navona and where is it located?

La Navona is a charming and elegantly rustic event space on North Hamilton Road, just north of Gahanna Lincoln high school. We offer all-inclusive packages featuring a variety of amazing menu items, made in-house, and our venue can accommodate up to 250 guests.

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and we hear La Navona is hosting an event for the special day! Can you tell us more about it?

Absolutely! We’re SO excited to be hosting a very special “Sinatra & Friends” dinner show on Saturday, May 12, to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend. There will be appetizers during cocktail hour, followed by a full three-course meal with bread and salad, our delicious Rosemary Chicken with asparagus and garlic smashed potatoes, and made-from-scratch dessert. There will also be a cash bar (with a surprise herbal cocktail in honor of “Herb Day” here in Gahanna!), plus dancing and live music featuring Frank Sinatra’s classic tunes performed by Brian Michael Smith and the John Vermeulen Octet.

Can you tell us more about the band performing?

The live 8-piece orchestra is absolutely incredible. You really have to hear them in person! And Brian Michael Smith is such a talented singer. He’s a Columbus native who spent 13 years performing Off-Broadway and at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. He has such stage presence -- and the beautiful crooner voice you’d expect from anyone paying homage to the late, great Frank Sinatra.

How can people buy tickets and when is the deadline?

Advance ticket purchase is required, and the easiest way to order tickets is through our Eventbrite page.

Guests can also call the venue at 614/532-5711 and provide a credit card over the phone if they’d prefer. Seating is limited, so we’ll only have tickets available until they sell out. We’re almost halfway full already… so if you’re planning to attend the show, be sure to order your tickets today!

Is there anything else people should know about your Mother's Day event?

Doors open at 6:30pm, and dinner and the show will begin promptly at 7 pm. Tickets are $39 per person, plus tax and service charge. The bar accepts cash or credit cards (no minimum purchase required), and alcoholic beverages range from $4 to $8 each. Vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free meals are available upon request. Seating will be pre-assigned at large round tables of 8 to 10. And parking is free!

La Navona is such a beautiful event venue. Can you describe the space and what people can expect when they walk into the doors?

Thank you! Our guests are truly blown away when they walk through the front door. “Unexpected” is the word we hear most often. La Navona is set back off the road, in a shopping center across the street from Gatsby’s. And you’d just never expect to find such a gorgeous venue in such an unassuming location. There are hand-blown glass light fixtures in the lobby, soft-polished marble floors in the foyer, large sliding doors made from genuine barn wood, an entire wall made from reclaimed wood with stone accents, and a real birch tree in the corner of the bar. The space is stunning. The service is flawless. The cuisine is divine. And all of these elements come together to create a one-of-a-kind event space, and we’re so proud to call Gahanna home.

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To register for this event or learn more, call 614/532-5711.   LaNavona.com

Calling all cocktail aficionados ... this one's for you. Visit Gahanna’s popular Herbal Cocktail Trail is back for a 2.0 version with a variety of new herb-infused drinks that will inspire more happy hours, date nights and friends’ gatherings.  

Born from Gahanna’s official status as the Herb Capital of Ohio, the Herbal Cocktail Trail originally launched in 2017--making it the FIRST themed cocktail trail in the state.  We’ve tapped those herbal roots again, and enlisted nine of Gahanna’s most popular signature eateries, distilleries and bars to create inventive new cocktails that live up to the city’s Herb Capital title.

Participation is easy. Grab your tribe, some passports (available at any partner business or the Gahanna Visitor Center, 167 Mill St.) and start planning your trail. Receive a sticker in your passport for each of the signature herbal cocktails you purchase at the partner businesses. Once you’ve received six stamps at any one or more of the libation stations, you can bring your passport to the Gahanna Visitor Center (M-F 8:30 am-6 pm) and redeem it for a branded cocktail glass.

What’s new this year?  In addition to the tasty new cocktails, you can vote on your favorite herbal cocktail when you redeem your passport. Those who vote will be entered into a drawing for a Gahanna Getaway Package that will include gift cards to signature Gahanna restaurants and an
overnight hotel stay.

Check out the 2018 partner businesses and their specialty cocktails:

101 Beer Kitchen | 397 Stoneridge Ln.
Cocktail: Herb Trail Trilogy
Ingredients: Sobieski Cytron, PAMA, fresh lemon juice & strawberry-herb simple topped with champagne. Served over ice with lemon peel & basil.

Arepazo Tapas & Wine | 93 N. High St.
Cocktail: Blackberry Mint Margarita
Ingredients: Fresh blackberries and mint muddled with house tequila, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, fresh lime and lemon juice. Served with a salted rim.

Barrel & Boar Creekside |  121 Mill St.
Cocktail: Basil Watermelon Cooler
Ingredients:Tito’s Handmade Vodka, fresh watermelon juice, simple syrup, fresh lime juice, topped with ginger beer and garnished with home grown basil. 

Barry’s Pub | The Golf Depot | 789 Science Blvd.
Cocktail: Cilantro Infused Bloody Maria
Ingredients: Cilantro bloody Mary mix, Gold Tequila, garnished with a salt-and- chili-pepper rim, cucumber, pickled jalapenos and a cube of queso fresco. 

Kindred Brewing | 505 Morrison Rd.
Cocktail: Two Timing Tommy
Ingredients: Rosemary infused watershed gin, lavender simple syrup and lemon juice

Old Bag of Nails | 63 Mill St. Gahanna
Cocktail: Cucumber Mint Fizz
Ingredients: Infused Effin Cucumber vodka with mint.

Pigskin Brewing Company | 81 Mill St. Suite 350
Cocktail: “Lavender and Lemon Whiskey Smash” using OYO bourbon whiskey.

Signatures | 94 Mill St.
Cocktail: Karate Cowboy Ginger Sweet Tea
Ingredients: Ginger Mint Karate ​Cowboy, simple syrup, lemon and unsweetened iced tea. ​

Wyandotte Winery | 4640 Wyandotte Drive
Cocktail: Blueberry Lemon Verbena Shrub
Ingredients: Wyandotte’s unoaked Chardonnay (featuring lemon verbena from France)

Note: This program and the specialty cocktails are available through December, 2018. Signature cocktails are subject to change at the discretion of the partner business. Please pace yourself—and don’t drink and drive. 

To learn more, go to VisitGahanna.com or call 614/418-9114.

Calling all pet paw-rents! Paws in the Plaza is back at Creekside Plaza (117 Mill St.) … starting at 4:30 pm THIS Thursday, April 5.

The popular pet friendly event series is held from 4:30-7 pm on the first Thursday of the months,  April through October. Now celebrating its 10th year of pet networking fun, Paws in the Plaza offers together-time for you and your fur baby to meet up with like-minded pet-loving  friends and their dogs at Creekside Gahanna.

This monthly, outdoor pups-and-parents networking event will feature pet-centered activities. Enjoy different vendors,  giveaways, walking paths, local snacks, and of course, the wonderful company of other pet paw-rents. Music from 103.9 Jack FM will fill the air.

This year, the events will feature several top-notch vendors and businesses in the local pet community including Pet People, K-9 Be Good, Animal Care Center at Cherry Way, Cause for Paws, and Animal Medical Center.

Up for an adventure and a FREE GIFT? Don’t forget to pick up a Waggin’ Trail form at the Paws in the Plaza booth. To play, just visit different vendors, post a picture on social media, and return the form to the Paws in the Plaza booth to receive your free gift!  This year’s gift is a travel mug.

This unique event embraces the fact that Gahanna is a very pet-friendly community. Yet attendees come from all over Central Ohio to enjoy the networking and the beautiful, walkable setting of Creekside Park--with its fountains, waterfalls and extensive walking paths. The warmer weather months (June-September) offer paddle boating options for visitors AND their dogs.

Pet-friendly Creekside shops include Shampooch Pet Salon, Bicycle One, Ohio Herb Education Center, Koko Tea Salon and Bakery and Gahanna Hardware.

To learn more about the events, find Paws in the Plaza on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PawsinthePlaza

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!

2018 Dates:  April 5, May 3, June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6, and October 4.

After a seemingly never-ending winter, spring is here, and Easter is around the corner! If you prefer to dine-out rather than cook on this holiday, we have you covered. Luckily, several of our favorite Gahanna area restaurants that understand that you’d rather not do the after-meal clean-up this Easter. 

Barrel & Boar

Located in the picturesque creekside district, Barrel & Boar knows how to do brunch. On Easter Sunday, (10 am-4 pm) this popular local BBQ Spot  is serving up a delicious brunch menu to take the stress out of cooking and cleaning your own meal. Enjoy the Smoked Ham carving station, classic Barrel & Boar brunch options, BYO Bloody Mary Bar and $5 Mimosas all day. Live blues music will be featured in the bar from 11 am-2 pm. Be sure to make reservations in advance! 614-471-8844.

The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek

Surrounded by beautiful landscape on the outside and a rustic-luxury feel on the inside, The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek is open on Easter Sunday for you to come in and bask in the culinary joy. Enjoy a spread of breakfast favorites like eggs benedict, bacon and sausage, plus a carving station, made-to-order omelets, chilled salads, house-made desserts and a Bloody Mary bar. Reservations for this brunch fill quickly, so visit thebarncolumbus.com to reserve your spot.

Cap City Fine Diner Gahanna

There’s a good reason Cap City Fine Diner won a ColumBEST Diner & Neighborhood Restaurants award! Their Sunday brunch menu is a local favorite and will not disappoint your taste buds. Luckily for you, they are open Easter Sunday. Brunch will be served from 10 am-3 pm, followed by dinner service. Cap City is a great option for families -- with a “City Kids” menu offering plenty of comfort food favs, made from scratch. 

Rusty  Bucket Gahanna

The Bucket is serving up a family friendly brunch and lunch on Easter. From Chicken and Waffles to mouth-watering burgers and salads with a fresh spin, the choices are plentiful--and so is the fun.

94th Aero Squadron

Join the 94th Aero Squadron on Easter Sunday as they celebrate with their Easter Grande Buffet. Choose from a wide variety of dishes and desserts. The buffet will be offered from 9:30 am - 5 pm and is reservation-only, so make sure to call ahead! 614-237-8887.

Cooper’s Hawk Easton

If you’re a wine-lover, visit Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant on Easter Sunday! The restaurant will be serving their full menu all day so you don’t have to worry about rolling up your sleeves to cook.

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We hope you have a wonderful Easter Sunday! 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!