Discover Gahanna Ohio

Each year, the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival® hosts talented musicians representing different genres - many returning--due to popular demand. One of those returning artists is Erica Blinn, a rock artist that is sure to be on your music radar after you see her perform. We had the honor of chatting with Erica recently, as she preps for #2019CBJF.

How long have you been a musician?
I’ve been a musician for 18 years and play rock and roll pop songs with punk-rock attitude. I sing, and I play guitar and harmonica.

Who inspired you initially?
My dad was my first inspiration. He played guitar around the house and always had music on. I saw him and my uncle Garry play when I was a child. My very first favorite bands were The Jackson 5 and The Beatles. I was inspired to play harmonica because of Magic Dick (J.Geils Band) and Delyn Christian, who gave me my first lessons.

What’s your (current) favorite song to perform?
My favorite song is always the latest one I've written just because it's new.

What’s your favorite kind of music to listen to? Who are your favorite bands/ artists now?
I love rock and roll. I've been listening to a lot of Joan Jett and T. Rex. I love Ruby Boots’ latest record. I've also been getting back into Pop and R&B. Lizzo is a really great mix of all of that. Camila Cabello has some great songs. Eva Lin just released a few new songs that I love.

If you could meet up and play with any legendary musician (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Joe Walsh because I just think he's the coolest.

What will you be performing at the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival?
I'm performing solo. I've been doing a mix of acoustic and electric guitar playing.

What do you hope fans take away from your performance?
I hope people will have fun and connect with my lyrics in some way.

Where can fans learn more about you and your music (online)?  
www.ericablinn.com

For a complete schedule of entertainment, plus shuttle, parking  and additional information, go to CreeksideBluesandJazz.com. Interested in scoring a complimentary weekend pass and Tshirt?  Use the #2019CBJF hashtag on social media to share or create posts about the Festival. We’ll pick 40 Jambassadors at random (before 6.14.19) to score some swag! Questions? Call 614/418-9114.

Gahanna, Ohio is home to breathtaking parks, top-notch restaurants and scenic buildings--all making this the community a wonderful place to live, work...and take pictures! Whether you’re looking for a spot for your next photo-op or just searching for a place to hang out and enjoy, Team Visit Gahanna has narrowed down (and this wasn’t easy) our top 10 most photogenic places in Gahanna. Help us add to the list!  Tag @VisitGahanna or use the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on your social media posts to showcase your fav scenic spots in Herb Capital of Ohio.

Creekside Plaza/Park |  151 Mill St.


The heart of Gahanna is home to several restaurants and bars surrounded by picturesque scenery of fountains, walking paths, the Big Walnut Creek (complete with waterfalls and ducks) and a place to go paddle-boating. Creekside Plaza often doubles as place for our community to come together for a variety of events (including the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Creekside Live, Second Saturdays, Creepside and Hops and Vines), so it’s no wonder many people flock to take pictures here!

Friendship Park | 150 Oklahoma Ave.


Parks are normally an ideal place for pictures, but this park is equipped with beautiful walking paths lined with trees (even prettier in the fall), a large gazebo, tennis and basketball courts (for sporty pictures). The park also features an adorable garden that makes the perfect backdrop!  

The Gahanna Sanctuary | 82 N High St.



This charming one-of-a-kind space is on the National Register of Historic Places and features gorgeous stained-glass windows, ambient string lights, an outdoor patio and so much more. Tucked away in Gahanna's Creekside District, the Sanctuary offers the ideal location for wedding ceremonies and receptions, family celebrations, community gatherings, and just about any kind of event you can imagine. As one of Gahanna’s most unique event venues, it provides the backdrop for epic pictures to go along with the day.

Ohio Herb Center | 110 Mill St. 

Located in a quaint historic building (also on the National Register of  Historic Places) in the heart of Gahanna’s Creekside District, the Ohio Herb Center offers a cozy porch with rockers and wicker furniture, gardens in bloom (surrounding the building), the drying shed (once Gahanna’s post office), a charming parlor and a gift shop. The Herb Center’s upcoming “Old Fashioned Summer Series” offers the perfect opportunity to capture front-porch memories with family or friends.

Blank Slate Coffee | 152 Mill St #1


Other than going to this establishment for a delicious cup of coffee, this giant silver Airstream-turned-coffee shop is an obvious choice for a quick Instagram picture to take on the inside or outside. Shine on!

The Hart Room | 152 Mill St. #2

The Hart Room is located directly behind Blank Slate and is a haven for all things creative from art shows to galleries, making this place a must-see on your Gahanna bucket list and a perfect place to snap a pic! Be sure to snag a selfie of yourself with yourself in front of the painted “antlers.”

The Drive Along Cherry Bottom Road
Locals know that this winding drive is one of the prettiest spots in town.  The road meanders through beautiful neighborhoods and parkland, under a canopy of trees that covers a distance. In the fall the spectrum of leaf colors is breathtaking. In winter, the snowy white branches look other worldly. In spring and summer, the cool shade of the cover provides a welcome escape. The speed limit is just 25 MPH along Cherry Bottom Road--but you’ll want someone else to drive slowly anyway, so you can capture some images that do this pass justice.

Wyandotte Winery | 4640 Wyandotte Dr.


Tucked away from the main road, Wyandotte Winery is the first and oldest winery in Central Ohio. This place features a beautiful, large outdoor patio while the wine shop and tasting room provide a relaxed environment to enjoy Wyandotte wines. Grape vines grow in front; and large trees surround the patio--home to the Fabulous Fridays (featuring live music).

Gahanna Woods State Preserve | 1501 Taylor Station Rd
Gahanna Woods encompasses a variety of wooded habitats in an urban setting. It also features 139+ acres of some of the State’s most exceptional and unique flora, nature trails, open meadows and bird watching.

Woodside Green Park | 213 Camrose Ct.

Surrounded by lush greenery, this park offers miles of scenic paths to walk or bike including several picturesque bridges. The front of the park features a catch and release fishing pond, playground, jungle gym and pavilions you can rent for events. This park also connects to Academy Park.

Use the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website!

The Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival (CBJF) is Gahanna, Ohio’s largest annual signature event--bringing thousands of music fans together from all over the country to celebrate some of the most talented blues and jazz artists anywhere!  The 2019 CBJF will be held June 14-16 at Creekside Gahanna (117 Mill St.), featuring 90 hours of live music, performed by 50 bands on five stages … PLUS, mouth-watering cuisine, regional artisans and vendors, amusement rides, family activities and more! Now celebrating its 21st year, CBJF is recognized for delivering the “best blues and jazz in Ohio.”

This year, the popular Buskers Bayou stage will host a special “Comedy Hour” on Friday from 7-8 pm followed by a performance by magician Michael Kent at 8 pm. The Giant Eagle Family Fun Zone offers a free, family friendly area featuring hands-on crafts, games and activities. Family friendly activities include jugglers, storytellers and interactive musical workshops for kids. An artisan market, amusement rides, kayaking and other activities are also held throughout the three-day festival.

To jazz things up, new highlights this year include Cocktail Tastings on Friday with Noble Cut Distillery and Simple Times Mixers, and whiskey and bourbon tastings with “Whiskey Pete” on Saturday. CBJF will honor “Women of Blues” on Sunday with a performance byVanessa Collier, a 2019 Blues Music Award Nominee--and several other local lady blues legends.

Other headliners include Joe Louis Walker, a Blues Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Blues Music Award winner, John Scofield,  a triple Grammy award winning artist, and John Nemeth, a blues and soul artist.

 Located in the heart of Gahanna’s Creekside District, the CBJF is set against a breathtaking background of parkland, fountains and waterfalls … and local eateries with patio dining.  CBJF has something fun for the everyone: from listening to talented bands and kayaking along the creek, to enjoying a delicious dinner at one of the several restaurants located within the festival grounds, and enjoying activities with the kids in the Family Fun Zone.

Admission is $10 on Friday and Saturday, and $7 on Sunday. Admission for children ages 4-11 is $5 each day. Children under 4 and members of the military (plus one guest) with military ID are admitted for free. Weekend passes are available online prior to the festival weekend ($10 for children ages 4-11). Free admission on Sunday between 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. is available for each person who donates at least one travel-size toiletry item to benefit Gahanna Neighborhood Bridges. Ride-all-day wristbands are available each day for the amusement area.

The Festival is presented by Visit Gahanna and is made possible with the support of sponsors and the help of a dedicated corps of local volunteers. A complete schedule of entertainment, shuttle, parking  and additional information is available at CreeksideBluesandJazz.com. Questions? Call 614/418-9114

Become a CBJF “Jambassador” by following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest using the #2019CBJF hashtag for contests, special offers and more.

Gahanna’s greenest day of the year is coming up Saturday, May 11 from 9 am - 2 pm. That’s right, Herb Day is right around the corner, signaling that it’s thyme to start your garden. This day is a big dill around Central Ohio.

Listen to herbalist speakers and herb-based business owners, enjoy demos and then stroll through a multitude of local artists and vendors offering unique herb-inspired items. Browse and shop 100+ varieties of fresh herbs available for purchase for your home and garden. Dine at one of the local Creekside Restaurants. (It is Herb'n Restaurant Week, after all!) This event is free to the public.

Herb Day Speakers:

9:15    Perfect Pollinator Plant   -- Jerry Hinton, Hinton Apiaries

10 am     Honey as a Medium for Medicine:  Electuaries, Oxymels and More
Dawn Combs, MA, Ethnobotanist, Author & Functional Foods Expert 

Honey has long been rumored to be the best option for seasonal allergies, but did you know there's much more to this sweet remedy? While it's common to use alcohol, vinegar, or water to make Western medicines, honey has been used for centuries in other cultures, not as a sweetener, but as a synergistic base for traditional herbal medicine. Modern science is taking notice and researching honey for its potential in the antibiotic resistance crisis. Find out how you can use this common household product along with your herbs for more targeted and potent remedies by creating electuaries, oxymels, and more.   Dawn and her husband are the proprietors of Mockingbird Meadow and Soda Pharm in Marysville, Ohio. (Book signing immediately following talk at Ohio Herb Center)

11:45am  Culinary Garden Ideas   Shannon Barnette, Daydream Acres Homestead

12:30 pm Building Herb Garden Planters in Small Spaces -Andy Evans, Home Depot

In the Herb Center

10 am Fun Hack Ideas for Seed Germination   (Amanda Ferguson, Ohio Herb Center)

12:30 The Perfect Pair: Herbs and Mushrooms  
Janell Baran, Herb + Mushroom farmer / Proprietor of the Blue Owl Garden Emporium

Janell Baran has been growing herbs for close to 30 years in environs ranging from a 3rd floor balcony in Southern California to the 130-acre tree farm where she now lives in Central Ohio. In 2005 she quit her day job and took up herb farming full-time as the proprietor of the Blue Owl Garden Emporium herb farm. Located among the hills and hollows of NE Licking Co., the herb farm is home to hundreds of useful plants from around the world. Culinary, medicinal, and crafting herbs are sold fresh-cut and/or dried year-round at local farmer's markets. Specializing in the unusual and hard-to-find, the herbs are grown sustainably using organic methods, harvested and processed by hand to ensure the highest quality.

For more information on Herb Day and everything herbs, check out OhioHerbCenter.org.

Cinco de Mayo — the 5th of May — is one Mexican holiday that gets Americans celebrating, and it means: fiesta time! To help you savor a little bit of Mexican culture, we found 5 local establishments that are celebrating Cinco de Mayo in their own unique way. Grab an ice-cold margarita or some chips and salsa and let’s taco ‘bout how we’re going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Mi Tradicion
It doesn’t have to be Cinco de Mayo for Mi Tradicion to serve the best authentic Mexican cuisine on the daily basis; however, they are throwing a big, two-day fiesta on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, with live music and a DJ, so bring your dancing shoes!



101 Beer Kitchen
When does 101 Beer Kitchen not go above and beyond for customers? To honor Cinco de Mayo and their Hispanic team members, 101 BK is putting a fun twist on a pairing dinner! Chef John will be creating traditional and Mexican-inspired dishes to pair with equally inspired specialty cocktails and beers. Tickets include six courses and six beverages with tax & gratuity included. Get your tickets here!

Barrel & Boar
This is nacho typical Cinco de Mayo celebration… Barrel & Boar is celebrating the 5th of May with house made chips topped with queso cheese sauce, choice of smoked meat, pico de gallo, guacamole and chipotle sour cream for only $10! To add to the fiesta, locally brewed Mexican Lager will be on tap.

Buckeye Candy Company
This candy shop is always prepared for ANY holiday and celebration. Give into your sweet tooth craving and try margarita flavored cotton candy and lollipops, or take home some candy shot glasses for your own Cinco de Mayo fiesta! 

Creekside Local Cantina
This place celebrates Mexican-inspired food and drinks year-round; however, on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, there will be lots of drink specials. Patron drink specials include a $30 house pitcher made with patron blanco, $10 pomegranate margarita made with Patron Reposado using pomegranate Simple Times and a $10 neat pour of Patron Anejo over Sphere. Also, new to the mixed-drink lineup at Local Cantina, you’ll find locally-made Simple Times Strawberry Sage Margarita mixers!

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Cinco de Mayo! For more information on what to see and do in Gahanna, go to VisitGahanna.com. And 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!