Columbus

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Data: National Park Service; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Visitor spending at Ohio's national park sites has rebounded to slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

Driving the news: More than 2.8 million visitors spent $65.7 million in 2021, according to a new report from the National Park Service. 

The majority of visits were at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the large swath of picturesque land between Cleveland and Akron.

The largest spend share was on lodging (29.4%), then restaurants (25%), gas (14.9%) and recreational activities (12.4%). 

Details: While Cuyahoga is technically Ohio's only national park, the parks system manages several historical sites, including the Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay and President Taft's birth site in Cincinnati.

Of note: While our green spaces may not bring in as much green as other states — we're No. 37 nationally  — Cuyahoga's 2.5 million visitors in 2021 isn't too shabby.

The park is in good company, with about the same number of visitors as Mount Rushmore and Olympic National Park in Washington.

💭 Alissa's thought bubble:  Just two hours from Columbus, Cuyahoga Valley is a perfect weekend getaway. My husband and I rented this cozy Airbnb in 2017, just a short walk from Brandywine Falls.

While the falls get lots of attention, I recommend the Ledges Trail. The towering rock formations are breathtaking — and so are the views from the Overlook!

Alissa stands on the Ledges Trail's stone staircase with cliffs on either side

Alissa stands on the Ledges Trail's iconic stone staircase. Photo: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios

Ohio national parks rebound to pre-COVID popularity

Cuyahoga Valley National Park attracts the most visitors and spending.

National Park Service (NPS)

Visitor spending at Ohio&#x27;s national park sites has rebounded to slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. Driving the news: More than 2.8 million visitors spent $65.7 million in 2021, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm" target="_blank">a new report</a> from the National Park Service.

News

Things to Do

We knew you wouldn't disappoint. After sizzling over Reader's Digest's claim that Swenson's is Ohio's best burger, we asked for your recommendations. Try one of these from our readers.

"Beanie Burger at Gahanna Grill!" — Joni M.

"Thurman's is overrated. They’re huge but that's their only distinguishing characteristic. I'll take a Preston's smash burger over Thurman’s any day." 

"Northstar Cafe's burgers (both beef and veggie) are also excellent."  — Mike B.

"Preston's in the North Market!" — Steve R.

"Best burger in town is the BurgerBurger from FishBurger on the South Side. It’s half ground beef, half brisket, and delicious." — Andrew P.

Your favorite burgers in Central Ohio

Popular pick: a smash burger at Preston's.

Illustration of a cheeseburger with the Axios "A" as a grillmark on the burger patty. 

Food

We knew you wouldn&#x27;t disappoint. After sizzling over <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Reader&#x27;s Digest&#x27;s claim" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2022/07/01/best-ohio-burger-swensons-readers-digest" data-vars-content-id="46d410e9-13f3-4d62-8ed7-c9fcad1ade4d" data-vars-headline="Your favorite burgers in Central Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2022/07/01/best-ohio-burger-swensons-readers-digest" target="_self">Reader&#x27;s Digest&#x27;s claim</a> that Swenson&#x27;s is Ohio&#x27;s best burger, we asked for your recommendations. Try one of these from our readers.&quot;Beanie Burger at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gahanna Grill" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gahannagrill.com/" data-vars-content-id="46d410e9-13f3-4d62-8ed7-c9fcad1ade4d" data-vars-headline="Your favorite burgers in Central Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gahannagrill.com/" target="_blank">Gahanna Grill</a>!&quot; — Joni M.

Food and Drink

🎆 Check out the Midwest's biggest and brightest fireworks at Boom, plus an all-day festival on the banks of the Scioto River.

11am today, with fireworks launching from Genoa Park at 10pm.

🤸🏻 Watch gravity-defying flips, pyramids and dance performances at CHEER Live at the Schottenstein Center.

🎨 Elevate Black artists at Color of Summer, a night of art, music, fashion and food at the Columbus Museum of Art.

7pm-midnight Saturday. $90, includes access to an after-party.

🇺🇸 See how Ohioans celebrated July Fourth back in the 1800s at Ohio Village's Independence Day Weekend.

10am-5pm Saturday, Sunday. $7-13. Kids 3 and under free!

🧨 Celebrate liberty and lunacy at the Doo Dah Parade, a satirical summer tradition stepping off just north of Goodale Park.

The park hosts a music festival that day from 11am-7pm. Free!

🌭 Try a tasty new tradition after the parade: the Tasty Dawg Columbus Hot Dog Relay, with teams competing to make (and eat) winning weenies.

4pm Monday. Goodale Park. $7.50-$12.50 per person to register.

What to do in Columbus this weekend

On our list: Doo Dah Parade, a hot dog relay and a cheer show.

A man dressed as Uncle Sam rides a flag-adorned bicycle in a parade. 

A man dressed as Uncle Sam drives a motorized unicycle down Neil Avenue during a past Doo Dah Parade. Photo: Joshua A. Bickel/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network 

Weekend

🎆 Check out the Midwest&#x27;s biggest and brightest fireworks at Boom, plus an all-day festival on the banks of the Scioto River.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="11am today" data-vars-click-url="https://www.redwhiteandboom.org/" data-vars-content-id="57e5788b-3d21-4e8b-87ad-72fa4dd0df6e" data-vars-headline="What to do in Columbus this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.redwhiteandboom.org/" target="_blank">11am today</a>, with fireworks launching from Genoa Park at 10pm.</li></ul>

The Ohio State Fair's much-anticipated return is just three weeks away. Organizers added to the hype yesterday by adding a free show to the fair's concert lineup.

What's happening: Generation Radio — a supergroup of music legends that includes members of Chicago and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers — is now performing on the second day of the 10-day fair, July 28 at 7pm in the Celeste Center.

Any fairgoers can attend after paying gate admission of $8-10. (Kids 5 and under free!)

Of note: Bassist Jay DeMarcus from Rascal Flatts is a Columbus native, so be sure to give him a big hometown welcome.

Grab tickets now for these other shows (ticket includes admission to the rest of the fair):

Foreigner - The Greatest Hits, 7:30pm July 29, $40.

Nelly with special guest Breland, 7pm July 30, $35.

Dru Hill & Raheem DeVaugh, 7:30pm July 31, $30.

Zach Williams with special guest We the Kingdom, 7pm Aug. 1, $30.

Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, 7pm Aug. 3, $45.

Willie Nelson with special guest Noah Guthrie, 7:30pm Aug. 5, $47

Lakeside & Con Funk Shun, 7pm Aug. 6, $30.

Here's who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair

Just added: a free Generation Radio concert on July 28.

Jay DeMarcus points his fingers at a crowd

Jay DeMarcus of the band Rascal Flatts performs in 2019. Photo: Scott Legato/Getty Images

Entertainment

The Ohio State Fair&#x27;s much-anticipated return is just three weeks away. Organizers added to the hype yesterday by adding a free show to the fair&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="concert lineup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/entertainment/concerts1" data-vars-content-id="74bf054b-364d-4b23-9c20-ba9d1556297b" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/entertainment/concerts1" target="_blank">concert lineup</a>.What&#x27;s happening: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Generation Radio" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theriseaboveband.com/" data-vars-content-id="74bf054b-364d-4b23-9c20-ba9d1556297b" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theriseaboveband.com/" target="_blank">Generation Radio</a> — a supergroup of music legends that includes members of Chicago and Tom Petty &amp; The Heartbreakers — is now performing on the second day of the 10-day fair, July 28 at 7pm in the Celeste Center.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Simran Parwani/Axios Visuals

Hey there Franklin County — you don't look a day over 34.7 years old.

By the numbers: That was our county's median age in 2021, per U.S. Census data, the third youngest of Ohio's 88 counties.

Counties like ours with major college campuses tend to have lower median ages. 

Only Athens (home of Ohio University) and Holmes (the heart of Amish Country) are younger.

Yes, but: Franklin's median age increased slightly between April 2020 and July 2021.

The county recorded a slight dip in population during that time period, we wrote earlier this year, with thousands of residents moving out during the pandemic.

What's ahead: The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) expects the area's population growth to return and reach an estimated 3 million residents by 2050.

What they're saying: It's possible families with children are taking advantage of being able to work from home and moving away from Columbus' urban center, MORPC data analyst Ethan Hug tells Axios. 

And in general, fewer Americans are having kids, which is skewing our population older.

The bottom line: Just like Violet Beauregarde, we're young, but getting bigger and older by the minute. 

Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals  

Franklin County is young, but getting older

U.S. Census data gives a snapshot of the county's population trends.

Census Bureau

Hey there Franklin County — you don&#x27;t look a day over 34.7 years old.By the numbers: That was our county&#x27;s median age in 2021, per U.S. Census data, the third youngest of Ohio&#x27;s 88 counties.

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Alissa Widman Neese

Stories

Here's who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair

Franklin County is young, but getting older

Ohio national parks rebound to pre-COVID popularity

Your favorite burgers in Central Ohio

What to do in Columbus this weekend