Axios Columbus

April 17, 2026
Welcome to the weekend, Columbus.
🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny with a high around 80.
🕯️ Situational awareness: Columbus holds its Holocaust Remembrance ceremony at noon today at the City Council Chambers.
Today's newsletter is 930 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 🗺️ An Ohio road trip guide
Columbus' baby elephants, COSI exhibits and Quarry Trails climbs all get prime billing in Ohio's new 2026 travel guide.
Why it matters: It's a good time to start planning summer getaways, and the guide offers plenty of options within driving distance.
Zoom in: Our local section recommends outsiders check out the experimental museum Prototype, partake in Red, White & Boom, and visit North Market as it celebrates 150 years.
Zoom out: The lengthy guide features a state parks checklist, from Catawba Island off of Lake Erie to Shawnee 200 miles south in Portsmouth.
- It shares how Ohio is celebrating America's 250th birthday with public artwork, creative trails and movie screenings.
- For the cryptid cranks, the guide suggests attending the Ohio Bigfoot Conference near Cambridge in May or the Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival in August.
🐶 The intrigue: Gov. Mike DeWine's dog, Dolly, recommends visiting "pup-friendly hot spots" like Hamilton's Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park with 70 outdoor pieces "that blend nature with art."
💭 Tyler's thought bubble: I'm a lifelong Ohioan who has been to all 88 counties, yet I still use this annual guide for finding new travel ideas.
- One example: learning the Aullwood Audubon Center in Dayton has an iconic Thomas Dambo troll installation.
- Or that the new Ohio Museum of Horror in Galion has an on-site restaurant with a menu based on famous criminals' "last meals."
Go deeper: Read the digital guide or request a printed copy by mail.
2. 🎢 It's coaster time
Travelers looking for a thrill, here's what to expect at Ohio's amusement parks this season.
Chain-lifting the news: Believe it or not, Kings Island opens Saturday. It's weekends only until mid-May.
- Cedar Point opens May 9 with a daily schedule from the jump.
What's new at KI
🐝 There's buzz around the park's reimagined Phantom Theater dark ride, an indoor attraction featuring immersive scenes and returning characters.
- Famed wooden coaster The Beast received some upgrades in the offseason.
- Expect a rides-first experience until the full entertainment lineup — including the waterpark and shows like illusionist Brad Ross – rolls out around Memorial Day.
What's new at CP
🎆 The park will help celebrate America's 250th birthday from June 29-July 4 with fireworks and specialty concessions.
- No new major rides this year, but popular events are returning in 2026: Boardwalk Nights, HalloWeekends and a french-fry-themed fest late in the season.
3. Nutshells: Your local news roundup
🪓 Nearly 90 undergraduate degree programs are being cut by Ohio public universities as a result of Senate Bill 1's requirement to eliminate programs that produce less than five degrees annually. (Ohio Capital Journal)
🏛️ A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers says a pair of bills that would eliminate Medicaid middlemen could save the state millions of dollars. (Statehouse News Bureau)
🏒 Despite missing the playoffs, the Blue Jackets extended head coach Rick Bowness' contract. (The Athletic)
🌳 Residents of 10 local suburbs are eligible for a $100 rebate toward a native plant if they remove a Callery pear tree. Other invasive plants also qualify. (WCMH-TV)
4. 🌱 Chart du jour: Spring planting


If this stretch of warm weather has you itching to get outside, here's a quick gardening guide.
Why it matters: Grocery prices rose at the fastest pace in three years during December — and are expected to get worse — so it couldn't hurt to try your hand at growing a salad.
Dig in: Several veggies are eligible to go into the ground now, according to the Ohio State University Extension.
- The ideal window for peas, potatoes and spinach is closing soon.
- The 10 veggies we included are among the best for beginners, per the Old Farmer's Almanac.
What's next: Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and other tasty toppings will need to wait till May.
5. 🏁 Weekend picks: A wacky race
There's no shortage of professional-quality art and sport on display this weekend — but what if you're in the mood for something wackier?
🏁 Our pick: Red Bull Chariot Race.
The intrigue: From the high-flying Flugtag to the classic soapbox race, the energy drink brand has become known for its silly spectacles.
- This weekend, Goodale Park hosts the Chariot Race, featuring "the wackiest of rides."
How it works: The rules are actually quite extensive, but boil down to teams building "chariots" powered by only human and gravity power.
- Teams must perform a 30-second "creative skit" to a judging panel before the race, and winners are selected by a combined score of their skit, chariot and race time down the track.
- Winners take home $1,500 and 60 cases of Red Bull.
Stop by: The event starts 1:45pm Saturday, 120 Goodale St. and is free to spectate and participate.
What else is happening:
🕹️ The OSU Humanities Institute's "Humanities on Tap" series dives into the art of video game music tonight at the Worthington-area Level One Bar & Arcade.
🎤 Comedian Lavell Crawford of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" is at the Funny Bone all weekend.
🏈 The Ohio State football Spring Game kicks off at noon Saturday.
⚾️ The pros are in action, too: catch the Clippers all weekend long, the Aviators tonight or the Fury Sunday.
🍽️ The Taste of Granville showcase's the village's best eats Saturday afternoon.
🪄 The Harry Potter Butterbeer Truck Tour brings wizarding beverages to Easton Sunday afternoon.
Thanks to Tyler Buchanan for editing today's newsletter.
Our picks:
😬 Alissa has only visited eight of the 20 recommendations on the travel guide's Central Ohio bucket list — time to get exploring!
🫣 Andrew is embarrassed to have only visited eight as well.
😮 Tyler has visited seven and needs to get moving.
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