We made it to another weekend Columbus!
This is definitely spring in Ohio, so might want to keep an umbrella handy this weekend.
A Clippers game with Sonic is doing a lot of the heavy lifting this weekend. There is also a solid Earth Day festival in Grove City, a music-filled Sunday at CMA, a few genuinely easy wins.
Here are a few worth knowing about.
Featured Partner
Miner 49er Blacklight Mini Golf
Grandview Heights
https://www.miner49erminigolf.com/
For those rainy spring days when everyone needs to get out of the house but nobody wants to commit to anything too ambitious, Miner 49er makes a pretty good case for itself. The blacklight mini golf setup is quirky in the best way, with glowing artwork, fun holes, and just enough weirdness to make it memorable for kids without feeling overdone. Add pizza, milkshakes, and arcade energy, and this becomes a very easy family outing to keep in your back pocket.
If You Only Do One Thing This Weekend
Columbus Clippers vs. Iowa Cubs: Video Game Day featuring Sonic the Hedgehog
Saturday, April 18 | 4:05 PM
Huntington Park | Downtown Columbus
Cost: Varies
Link: https://www.milb.com/columbus
If you want one outing that has a pretty high chance of working for a lot of different kinds of kids, this is probably it. You get the classic baseball game setup, but with enough kid-focused extras to make it feel like more than just nine innings and a hot dog. The Clippers are promoting Saturday as Video Game Day with an appearance by Sonic the Hedgehog, which is exactly the kind of hook that helps win over kids who are not necessarily showing up for baseball itself. For families in Columbus, Clippers games really are one of the more dependable “everyone had a good time” options.
Other Things Happening
The Grove City EcoFest Zero-Waste Celebration
Saturday, April 18 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Town Center Park | Grove City
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.grovecityohio.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/180
EcoFest is built around environmental awareness and sustainable living, but in a way that still feels family-friendly and usable, not lecture-heavy. There is something grounding about doing an event like this with kids right now. A reminder that this is the one planet we get, and taking care of it together is worth teaching early and often.
A Tribe for Jazz Presents: The APSPIRE Berklee Experience
Sunday, April 19 | 2:00–4:00 PM
Columbus Museum of Art | Downtown
Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers
Link: https://www.columbusmuseum.org/events/event/6054948
This one is probably best for families who already know they have an arts kid or a music kid on their hands. It is a fundraising performance featuring student musicians connected to Fort Hayes and the Berklee ASPIRE summer program, which gives the whole thing a little more heart than a standard concert outing. Also helpful: CMA is free on Sundays, so this can turn into a pretty nice museum-plus-performance afternoon.
Saturday Afternoon with Author Mary Kay Carson
Saturday, April 18 | 1:00–2:00 PM
Cover to Cover Children’s Books | Upper Arlington
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.covertocoverchildrensbooks.com/event/saturday-afternoon-author-mary-kay-carson
A free author event at a local children’s bookstore is already a pretty good start. This one feels especially nice for bookish kids, curious kids, or families who like smaller outings that still feel meaningful. There is something genuinely cool about kids getting to meet an author who writes for them, especially when the work helps make big real-world topics feel more understandable.
Columbus Oddities & Curiosities Expo
Saturday, April 18 through Sunday, April 19
Ohio Expo Center, Bricker Building | Expo Center area
Cost: Tickets start around $16.83, kids 12 and under are free
Link: https://www.showpass.com/columbus-oddities-curiosities-expo-2026/
This is your older-kid wildcard for the weekend. Expect strange art, unusual collections, taxidermy, creepy curiosities, and the kind of weird-science-adjacent energy that some kids absolutely love. It will not be for every family, and that is fine. But if you have a kid who is fascinated by the odd, the offbeat, or the slightly spooky, this could be the standout outing of the weekend.
Robbies Hobbies Spring Experience
Saturday, April 18 | 12:00–2:00 PM
Robbies Hobbies | Clintonville
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.robbies-hobbies.com/
This is the kind of local spot I always like making room for. Free slot car racing is already a fun hook, but the bigger appeal is that hobby-shop nostalgia a lot of parents will immediately recognize. For some families, this will feel like introducing your kids to a kind of place that used to be a bigger part of childhood. Very cool, very local, and exactly the kind of small Columbus gem worth highlighting.
Easy Wins
Healthy Kids Day
Saturday, April 18 | Times vary by location
Multiple YMCA of Central Ohio locations
Cost: Free
Link: https://ymcacolumbus.org/healthy-kids-day
A very easy one to keep on the list because families can choose the Y closest to them. The YMCA of Central Ohio is hosting Healthy Kids Day at all 13 local community center locations, and each branch is doing its own version of the event. It is free, active, community-minded, and exactly the kind of low-friction outing that works well when you want to get out of the house without overcomplicating things.
Free Family Movie Night: Shrek
Friday, April 17 | 7:00 PM
Columbus Commons | Downtown Columbus
Cost: Free
Link: https://downtowncolumbus.com/event/free-family-movie-night-shrek/
If you are already downtown for dinner or just looking for a low-pressure Friday night plan, this is a nice one. Movie nights at the Commons have that pleasant “this counts as doing something” feel without requiring a lot from anybody. Bring a blanket, grab the free popcorn, and stay as long as it feels fun.
Fairy House Fun
Sunday, April 19 | 2:00–3:00 PM
Blacklick Woods | Reynoldsburg / East side
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.metroparks.net/event/fairy-house-fun/
Not a destination event, which is actually part of the appeal. If you are already planning to get outside, go for a walk, or let the kids burn some energy at the park, this is a sweet little add-on. Families can build a fairy house or toad abode, and dressing up as a fairy or mythical creature is encouraged, which tells you pretty much exactly what kind of vibe to expect.
German Village Makers Market
Sunday, April 19 | 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
German Village Makers Market | German Village
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.gv-mm.com/
Not a destination event, which is part of the appeal. It is the kind of thing that works well when you want to be outside, wander a little, and still feel like you did something. There are 65+ local makers, food trucks, and it is right by Schiller Park, so this would be easy to pair with a walk or some playground time.
That’s it for this week.
One good outing is enough. Two is ambitious. Three means you should probably order pizza and call it a major parenting success.
If you end up trying one of these, reply and let me know. I always like hearing what actually worked for real Columbus families.
And if you run a local business that serves Columbus families and want to support the newsletter in a thoughtful, community-friendly way, feel free to reach out.
— Columbus Families Unplugged
