Columbus Curiosity - 27th June 2025

Your Weekly Dose of Columbus Events, News, and Fun

Author

Nathan Griggs
June 27, 2025

Hey Columbus Crew—

This week’s vibe? A jazz lounge, a shrub, and a rogue hotdog competitor walk into a bar. Columbus is absolutely teeming with drama, tunes, and teens doing parkour into condo pools.

From $2.5M mansions and food truck felonies to rage against the foliage and hot dog warfare — we’re serving up a full plate of “only in Ohio” energy.

Let’s dive into the madness:

🗞️ News You Missed – Our city's got glizzies, felonies, and $200 wine.

🔍 Hidden Gems – Murder mystery meetups, yoga by candlelight, and Taylor Swift-inspired poetry.

🎟️ What’s On This Week – From Bloodywood to baby laptime, we’ve got you booked daily.

🚨 The Headlines

🏡 $2.57M City Park Mansion: Ohio’s Version of “Selling Sunset”

Columbus’ top home sale this month? A bougie beauty on City Park Ave that cost more than your lifetime avocado toast budget.

655 City Park Ave. Columbus, Ohio

Cold hard facts:

  • Top 3 sales: All in New Albany (shocker).

  • Delaware County sneaking in a $2.3M woodsy flex.

  • Grandview Heights holding strong at #6 ($2M for less square footage than a CVS).

Why care? Proof that "luxury" here means "has more than one walk-in closet."

🔪 Food Truck Wars: Tire-Slashing Rivalry Turns Felonious

Toledo’s Arturo Palma-Romero took "competitive cuisine" to new lows – allegedly knifing a rival’s tires.

The spicy details:

  • Charged with 2 counts of criminal damaging (Ohio’s fanciest term for “parking lot terrorism”).

  • Pleaded not guilty (while on video doing it).

  • Faces 18 months in prison (or roughly 50,000 tacos in restitution).

Columbus food trucks, lock your tires. This isn’t Yelp revenge – it’s meatball warfare.

🌿 Oakland Nursery: 85 Years of Making Your Yard Less Embarrassing

Voted Best Garden Center, Best Home Decor Spot, AND Best Last-Minute Gift Place by CM readers.

Why they’re legends:

  • Founded by German immigrants in 1940 (pre-dates weed-and-feed).

  • Still family-run – now with bonus merman ornaments.

  • Their secret? "Helping you not kill plants" (radical concept).

🏊‍♂️ Pool Crashers Treat Condos Like Frat Houses

Pop-up parties hit McNaughten Commons – teens scaled roofs, wrecked stairs, and hotboxed the pool house.

Key quotes:

  • "They’re invaders!" – Lyudmyla, who’s smoked more secondhand weed than Snoop.

  • "We’re scared to park!" – Tenant paying $1,500/month for the privilege.

  • Management’s solution? CLOSED THE POOL (summer in Ohio: sponsored by disappointment).

🍷 Wine Spectator’s Elite Sippin’ Squad

4 Columbus spots made the global wine snob list:

🍦 Whit’s Custard Empire Expands (Again)

Grove City’s getting a new frozen custard shrine:

  • Opening July 2025 in Historic Town Center (because one Whit’s per zip code isn’t enough).

  • Known for "Whisters" (candy-stuffed custard tornadoes).

Dairy-free options for the "lactose intolerant but FOMO strong."

📍 Follow the sugar high | 3968 Broadway

🎪 Italian Water Circus: Coming Soon to Drain Your Kiddie Pool?

35,000 gallons of aqua-acrobatics heading to town.

Because Columbus needed more spectacle.

💧 Prepare to get splashed  | Details TBA 

🌭 Glizzy Gauntlet: Grandview’s Hot Dog Eating Thunderdome

Bobcat Sports Bar’s "Glizzies & Glory" is BACK:

  • Categories: Teens (5 mins), Women/Men (10 mins of pure regret).

  • Prizes: Cash + "Fan Favorite" title (worth the heartburn? Maybe).

  • Rules: "Amateurs only" (so Joey Chestnut, sit down).

📍 Sign up to vomit proudly | 1099 W. 1st Ave. | July 2, 6PM

 Friday 27 June:

🎤 Josh Farley: "The Bag of Tricks Tour"

A one-night-only comedy performance packed with storytelling, wild punchlines, and just enough chaos to question reality.

🎶 Marcus Johnson Live at ICON Jazz Lounge

National recording artist Marcus Johnson brings smooth jazz, soul grooves, and serious vibes to Columbus for a Friday night wind-down.

🖼️ Artist Commune: Zines Out Loud

A creative night of DIY zines, spoken word, and raw expression. Perfect if you're feeling artsy, angsty, or both.

Saturday 28 June:

🎬 Nef Johnson – Not Even Funny Vol. 3

A one-night double feature: part documentary screening, part stand-up comedy showcase. Expect raw laughs, behind-the-scenes chaos, and an unfiltered look at the grind.

🎤 Saya Meads – Stand Up Comedy

Columbus favorite Saya Meads takes the stage for a solo set filled with sharp wit, clever jabs, and enough energy to light up the room.

🕵️ Columbus’s Secret Society: Mystery Hunt

Solve puzzles. Unlock secrets. Run around Historic Crew Stadium like you’re in a real-life escape room with plot twists.

Sunday 29 June:

⚽ Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia Union

Major MLS matchup at home. Expect loud drums, gold smoke, and that one guy yelling “SHOOOOOOT” 50 yards too early.

🎸 Concerts on the Green: George Barrie Band

Worthington’s favorite lawn party returns. Chill out with live tunes, folding chairs, and your neighbor’s wine tumbler.

🏠 German Village Haus & Garten Tour

Peek behind the historic bricks into dreamy patios, hidden fountains, and homes you’ll irrationally consider moving into.

Monday 30th June:

🎶 Sinkane Live at Natalie’s

Genre-mashing Sudanese-American artist Sinkane brings his funky, soul-drenched sound to Columbus. Expect grooves, good vibes, and a set that slaps.

🕯️ Candlelight Yoga at the Bookshop

Unwind with a calming yoga session surrounded by books and soft candlelight. Your spine (and soul) will thank you.

🖋️ Write Like Taylor Swift

Love lyrics? Break up with writer’s block at this creative writing workshop inspired by the queen of bridges and heartbreak ballads.

Tuesday 1st July:

🎸 The Psychedelic Furs + The Mission UK

Post-punk legends collide. Come for the '80s angst, stay for the timeless synths and iconic eyeliner.

🎤 A Skylit Drive + Dizasterpiece

Emo nostalgia meets alt-rage. If you ever screamed into a MySpace comment section, this one's for you.

🌮 Taco Tuesday at The Draft Room

It’s Tuesday. There are tacos. The math checks out. Great drinks, patio hangs, and a casual crowd.

Wednesday 2nd July:

🎸 Bloodywood: Return of the Singh Tour

Indian folk-metal fusion that goes hard. Drums, dhotis, and politically charged riffs—this show will slap harder than your cousin at Holi.

🎶 Florencia and The Feeling

Funky, jazzy, feel-good grooves from a Nashville-based band with big charisma and even bigger vibes.

🎹 Luke Schneider, Pure Waves & Yul Brynner’s Ghost

A hauntingly beautiful night of ambient sounds in an old church. Ghosts not guaranteed, vibes very much are.

Thursday 3rd July:

🔪 Columbus Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows

An immersive whodunit in Schiller Park. Find clues, accuse strangers, and pretend you’re in Knives Out—minus the inheritance.

🎸 Murphy’s Law at Ace of Cups

Old-school New York hardcore punk storms into town. Loud, fast, sweaty. Bring earplugs and attitude.

🎷 Zayne Harshaw of Blue Spectrum

A soulful fusion of blues, jazz, and funk by an inspiring local guitarist who shreds with heart.

How'd We Do This Week?

We’re always cooking up new ways to make your inbox the best part of your week. Be honest—how’s this one stacking up?

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🤔Topic of the Week

Columbus drivers are mad. Not about potholes this time — shrubs. Specifically, those leafy green visibility blockers planted right at intersections.

Here were some of our favorite responses:

  • I totaled my car because of this nonsense. I miss my Mazda 3

  • Alas, foiled by foliage.

  • We call ours ‘Peekaboo Corner’ — it can burn in hell.

What should Columbus do with corner foliage?

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That’s a wrap,

From shrub-based beef to haunted jazz shows, we witnessed more plot twists this week than a Netflix miniseries.

If you survived this email without running a stop sign blindfolded by a bush — you deserve a custard from Whit’s and a wine flight from Cento.

Until next week,
Stay loud. Stay leafy.

— Nate
Columbus Curiosity