Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and Experience Columbus is inviting residents and visitors to honor the people who’ve spent the last year doing it all. Celebrate the mother figure in your life with everything from unforgettable experiences to locally made, hand-crafted gifts that are sure to bring a smile to any face this holiday.
“Those who play such an important role in our lives of guiding and taking care of us deserve appreciation and celebration, and Columbus is full of unique and memorable ways to make this Mother’s Day your best yet,” said Sarah Townes, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Experience Columbus. “Experience Columbus makes it easy for everyone to show their gratitude by highlighting some of the region’s best attractions, restaurants and artisanal gifts with local flare.”
Get mom something to unlock her inner foodie with artisanal cocktail mixers from Simple Times Mixers, locally distilled pineapple rum from Echo Spirits Distilling Co. or handmade cured meats from the mother and son owned North Country Charcuterie. For a much-needed relaxing day at home, visitors can pick up several local bath and body goods from Tiki Botanicals, Glenn Avenue Soap Company and Penn & Beech Candle Co.
Columbus Modern (CoMo) Dance Company will host its 11th annual outdoor springtime performance at the Mothers Day Tea in the Garden on May 13–14. This free event is a CoMo favorite and the perfect outing for mom and the whole family. Modern dancers perform within the Topiary Park’s plant sculptures that recreate the impressionist painting “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat. Tea and cookies will be served at intermission.
This Mother’s Day, the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens invites guests to decorate a flowerpot and plant a flower to give as a gift from 11 am–2 pm. Afterwards, enjoy a complimentary performance from Magpie Consort, a mixed-voice choral ensemble based in Columbus that will present selections from their upcoming summer repertoire, Sounds of Summer.
Take the mom in your life to the Columbus Museum of Art where admission is free on Mother’s Day. Visitors can also enjoy special discounts on memberships during the month of May.
Understory is kicking off the 2023 market season with a special Mother’s Day Market on May 13. From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., shop from over 40 local makers and artisans in the Understory top floor events space and terrace. There will be a full bar set up on the market floor for drinks, and guests are welcome to head downstairs to enjoy brunch in the Commons and Patio beginning at 10 a.m.
Thebest science museum in the country, COSI, has a new traveling exhibition,Tutankhamun: His Tomb and Treasures. Visitors are invited to explore the archaeology of ancient Egypt and view King Tut’s tomb and treasures as they were discovered in 1922. The reproduction of the burial treasure, in its original archaeological context, provides an insight into the historically unique discovery of the Pharaoh’s tomb in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. With 1,000 objects, graphics, movies and an audio guide, the monumental complete context is presented in an educational, exciting and entertaining way.
There are few things more synonymous with Mother’s Day than a delicious brunch, and many of Columbus’ best restaurants will be offering special menus and events to celebrate moms this year. Columbus’ favorite Cameron Mitchell Restaurant Group has special brunch menus at their 16 restaurant concepts throughout the city.
Why stop at brunch? Columbus has several new fine dining restaurants. Acclaimed Columbus Chef Avishar Barua has a full plate. Just six months after openingJoya’s, a Bengali American daytime café in Old Worthington, he has opened the doors to a new restaurant in Columbus’ Brewery District.Agni, named after the Hindu god of fire, offers a menu built around foods prepared over an open flame. Pulling from fond memories of Midwest backyard barbecues, the Top Chef Season 18 contestant is serving up a five-course tasting menu that includes dishes such as Bengali Shrimp Taco, Dry Aged Rohan Duck and Caramelized Chai Pudding.
Agni is not the only new restaurant to open in the past month. Downtown, Chef Josh Dalton of Veritas openedSpeck in February. The restaurant, which offers a modern interpretation of Italian cuisine in a vibrant and eclectic setting, has quickly become one of the hottest reservations in town.
In Columbus’ historic Trolley District, more carefully restored historic buildings are opening with a new purpose. Joining East Market food hall is theColumbus Brewing Company Beer Hall, which features multiple bars and dining areas, 24 taps and globally inspired food. The 13,000 square foot building, which dates to the late 1800s, was originally used as a mechanic’s shop to repair the trolleys that ran down Broad Street and throughout Columbus.
Towering 28 stories over High Street in the vibrant Short North Arts District is the city’s new and tallest rooftop lounge,Stories on High, which offers 360-degree views of the city with floor-to-ceiling windows and two expansive outdoor terraces.
Columbus is also celebrating the news that acclaimed restaurateur BJ Lieberman of Chapman’s Eat Market (named in The New York Times’ 2021 Restaurant List) and Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge, was recently named a semifinalist in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category for the 2023 James Beard Awards.