Columbus ArborFest

The first Columbus ArborFest will be held at Whetstone Park this summer on Saturday, August 24th from 1-5 pm. The festival is free to attend and will feature live music, food trucks, local exhibitors, a native plant sale, and activities for adults and children alike. Above all, Columbus ArborFest is a celebration of the trees, plants, waterways, animals, and insects of Columbus. The idea for the festival was born when Clintonville resident, Agi Risko, visited Westerville’s ArborFest celebration. “Talking with the exhibitors, it suddenly occurred to me that a festival of trees would be a great event to bring to Clintonville.” The idea quickly grew, thanks to the enthusiasm and support of many local organizations. The festival is being organized as a collaboration between Green Columbus, the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, and the Clintonville GreenSpot committee. The location of Columbus ArborFest is uniquely positioned to immerse festival-goers in a wide range of local ecosystems. With Whetstone pond to the North, the Park of Roses to the East, Adena Brook and the Whetstone Prairie to the South, and the Olentangy River to the West, attendees will connect with nature in all directions. Local community groups will also be hosting walking tours for anyone looking to explore, ask questions, and learn more about these areas. Exhibitors representing many of the city’s wonderfully diverse non-profit organizations will share their work at the festival. Vendors specializing in local flora will host a native plant sale where attendees can find ecosystem-boosting plants to fill their gardens. Families will have their pick of kid-friendly activities in the “Seedling Center”. Boasting educational exhibits of live plant, animal, and insect specimens, a scavenger hunt covering the whole park, hands-on arts projects, and kid-friendly performances that include a dance class and children’s story time - plenty to keep families engaged at the festival! Attendees will also learn ways to get involved with local sustainability efforts. For example, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) will share how homeowners can get free trees for their property. As part of the Urban Forestry Master Plan, Columbus set an ambitious goal of 40% canopy coverage citywide by 2050. As of now, Clintonville is the only City of Columbus neighborhood that has more than 40% tree coverage. With the rest of the city's canopy coverage standing at just 22%, the number of trees will need to double over the next 25 years. The vast majority of those new trees will need to be on private property. “That is very ambitious, to get up to 40%,” said Rosalie Hendon, City Forester for CRPD. “However, that is a number that, out of all of our public input, was very important to the community.” Other organizations include Master Gardeners who can answer all manner of gardening questions, the OSU Bugmobile, a mobile insect zoo, and the city arborists who will perform a ceremonial tree planting. For more information about the festival, or to get involved, visit ColumbusArborFest.com

Event Links

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2430988-0

Read More

View Less