KIDS FEST

The Second Annual PickeringtonKids Festival will be this Sunday, May 18, from 2 to 6 pm at Victory Park.  The Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with Pickerington Magazine and PickeringtonKids.com in sponsoring the event.

The event is geared toward toddlers through sixth-graders, and features kid-related vendors, food, fun activities, inflatables, games, give-aways, and performances by several kids’ groups. It is a free event.  At press time, Male was expecting around thirty vendors to set up shop. The event sponsors are cross-promoting the festival with the Violet Township Bicentennial Committee, which is sponsoring “Pedal in the Park” at Sycamore Creek the same afternoon.  Questions about the festival can be directed to Male at 568-7787, to the website, www.pickeringtonkids.com , or to the Parks and Recreation office, 833-2211.

PCT COMEDY PRODUCTION -- A TUNA CHRISTMAS

Myriad costume changes, a Christmas phantom, and a disaster-prone little theater production highlight the Pickerington Community Theater production of A Tuna Christmas, slated to begin December 7.  Brothers Isaac and Ethan Barton will portray all 24 citizens of a small Texas town, where “the Lion’s Club is too liberal, and Patsy Cline never dies.”  The hit comedy by Joe Sears and Jason Williams will be presented December 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16 at the Violet Grange, 36 Lockville Road.  Curtain times for Friday and Saturday productions are 8 pm. The Sunday shows begin at 2 pm.  Tickets are available by calling Director Mel Spring at 614-863-1861, at the door on production nights, or at the Parks and Recreation office.  Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for students and seniors over age 55; $5 for children 12 and under.

LETTERS TO SANTA

Letters to Santa can be dropped off at the mailbox at City Hall through December 11.  Children who drop off letters will receive an answer from Santa Claus or his helpers.

PICKERINGTON COMMUNITY CHORUS CONCERTS

The Pickerington Community Chorus performed twice during the holidays.  On November 20 the Chorus was part of the Community Thanksgiving Service at Peace United Methodist Church.  The group then sang with the Pickerington Satellite Choir of the Columbus Children’s Choir on December 9 at Pickerington High School Central.

TOT'S TRICK OR TREAT AT CITY HALL

The Parks and Recreation department sponsored Tots Trick or Treat at City Hall on Halloween Day from 1:30-2:30 pm.  Children ages 2-5 wore costumes and trick-or-treated at City Hall, 100 Lockville Road.  Pickerington Police, Fairfield County Sheriff and Violet Township Fire Department displayed safety vehicles in the City Hall parking lot that afternoon.

Watch how much fun Pickerington pre-school children had at this year's Halloween event at City Hall (click on the arrow in the bottom left of the screen to start the slideshow).  http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/legacy/multimedia/treat2/index.html

HAUNTED VILLAGE

“The Haunted Village,” the annual Halloween event, scheduled for October 30 from 6-8 pm.  A haunted house, located in the old creamery building on Church Street, is part of the evening’s events.  Eric Wermter, owner of Minuteman Pizza, is in charge of the eerie exhibit.  There is no charge for the tour.  Parks and Recreation employees Gary Anderson, Wayne Patterson, and Bob Norris drive the popular hayride wagons, another free feature of the event.

The entire range of activities, featuring ghost tours, story-telling, booths, food, and trick-or-treating with the merchants, will occur on Columbus Street in Olde Pickerington Village.  “One of the most popular features last year was the ghost tours.  With that in mind, we’re putting emphasis on new stories, new re-enactors, and new locations for this year,” project chair Don Ross said.  Two Columbus historical re-enactors have been secured; they’ll be joined by members of the Pickerington Community Theater.  Once again, the ghost stories are based on historical fact, and will be presented in the locations where the pertinent events actually occurred. “We’ve also lined up Scott Felker of Columbus Metroparks to tell stories of monsters in nature,” Ross added.   A haunted house, hayrides, food, Mad Science booths, a kids craft booth, and trick-or-treating with Olde Village merchants will be part of the festivities.  Ross mentioned that he is working on additional programming for the event.  All venues are free that night, except for food.  The Olde Pickerington Village Business Association partners with Parks and Recreation in putting on the event.

* posted 10/23/07

FISHING DERBY 

The results of the Parks and Recreation’s Fishing Derby, held August 11 at Sycamore Park:

8 Years and Under: Most Fish—Sean Starrett; Runner-up—Tope Sali; Biggest Fish—Mitch Rice.

9-10 Year-olds: Most Fish—Jeff Liptrap; Runner-up—Devin Workman; Biggest Fish—Devin Workman.

11-12 Year-olds: Most Fish—Brian Holland; Runner-up—Jared Ferguson.

Local tournament fisherman Brian Arnold was the event director.

2007 OLDE PICKERINGTON VILLAGE ARTS FESTIVAL

* posted 08/09/07

JAZZ & BLUES RIBFEST

The annual Olde Pickerington Jazz ‘n’ Blues Ribfest will be Saturday, August  4 from 11 am until 11 pm in Olde Pickerington Village.  The Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department cooperates with the OPVBA in planning and coordinating the event.  A variety of activities awaits attendees.  Keely Weaver, the Ribfest chairperson, has announced that in addition to award-winning ribs, live entertainment, kids’ games, and a beer garden will be featured.  A highlight will be the People’s Choice Rib Contest.

Activities for kids will include large inflatable bounce houses and face painting.  For more information, visit www.pickeringtonvillage.com or call Keely Weaver at 837-6700.

“THE HOBBIT”

* posted 07/25/07

SUMMER THEATER IN THE PARK

The Sycamore Park Amphitheater will be the scene of several productions in the Pickerington Parks & Recreation’s Summer Theater series.  Last week, the column alerted area residents to “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare,” a three-man tribute on Saturday, July 14 at 7 pm.  There will be no admission charge for this production. 

That will be followed on July 18 by a Columbus Children’s Theater production of “Into the Woods,” which will begin at 7 pm on that Wednesday.  The hour-long presentation is a family-friendly musical which intertwines several fairy tales in a “happily ever after” fashion.  There will be no admission charge for this production.

The Pickerington Community Theater will present “The Hobbit” on August 3, 4, and 5, and then again on August 10, 11, and 12.  The Parks and Recreation Department has bought out the first performance, 7 pm August 3, so there will be no admission charge on opening night. 

The Columbus Children’s Theater returns on August 18 at 7pm for Disney’s “Aristocats.”  This will be a free show.  It is recommended for anyone over the age of three, and features lively music as well as comedy. 

SAFETY FORCE VEHICLES

Vehicles from the Pickerington Police Department, the Violet Township Fire Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office will be on display July 20 at Pickerington Elementary School.  Additionally, Prince--the police horse, and the county canine unit will be on hand.  The program will include demonstrations, hands-on activities in the vehicles, and interaction with the various officers and crew members.  The Parks and Recreation Department arranges the program to familiarize area youngsters with the different safety features of the area.  There is no admission charge.  The event will run from 10 am until 11:30 am, and will be held in the southwest area of the school property.

* posted 07/11/07

PICKERINGTON COMMUNITY CHORUS

The inaugural performance of the newly formed chorus will be on Sunday, July 1st at 7pm at the amphitheater in Sycamore Park.  Bring a blanket and a picnic and come and see Pickerington's newest community group in action.  The chorus will follow up with their second performance during the opening ceremony of the City's July 4th celebration.  Watch them on the main stage in Victory Park at 7:30pm on July 4th.  Both concerts will feature a variety of patriotic songs to celebrate Independence Day.  If you are a singer and would like to join the chorus, please contact Fiona at the Parks & Rec office.  Call 614-833-2211 or email fspears@pickerington.net for all the details.

* posted 06/27/07

FOURTH OF JULY

Myriad activities and festivities are planned for the Pickerington Parks & Recreation’s July 4 Celebration.  Scheduled events --in addition to rides, games, and concessions-- are the parade, opening ceremonies, an impressive musical guest act, and the fireworks show.  Victory Park will be the site of the activities.  The revelry will begin at 4 pm, when the park officially opens for the event.  Featured will be an array of booths and foodstuffs, which will remain open until 11 pm.

The traditional July 4^th Parade will begin at 6 pm.  Pickerington resident Jim Mee is the parade organizer, as he has been for the past four years.  The parade route is from Pickerington High School Central, north on Lockville Road, west on Columbus Street, and south on Hill Road.  It will end at Pickerington Ridgeview Junior High.  Mee recruits the parade staff and makes all of the procedural and line-up decisions for the event. Parade questions should be directed to the P&R office (833-2211), however.  Parade awards will be given to the best-looking entry in both commercial and non-commercial categories. Entries will be judged on overall appearance and patriotic inspiration.

The Opening Ceremonies will begin at 7:30 pm.  Music for that segment of the event will be provided by the Pickerington Community Chorus under the direction of Emily Fisher, and by the Pickerington Central High School Jazz Band, directed by Mike Sewell.  The high-energy “Jake and Elwood’s Blues Revue” will take over the Giant Eagle Main Stage at 8:20 for the first of their three shows.  They will do two 45-minute sets before the fireworks, and one after.  Scott “Jake” Huffman and Dave “Elwood” Albrecht and their seven-member band are billed as the nation’s number one Blues Brothers tribute show.  Reviews of their performances praise the impersonations of the Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi characters, and the 4-piece rhythm section and 3-piece horn section.

The fireworks display is slated for 10 pm.  Zambelli Fireworks International, one of the country’s oldest fireworks companies, will provide the show.  Zambelli’s has an impressive resume, having planned and presented illumination shows for Mt. Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and the 2007 Ball Drop in Times Square.  They have also done Super Bowls and the Kentucky Derby Festival, and they are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for launching fireworks at the highest altitude.  Over the years they have arranged displays in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, and the Bahamas.

* posted 06/26/07

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

The Giant Eagle Summer Concert Series will debut with a crowd favorite on June 10^th at the Sycamore Park Amphitheater.  The Pickerington Parks & Recreation Department’s series, which runs every Sunday night from June 10 through August 19, will feature “The Parrots of the Caribbean” for the opening show.  The band, often called “the number one Jimmy Buffett tribute band in the country,” features five musicians who perform in venues across the United States and Canada.  The group also highlighted the 2006 Pickerington concert schedule.  “Their show was fantastic. The audience loved them,” enthused Karen Durham, the director of the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, Ohio, who also contracted them for this season after a successful 2006 appearance.

The entire series is underwritten by Giant Eagle. The Pickerington Times-Sun is the print media sponsor.  All concerts begin at 7 pm.

* posted 06/20/07

Little Explorers Hit Da Vinci's

Our Little Explorer pre-school children participated in a "Make 'n Bake" event at Da Vinci's Market and Hershey Ice Cream stores in October.  Under the expert tutelage of store owner's Julianne and Bryan Moore and their staff, the pre-schoolers toured the stores and made (and	devoured) their own cheese and pepperoni pizzas. They finished the outing by indulging in a scoop of Hershey ice cream. A good time was had by all!

* posted 11/07/06

The Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department and The Columbus Children’s Theater presented a free performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 7 pm on Wednesday, July 19 in the Sycamore Park amphitheater. The production is suitable for ages eight and up. The cast features 25 actors and actresses, including Pickerington residents Joshua Bramkamp, currently a student at Liberty University, and Jonathan Collura, who attends the Ohio State University. The production will be directed by William Goldsmith, a 29-year veteran of the theater, who has directed over 100 productions, including the world premiere of “Green Gables,” and who has performed in over 50. He has also authored 21 scripts. The Children’s Theater was founded in 1963. Currently, the program features three levels of participation. The CCT Academy teaches classes and workshops year-round for children in grades K through 8. The Park Street Players, a subsidiary group, is a training company dedicated to developing professionalism in acting, dance, voice, and other specialized areas. The CCT Professional Touring Group takes live theater to schools all over Ohio. Founded in 1972, the group performs to 100,000 school children each year. The CCT Theater Series, which will entertain local audiences on July 19, and will return on August 19 to perform “The Jungle Book.” The CCT also hosts the Child Writing Project to encourage creative writing in the schools, and to demonstrate how stories come alive through live theater. The contact for interested persons is the administrative office at 372 West Nationwide Boulevard in Columbus (614-224-6673.)

* posted 7/14/06