We’ve had a full weeked of Experience Columbus Days (which runs through today) but no the city does not have a Columbus Day parade anymore. It’s been a bunch of years since there was a Columbus Day Parade. I personally think a three full days of activiities with the Columbus Zoo, COSI, the rest of the museums, arts venues, The Columbus Italian Festival in Italian Village participating is better than a couple of hour parade for us.

With the city, state and federal employees off would they come back to downtown Columbus for a parade on their day off? There was free parking in Downtown Columbus today though…. There was a Columbus Italian Parade yesterday in Italian Village too.

I did not check the Dispatch to see if they had info on the Columbus Day Reception and Wreath Laying Ceremony in the paper today. I’ll have to take your word on it that they did not.

I have never been to the Santa Maria! I have been up close, just never onboard.

There was an article in the Columbus Dispatch last March when the basketball playoffs were in town about how there was nothing to do in Columbus in comparison to other cities. It was considered too cold to go th the Columbus Zoo between games….??? It was St. Patrick’s Day weekend, between the festiviities and parades in both Columbus and Dublin in addition to all the permanent stuff. I can’t remember what schools were in town for the playoffs but I assume they were from south of us if they were whining about it being too cold to go to the Zoo in March.

I went to the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day parade and got rosy cheeks.

Columbus is an awesome city for kids. We spent a long weekend there when my kids were young, and they still talk about the Santa Maria.

The zoo is a great place to go in February, doing that warmish time. It’s not crowded then, it’s cool enough that the animals are moving during the day, and it just feels good to get out and about at the end of winter.