How Sydney Helms Built a Growing, Glowing Local Empire Rooted in Community By Monica Jones There’s a verse in the Bible about a mustard seed. Tiny. Unassuming. Easy to overlook – and yet, when planted with care, it grows into something far larger than anyone expects. For Sydney Helms, the mustard seed wasn’t just a name for her shop. It was a philosophy. Long before she owned multiple businesses, before her spaces became known for…
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Why an Old Place Is Quietly Opening Its Doors Again By Monica Jones For a while, it felt like Westville existed mostly in memory. People spoke about it in the past tense. School trips. Blacksmith forges. Quilts, looms, and the smell of iron and wood smoke clinging to a warm afternoon. Then the pandemic came, and like so many cultural spaces built on shared presence, Westville went quiet. Now, quietly and deliberately, Historic Westville Village…
Read MoreThe Astrological Alchemy on 6th Street By Monica Jones The Vibe on 6th is a quantum leap for Columbus culture, forged in the fires of entrepreneurial necessity and guided by the lunar glow of the Full Moon Market. It’s a story the city needs right now—three titans of local hustle, each a veteran in the high-stakes game of keeping things interesting, finally joining forces to create a space so undeniably cool, it’s practically vibrating. Forget…
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Inside Columbus Ballet’s 29th Year of Holiday Magic Images provided by the Columbus Ballet (@braxleestudios) By Monica Jones Each December, just as Columbus starts to glow with lights and wreaths, another kind of magic begins to stir at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Backstage, pointe shoes are being broken in, tutus sewn and resewn, and young dancers run their variations again and again until the counts live in their bones. This year, that familiar ritual…
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The Story of Ginger Goolsby Howze: The Hope Dealer By Monica Jones Ginger Goolsby Howze now lives a life of purpose. She has seven years clean, an amazing relationship with her son, and works as a Certified Peer Specialist—a job that allows her to use her painful past to guide others. But the path to this stable, fulfilling life involved losing everything, including her mind. Her journey pulls back the curtain on the real and…
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Gary Mullen & The Works Return to Columbus This Sunday For One Night of Queen By Monica Jones When Gary Mullen answers the phone, he doesn’t sound like a man easing his way to the finish line of a long tour. He sounds wired. Focused. Laughing, he jokes that his recovery playlist has basically been “Eye of the Tiger on repeat,” all in preparation for finally making it to Columbus. After illness forced the postponement…
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Three Dog Night and 50 Million Records at the RiverCenter By Monica Jones Forget what you thought you knew about classic rock; when a legendary band that literally invented the arena tour rolls into town, you stop scrolling. Three Dog Night is about to descend on the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, and this isn’t some dusty nostalgia act—it’s a vibrant, decades-deep journey through the very DNA of pop music, a sound that defined radio…
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Ditch the Fam, Hit the Jam By Monica Jones For many of us, the night before Thanksgiving is a whirlwind of last-minute travel and frantic kitchen prep, but in Columbus, that Wednesday night has evolved into something much more meaningful: a high-energy homecoming. It’s a chance to connect with old friends, ditch the family (just for a few hours!), and, most importantly, support our community. This year’s Turkey Jam—a new annual live music festival and…
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Gary Mullen and the Works Bring Queen’s Legacy to Columbus to Kick off RiverCenter New Season By Monica Jones Get ready to rock, Columbus. The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts is kicking off its new season in high style. We’re talking about a full-throttle, high-energy rock show fit for a queen – literally. On December 7th, the stage will come alive with the electrifying tribute performance, One Night of Queen, featuring the man who channels…
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Columbus’ New Home for the Creatively Curious By Monica Jones What does it truly mean to embody a vibe? To vibe? It’s more than just a feeling; it’s an energy, an unspoken understanding, a connection, and the freedom that comes from truly being seen, accepted, and perfectly at ease in your surroundings. And nowhere in Columbus does that resonate more powerfully than at The Vibe on 6th. This isn’t just a shop; it’s a living,…
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