Something for everyone at the market!

1987. 30 years. Three decades. That’s a significant time period.

There aren’t many folks who remember a time before The Worthington Farmers Market graced the sidewalks of Old Worthington. The Worthington Farmers Market has become a local institution. If you ask, most residents will likely note the market as their favorite Worthington activity. It’s the event you take out-of-town visitors to, and a major reason many of us moved here to begin with. Did you know that the market started out as a project from some students at OSU, doing a graduate program in sustainable agriculture? It became established, then nurtured and managed by the local businesses, and from there, a business association, The Old Worthington Business Association (OWBA) was born and has produced the market ever since. Those are the roots from which our current organization, The Old Worthington Partnership have grown. Because the market continues to be a major economic driver for the local businesses and the community, the reasons for the market's continued existence and vitality remain even more important.

Most people don’t know that The Partnership is the parent organization of the Farmers Market. We often say The Partnership “runs” the market. But the heart and soul of the market is the dedicated volunteers who show up in the early Saturday morning hours to make the market come to life--they are the ones who run it. Our indomitable market manager, Jaime Moore, has taken the market to new heights in recent years. The changes she has instituted, both large and small, often go unnoticed by the average market shopper. However, it is worth noting, that the pride we feel in our market is due to the many hours and hard work Jaime and her volunteers put into the market each week.

The brains behind the operations.

Not only do we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Worthington Farmers Market and all the good it does for our community, but we do so during the annual National Farmers Market Week. It’s a great time to share your your gratitude for the work the farmers do to produce our food. We are lucky to have such talented farmers bring their goods to Old Worthington week after week, year after year.

So, join us as we celebrate all farmers, and the 30th Anniversary of the Worthington Farmers Market this Saturday, August 12 from 8am-12pm. There will lots of fun activities, including a Farm-to-You petting zoo, zucchini car time trials and guacamole demonstrations by Chipotle Mexican Grill. Check out the schedule of activities on the Worthington Farmers Market website. Cheers to 30 more years!

Come shop with us!

Business Name: Swoonful Gifts at Igloo Letterpress

Business Owner(s) Names: Miriam Chon + Allison Chapman

Contact information: www.swoonfulgifts.com /  info@swoonfulgifts.com, 
www.Iglooletterpress.com / info@iglooletterpress.com

What is the history behind why and how you started your business? I owned a similar gift shop in Uptown Westerville in 2015. I worked in design for many years and wanted a space to share both mine and other local artist works. When Igloo Letterpress started a move to our current location, Allison proposed a partnership in their retail division. The creative collaborative environment of Igoo was a huge draw for me as a designer and a perfect opportunity for me to return home. So we merged our retail shops and opened together in November of 2015 in the old Worthington Hardware space.

Why did you select downtown Worthington for your business location? We’re both long-time residents of Worthington, both have had businesses here and our kids attend elementary, middle and high school in Worthington. Everything we love is here! It’s home and we wanted to be a part of building and contributing to our community.

What makes your products/service unique? Although gift shops and print shops are ubiquitous, we differentiate our business by focusing on handmade, craftsmanship of the products in our shop. Our staff is made up of working designers and artists so we bring a level of artistry to everything we offer. I try to focus on the quality of makers and promote makers from Ohio in the shop, many artisans are from right here in Worthington. I’ve been told I have a crusty sense of humor and I try to add a line of quirky products to the mix. Igloo Letterpress designs and prints the cards and art right here on site too. 

Clientele you cater to? We really have a multi-generational clientele from our community. I’ve seen young families, young professionals, grandparents with grandchildren and our own children’s friends come in to visit. We’ve been very pleased to connect with such varied clientele, it tells me our products resonate with our customers. When is the store open? Current hours are Tuesdays-Fridays 10-6, Saturdays 9-4 and Sunday 12-4. Any special events or “must do” things people should know about? We often have guest makers on Saturdays for special shopping opportunities and Igloo Letterpress has fantastic letterpress classes for novices and designers alike. 

Any funny stories or original experiences as a business owner? We often have customers trying to purchase items not for sales such as window display pieces or decor we’ve made for the shop.

What do you enjoy in your personal time? I enjoy designing and making my own crusty products and sometimes they end up in the shop! I also fully enjoy harassing my kids.

Anything else you want to share with the old Worthington supporters? Although I’m a long time resident of Worthington, I don’t think I realized just how committed Worthington is of their own community. The welcome to our new location has been amazing and we truly appreciate our customers for their business and kind words! It’s been very encouraging in our death defying adventure.

Here is everything you need to know about Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce's annual event, A Taste of Worthington. Be sure to check out the participating restaurants and what they will be offering.

Great tastes and family fun await guests at A Taste of Worthington, the Chamber’s annual food sampling festival, on Friday, July 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the parking areas near 450 W. Wilson Bridge Road, in the OfficeScape Corporate Center.

From 3,500 to nearly 5,000 people have attended recent "Taste" events to enjoy more than 50 dishes from 20 area restaurants. 

Admission is $3 per person (or $5 for two persons); children under 6 are admitted free. Parking is free in the convenient adjacent lots. Guests enjoy affordably priced ($1-$7) appetizers, entrées and desserts in a festive block party atmosphere. They vote on their favorite restaurant dishes in the "Peoples Choice Awards."  Soft drinks, bottled water, beer and wine are sold by the Chamber.

Family fun also is on the menu, including live music from four bands and performers, supervised children's games, a caricature artist, a "bounce house" and other activities. Sponsoring businesses have giveaways, product information and games.

Thanks to these sponsors and supporters:

Event (presenting) sponsors:
The Shops at Worthington Place
Wright-Patt Credit Union, Inc.

     

Corporate Sponsors:
AAA Ohio Auto Club  
Anthony Lordo, D.D.S. LLC
Bath Fitter
Chingle Investment Management Co.
First Commonwealth Mortgage
First Financial Bank
First Merchants Bank
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market
Gutter Helmet by Harry Helmet
Heiser Staffing Services
Infinity from Marvin
Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty, LaBuda Advantage Team
Kitchen Saver
LifeSpring Church
Mount Carmel St. Ann’s
PNC Bank – Worthington
Worthington Jewelers

Event Supporters and Partners:

Albright & Schnulo Family Eye Care
The Blue Jays
Blue Level Acoustic
City of Worthington
Coach Quarters and Evidia Ltd.
Cologix
First Merchants Bank
Goddard School of Worthington
Hypersounds Entertainment
The Mason Jars
Next Day Signs
Outreach Promotional Solutions
Paradigm Properties of Ohio
Quikrete Companies
Sam’s Club
Stylie Studios LLC and Matt Steidle
Sunpics Productions
ThisWeek Community News
Tilton’s Automotive Service
Undercover Tent Rentals
Wesley Glen Retirement Community
Worthington Schools

Participating Restaurants and Menus:

Aladdin's Eatery –Hummus, $3; Mujadara, $4; Hot Sauce, 50 cents; Baklava, $1
Borgata Pizza Café – Spicy Sausage Stuffed Peppers, $6; Cavatelli with Meatball, $6; Mini Chocolate Chip Cannolis, $2
Cameron's American Bistro – Heirloom Tomato Salad, $3; Braised Beef Short Ribs, $5; Red Velvet Cake, $2
Dairy Queen – Assorted Blizzards, $3
Graeter's Ice Cream – Big Scoops, $5; Chip Wheelies, $5
J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood – Shrimp Durango, $6; Baby Back Ribs with Bleu Cheese Chips, $7
J. Liu Restaurant & Bar – Lettuce Wraps, $5; Jason's Spicy Chicken, $5
Jet's Pizza – Assorted Pizza Slices, $1
Kona Ice Little Buckeye – Shaved Ice, $3 - $5
Marcella's Italian Kitchen – Heirloom Caprese Salad, $2; Braised Veal Meatball, $2; Vanilla Panna Cotta, $2
Molly Woo's Asian Bistro – Chicken Lettuce Cups, $2; Firecracker Chicken, $2; Asian Donuts, $2
Sbarro - Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza, $3; Chocolate Chip Cookie, $1
Star Lanes Polaris – Ahi Tuna Poké, $1
Sunny Street Cafe – Pork Carnita Taco, $3; Mini Bananas Foster Pancake, $2
Tandoori Grill – Chicken Samosas, $2; Boneless Grilled Chicken with Rice, $4; Garbanzo Beans with Rice, $3; Gulab Jamun Dessert, $2
The Whitney House – Watermelon Soup, $4; Chicharrones (Seasoned Pork Rinds), $3; Porketta Sandwich, $6
The Worthington Inn – Summer Gazpacho, $4; Watermelon & Feta Salad, $4; Strawberry Shortcake, $5
Wesley Glen Retirement Community – Farmhouse BLT, $5; Southwestern Quinoa Salad, $5
Willow Brook Christian Home – Seared Beef Tenderloin with Mac ‘n’ Cheese & Salad, $4; Cashew Turtle Blondie, $2

More event info:

Admission fees are collected at the gate. The event is held rain or shine. For more information about the event, call the Chamber office at (614) 888-3040.

The July 4th holiday in Worthington offers a variety of activities.  Here is your guide for enjoying any or all of the day's activities.

WORTHINGTON FAMILY PICNIC & FIREWORKS

• Tuesday, July 4, 2017
• 4:00pm  11:00pm

• Thomas Worthington High School
• 300 West Dublin Granville Road
• Columbus, OH, 43085

•   

 

Worthington Family Picnic
Gather the family and come on down to the Worthington Family Picnic and Fireworks Celebration on the 4th of July! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a family picnic on the lawn of Thomas Worthington High School (TWHS) with food presented by a variety of popular food trucks, musical entertainment and costume characters by Mascot.org, Supergames bounce houses and much more! The festivities on the lawn begin at 4:00 p.m. and continue through the fireworks celebration at 10:00 p.m. Bring your own picnic or food is available to purchase. The Worthington Family Picnic is sponsored by the Dublin-Worthington Rotary.

McConnell Arts Center
Activities will also be in full swing at the MAC, where a Bier Garden will be open with musical entertainment throughout the day.

Worthington Pools Tailgate
Worthington Pools will be tailgating with hot dogs and refreshments for sale just outside the pool area. The pool will be open to the public until 7pm, and then closed for a members-only party. 

Fireworks
The fireworks celebration begins at 10:00 p.m. The display can be viewed either from the Family Picnic location on the front lawn of TWHS, or at the football stadium to the west of the high school. 

Weather Information
The Family Picnic and Fireworks takes place rain or shine. However, in the case of impending severe thunderstorms and lightening, City and Safety officials will evaluate the circumstances and may determine the display be set off early or postponed. In the event the fireworks are postponed, the rain date is set as the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, September 5th. If a severe storm hits before or during the display, Thomas Worthington High School will be open as an emergency shelter. Announcements will be made over the PA system both in the stadium and the family picnic areas. Updates will also be posted on the City's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Parking
Limited parking will be available at the TWHS parking lot to the west and north of the building. Because it always fills up early, people are encouraged to park outside of the high school neighborhood area, carpool, bike or walk. The municipal lots in the downtown area will be available for people to park and walk into the high school area. To maintain access for emergency vehicles and facilitate traffic movement it will be necessary to post certain streets “No Parking" on July 4th. Parking restrictions will be lifted following the event. The areas to be posted "No Parking" are: 

•  Medick Way – both sides
•  Tucker Dr. - north side only
•  Tucker N.W. - both sides
•  Farrington Dr. - north side only
•  Seabury Dr. - west side only
•  Sinsbury Dr. N. - north side only
•  Blanford Dr. - north side only
•  Sanbridge Circle - north side only
•  W. New England Ave. – north side only, west of Oxford
•  Evening St. – both sides from W. New England Ave. to Rt. 161
•  Granville Service Rds. – both sides
•  West Granville Rd. – both sides from Evening St. to the Olentangy River Rd. bridge
•  North Street – both sides

To facilitate the flow of traffic after the fireworks, North Street will become one way eastbound. The cooperation of area residents is appreciated.

By Nicholas Dekker

I have fond memories as a kid of neighborhood block parties, the ones where they would close down the whole street and someone would line up a dozen banquet tables in a row and everyone would bring a dish to share. There would be games and – if it was a holiday – the fire department would roll in a truck and the kids would climb all over it.

That was the same feeling I got at Picnic With the Partnership last year. It took a road we all know – High Street – and transformed it into this great community party. It was a chance for us to gather at the central hub of the neighborhood to, well, just be neighbors.

If you’ve never been, just imagine a big neighborhood picnic. Except instead of all bringing casseroles, we’re being fed by local restaurants. If you’re coming to the Picnic, make sure you order a ticket ahead of time. You can simply reserve a seat at the table and bring you own food, or pre-order a meal from Whitney House, Worthington Inn, Harold’s, or Taste of Vietnam. Kid’s meals are also available!

Last year we ordered dinner from The Whitney House, and it was top-notch.

The new item this year is the D.O.R.A. (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) that will be in effect by the time of the Picnic. D.O.R.A. allows guests to purchase adult beverages at establishments around Old Worthington and walk around the district. A little sip and stroll, if you will. Previously, guests had to stay within the confines of the event, but this year Picnic With the Partnership can flex a little bit to involve the whole neighborhood!

The added bonus of this is… dessert! Because guests can stroll the district, that means they visit the shops up and down High Street. If you purchase dessert taste tickets ahead of time, you can wander around to designated shops to sample different sweet treats.

Get your tickets for Picnic With the Partnership (sooner than later!) here. Learn more about this fundraiser that benefits The Old Worthington Partnership here.

See you at the picnic!