ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Christmas Lights and Music Help Fight Hunger

Updated on December 2, 2021
Patty Inglish, MS profile image

In many ways, music saved my life, and I have the most famous director of the USMC bands to thank for it!

The skyline of Columbus on the Scioto River, lit up in December, City Hall in the center.
The skyline of Columbus on the Scioto River, lit up in December, City Hall in the center. | Source

The Lights at City Hall

The City Hall of Columbus, Ohio on West Broad Street downtown lights up every year at the beginning of December and the spectacle does not cost the taxpayers a single penny. In fact, the outdoor lighting at City Hall is donated all year.

A tall, decorated Christmas Tree is also displayed to the public on the property, near a city bus stop where riders can enjoy it as they board their buses. Throughout the Christmas and New year's season, groups of carolers and other performers provide entertainment on the steps of City Hall near the tree.

The building and tree display many bright light lights, along with red, green and other seasonal colors and decorations.

Columbus City Hall at W. Broad and Front St.

The building is lit in white light nightly, with the addition of red and green and other colors for Christmas and other holidays. It is bathed in red light for National Aids Day. The electric company tower is visible just behind the building.
The building is lit in white light nightly, with the addition of red and green and other colors for Christmas and other holidays. It is bathed in red light for National Aids Day. The electric company tower is visible just behind the building. | Source


100th Anniversary Year for Columbus Recreation and Parks Department Events: Columbus Recreation and Parks operates the city parks and their events along the Scioto River since 1910. On December 2, 2010 at 5PM, everyone was invited to join the Mayor, Honorable Michael B. Coleman, City Council President Michael Mentel, and City Council Members at our downtown Broad Street Plaza, 90 W. Broad Street, for an annual Tree Lighting Ceremony of a 40-foot tree.

The annual lighting ceremonies highlights the Spirit of Giving and Empty Bowls Projects against hunger. Lights are on display until sometime after the Orthodox Christmas celebration day in January, so there is plenty of time to see the lights and holiday displays.

Columbus Palace Theatre

In the Leveque Tower, just east of City Hall.
In the Leveque Tower, just east of City Hall. | Source

The first night's lighting event, the tree, and the electricity are all free for the 6 weeks involved, provided by AEP Ohio (The Electric Company), Boehringer Ingleheim Roxane, Schooley Caldwell Associates, MSI and Tech Art Productions. Speeches, a visit from Santa, free refreshments (hot chocolate and donuts), and entertainment will follow the 5PM lighting ceremony.

Free refreshments and the goods of street vendors and downtown eateries are available during Santa's visit to City Hall, music from the Columbus Children's Choir, and scenes from The Nutcracker ballet performed in the plaza. People love this event.

This block of Broad Street is next to the historic Palace Theater, with the Ohio Statehouse across High Street half a block to the east. About half a block west is the Scioto River and half a dozen city parks along its banks that come to life with Christmas and Winter Holiday lights and festivities after Thanksgiving and in early December every year. A Santa Maria Ship Museum on a replica ship in the river throws special parties for all the holidays. Look at the link below for all the great events along the Scioto River.

Soup and Ceramics - Spirit of Giving

Anyone attending the City Hall Tree Lighting Ceremony may contribute to ending hunger by purchasing a handcrafted bowl containing delicious hot soup. Local children and professional artists have made artistic ceramic bowls for the anti-hunger Empty Bowls Project.

For a $10 donation, you can have a piece of handcrafted pottery, hot soup, and freshly made bread. Sponsors are Black Creek Bistro and Katzinger’s Deli, with all donations given to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Columbus.

Lights Across the Street

The Columbus Center of Science and Industry provides a seasonal light show that is free and very popular with residents and visitors. Located at 333 West Broad Street, the center is less than two blocks from City Hall, across a lighted bridge spanning the Scioto.

Light shows will begin around Thanksgiving or early December. Showings are usually provided on Wednesday - Saturday from 10AM to 5PM and Sundays 12PM to 6PM. It's closed on Mon./Tues. each week, on December 24 & 25th, and on New Year’s Day. However, New Year's Eve will be particularly enjoyable, because a great light show at COSI is part of Columbus First Night downtown family party. All the installations and attractions downtown will light up for visitors!

COSI Columbus

Photo of COSI from the west. Note City Hall with the green Block O on the top, to the left.
Photo of COSI from the west. Note City Hall with the green Block O on the top, to the left. | Source

Area Map

A
City Hall 90 W. Broad Street, Columbus OH:
90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215, USA

get directions

B
Laveque Tower, Columbus OH:
Le Veque Towers, 50 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215-3301, USA

get directions

C
COSI 333 W. Broad Street, Columbus OH:
333 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215, USA

get directions

D
Veterans Memorial Hall, Columbus OH:
Veterans Memorial, 300 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215-2788, USA

get directions

Old Veteran's Memorial Hall

Vets Memorial events center is across Broad Street from COSI. It is part of the Arnold Classic and was once used to host Big Time Wrestling on TV.
Vets Memorial events center is across Broad Street from COSI. It is part of the Arnold Classic and was once used to host Big Time Wrestling on TV. | Source

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2010 Patty Inglish MS

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)