Local Wildlife

Join us as we get together to see an Opening Night showing of the highly anticipated epic fantasy-adventure, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH! We’ll make this one of our rare 3D movie events! James Cameron returns to direct the 3rd film in the acclaimed series which should be another visually stunning adventure! Here are details, a trailer and our plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: One year after settling in with the Metkayina Clan, Jake and Neytiri's family encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences. The film is directed (and co-written) by James Cameron and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet who all return to reprise their roles from previous films. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-vO43w1xXg PLAN: Details for this event have already been confirmed! Please purchase your ticket for the 6:00pm showing at Cinemark Polaris and meet inside the theater lobby between 5:30 and 5:45pm! This event will sell out so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you do, please list your seat number in the Comments below! NOTE ON LOCATION: This one took some time to sort out! Ticket prices for a 3D showing at the various theaters range from $11 to $22+ in a range of theater sizes from tiny/intimate to large auditoriums. Because advance ticket sales have already started, many locations/showtimes are already half-full! So, we went with a showtime (6pm) and seating suitable for a long (3-hr) movie, middle-of-the-pack pricing, and a large enough theater with little/no pre-sales that (hopefully) won’t sell out too quickly. And, did I mention luxury seating! That said, you’ll want to purchase your tickets as soon as possible! Should be a fun one, Dan

**Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in the most festive and nostalgic setting in the city - [CITIZENS TRUST](https://www.thecitizenstrust.com/). Featuring wall-to-wall Christmas décor, cheery social experiences, and a whole lot of Christmas spirits!** **Sip one of the many Christmas cocktails crafted by their jolly staff, take your profile picture in the Igloo, and connect with friends in the most decked out holiday bar in the city.** **START**: ***HAPPY HOUR at Buckeye Bourbon House*** (5-6pm). Select small plates and cocktails are about half price. *(note: Citizens Trust does not serve food, just cocktails)* **PARKING:** After 5pm, metered street parking is available. There is also a public pay lot on the same block (Metropolis).

The meeting/AGM for 12/13 has been canceled due the anticipated snow. We will hold our Annual General Meeting on Friday @ 5:30pm the first day of our year end holiday double header ... Free Pizza and Cake is expected to be served. Hope to game and see you Friday and let you know about CABS!!!

Floral Holiday Centerpiece Saturday, December 20, 2025 Our popular program is back for another year! Come and get creative with the Licking Park District. We will be using natural objects found in the park as well as flowers to make a Holiday Centerpiece! Participants will have supplies including flowers, plastic centerpiece holder, floral foam, greens, and pinecones. You can also bring your own container. Ribbon and candles will be available to choose. Flower colors will reflect the season, but will vary in color and are first come first serve. Watch the demonstration to learn some techniques ranging from modern to traditional, than make the centerpiece your own! Creativity is encouraged. Register by December 8. Fee: $25. 10AM to 12PM OR 1:30PM - 3:30PM Location: James Bradley Center, Infirmary Mound Park [https://www.lickingparkdistrict.com/264/December-2025](https://www.lickingparkdistrict.com/264/December-2025)

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Jennings Java Artisan Coffee Roasters](https://www.jenningsjava.com/)!

**History** [Wildlights](https://www.columbuszoo.org/wildlights) began in 1988 as "Wildlight Wonderland," a smaller-scale effort to boost winter attendance at the [Columbus Zoo](https://www.columbuszoo.org/). Before the event started, December was a slow month for the zoo, with as few as 1,000 visitors in the first week. The inaugural display featured 100,000 to 150,000 white lights around the lake, successfully drawing 12,000 people and establishing a new holiday tradition. The event quickly grew in size and popularity, adding more lights and new attractions over the years. Early improvements included increasing the number of lights to 200,000 in the second year and adding animal-themed light sculptures. By 2006, the event fully transitioned to LED lights, paving the way for a massive expansion in the scale and creativity of the displays. This change allowed the zoo to grow its display to millions of colorful lights. The event has evolved to include themed animated shows, like the *Holiday Magic* light show over Conservation Lake, and new immersive experiences. Today, Wildlights attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each season, becoming a Central Ohio holiday staple. Each year, the event continues to add new attractions, like the 2024 *Yule Tide Boat Ride* on Dino Island. The modern version of Wildlights also incorporates special features to enhance the guest experience, such as meet-and-greets with holiday characters like Rudolph and sensory-friendly viewing nights. Throughout its history, Wildlights has continued to expand, adding new elements while creating a cherished winter tradition for the community. **Summary** Except for the [Congo](https://www.columbuszoo.org/congo-expedition) and [Africa](https://www.columbuszoo.org/heart-of-africa) regions, most of the Zoo is scheduled to be open and appointed with various Christmas decorations. The [Dinosaur Island Boat Ride](https://www.columbuszoo.org/ride/dinosaur-island-boat-ride), [Zoo Train Ride](https://www.columbuszoo.org/ride/north-america-train-ride), and [Grand Carousel](https://www.columbuszoo.org/ride/grand-carousel) are also supposed to be open and in a state of appropriate Yuletide cheer, weather permitting. [Gold members](https://www.columbuszoo.org/membership) can ride the rides for free; otherwise, they're $3 or $4, depending on the ride and whether you're a [Zoo member](https://www.columbuszoo.org/membership). S'mores and Frosted Nuts will be available at both [Wild Burger](https://www.columbuszoo.org/dining-option/wildburger) and the [Congo Food Court](https://www.columbuszoo.org/dining-option/congo-river-market-food-court). There's also supposed to be a new, "immersive" light display this year in [Adventure Cove](https://www.columbuszoo.org/adventure-cove). Perhaps the Zoo is trying to make everyone forget just how uncomfortable of a roller coaster the [Tidal Twist](https://www.columbuszoo.org/ride/tidal-twist) is. 😆 **Where we'll meet** If you've never been the Zoo before, they have "red" and "blue" parking lots that are really both equidistant from the main gate. I generally park in the red lot, but and time- and distance-wise, they're really the same. After you've parked, the Zoo has a security gate that you just walk through while they scan you for nuclear bombs and things like that. Then there's a second gate, inside the first security gate, where you'll either give them your ticket (which you can buy either [online](https://www.columbuszoo.org/hours-and-rates), or at one of the ticket windows on-site), or where they'll scan the membership [QR code](https://www.columbuszoo.org/digital-zoo-membership) on your phone if you're a [Zoo member](https://www.columbuszoo.org/membership). Just inside this second entry gate is a big fountain with a large metal globe over it. We'll meet by this fountain. **Restrooms and water fountains** You can't walk five feet at the Zoo without bumping into another set of restrooms and water fountains. When kids need to pee, they need to pee, and the Columbus Zoo is a family-friendly place. The restrooms also all have paper towels and not those stupid hand dryers. When kids need to have their faces wiped, they need their faces wiped. There are even restrooms outside the second gate before you even officially enter the Zoo. I'm telling you, someone did some good planning on this place. **Tickets / pricing** Zoo entry is $26 for residents of Franklin County, and $36 otherwise. Parking is $10. If you're a [Zoo member](https://www.columbuszoo.org/membership), though, this is all free. **"Should I buy a membership?"** Probably. If you go even twice a year, the [membership](https://www.columbuszoo.org/membership) pays for itself. I will always run at least one event a year at the Columbus Zoo. This event will actually be my second at the Zoo for 2025. **After the presents are opened** After absorbing all the holiday cheer and electromagnetic radiation that the Zoo has to offer, we'll charge over to the positively rated [Nocterra Brewing](https://nocterrabrewing.com/powell-taproom/), which is about five minutes away from the Zoo. The brewery has a [food truck](https://nocterrabrewing.com/trail-magic-kitchen/) that has burgers, fries, chicken, pretzels, and grilled cheese. The actual address of the brewery is [41 Depot St, Powell, OH 43065](https://www.google.com/maps/place/41+Depot+St,+Powell,+OH+43065/@40.1596203,-83.0785105,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8838f2758d4778c9:0xf8991f589eac0291!8m2!3d40.1596203!4d-83.0785105!16s%2Fg%2F11bw3ytblz?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkyNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). Come out and join us even if you can't make the Zoo (but feel appropriate guilt if you don't).

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. If the weather cooperates we will be meeting in the patio. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Join us at Sharon Woods Metropark this December 28th from 9-10:30 am for some lovely winter birding. [Register here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOAdQlIaKro1dFCgfp26IcwsaxQjzbYMZVQ7mLg3dViQDrsQ/viewform?usp=sf_link) for details closer to the event.

Do you sometimes feel like you do well in life then something happens and you slide back, never quite getting ahead. At this Meetup you'll find out how to identify what actually causes the lows, the highs and everything in between. More importantly you’ll get the secret of how to gain control over your life so the highs are higher and the lows go away. Wouldn’t it be nice to stop the wild roller coaster ride for good? Or at least make it a fun roller coaster ride, with more ups and downs. There is a hidden factor that will be going over and you’re going to be quite surprised what it is and how much it affects your life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is hosted at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center.

Join us for this free, in person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Do you want more motivation and confidence to build lasting relationships? Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

WANDER LIGHTS- let’s enjoy the best Christmas lights that Columbus has to offer. All FREE. We will begin our wander lights experience at Columbus Commons. There is a 40 foot lit Christmas tree, over 150 lighted trees, decorated garden beds and an illuminated tunnel made up of glowing archways complete with a snow globe photo op. Plus new illuminations on the Columbus common stage. NEXT - we will walk down to 50 West Town St. 400 feet away. Town Street will be twinkling with lights and decorations. Follow the illuminated penguins and lights down the wander lights path from Columbus commons to the Seattle mile. Stop by the Lazarus building Galleria, for an elaborate holiday display. NEXT - we will walk down to the Scioto mile. .3 miles. 233 S. Civic Center Dr. The downtown riverfront will be decked out in an elevated glow, centered around the Scioto mile fountain, which will be illuminated by more than 40 sculptural lights and 75 wrapped trees, providing passersby with the ultimate winter photo backdrop. FINALLY- .5 Miles One Direction is LAND GRANT and several other bars. The other direction .4 miles is pecan pennies, the greatest diner ever. Legal Stuff: The event hosts/Organizers are just fellow member volunteers. By participating in any event, you assume all risks of liability and injury inherent in these activities. You are responsible for your own safety and for determining if you are in condition fit to participate. You are also responsible for knowing and abiding by all laws and rules during your participation in any event.

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