Cigars

🏓 **CSC Pickleball League – Join the Fun!** Whether you're competitive or just want to connect with fellow members, this friendly ladder league is for you! 🗓 **May 19 – July 7** ⏰ Tuesdays \| 7:00–9:00 PM 📍 Match Point Pickleball Club – 350 McCormick Blvd, Columbus 💲 $85 per player (no sub needed if you need to skip a week) **YOU MUST SIGN UP VIA LINK BELOW AND PAY PRIOR TO 5/17 TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.** [Pickleball Summer 2026 - Calendar - Columbus Ski Club](https://www.columbusskiclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=686961&item_id=2948671&actr=3) No equipment required (bring your own paddle if you prefer). Partners rotate weekly, and skill levels are assigned by the facility—no experience needed! Come out, improve your game, and meet great people. All skill levels welcome! Columbus Ski Club Membership is required to participate - don't worry its not expensive and allows you annual access to many other sports leagues and activities along with trips! Sign up for membership here and then proceed to sign up for Pickleball league. Please reach out with any questions! [New Member Sign Up - Columbus Ski Club](https://www.columbusskiclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=60&club_id=686961)

Click Here For More Videos: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17bwkttXhV/ *********************************** Salsamante Dance Academy will be at Swerve Every Tuesday Night to share the Rhythm & Energy of Bachata & Salsa. These are Beginner Level lessons to get you comfortable and understand the two dances. Spread the Good News to all. Swerve Dance & Fitness Complex 640 Lakeview Plaza Blvd A, Worthington, OH 43085 Bachata 7pm-8pm Salsa 8pm-9pm $15 - One Lesson $20 - Both Lessons

**You're invited to join local Columbus animal advocates as we watch PETA's workshop together on cage-free campaigns. Free vegan pizza will be provided! After the workshop Q&A, we'll have a group discussion and brainstorm on future activism plans. Hope to see you there!** **Here are the details:** **WHEN: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 6pm EST** **WHERE: KTC Columbus** **If you cannot attend in person, you can still view the workshop virtually at https://www.facebook.com/events/1567122777711333** **Here's some background on the workshop:** **Please join us for an eye-opening online PETA Playbook discussion with PETA’s Associate Director of Vegan Campaigns, Amber Canavan, where we’ll ask the hard-hitting questions about the cage-free campaigns and their impact on both hens and vegan efforts.** **Whether you’re looking to strengthen your outreach or sharpen your messaging around the egg industry’s humane-washing tactics, this workshop will give you practical tools to help others understand what “cage-free” really means for hens and why the label is misleading.** **We’ll explore how to keep conversations respectful, fact-based, and focused on the animals’ reality while encouraging others to take effective action.** **Please join us for this important workshop to learn how you can cut through cage-free marketing and help animals.** **Come ready to learn, ask questions, and ignite your activism for animals!**

Customer identity resolution becomes increasingly complex as organizations scale across multiple systems, regions, and data formats. Traditional rule-based approaches often fail to keep up with data variability, require constant manual tuning, and struggle with real-time processing needs. This session presents a practical approach to building a scalable identity resolution pipeline using AWS services and modern AI techniques. The architecture combines data ingestion through Amazon S3 and AWS Glue, transformation pipelines using Spark on EMR, and machine learning models deployed via SageMaker for entity matching and standardization. Graph-based relationship modeling is implemented using Amazon Neptune to improve resolution accuracy by incorporating household and shared attribute context. We will walk through how machine learning models can be used for name and address normalization, how intelligent blocking strategies improve matching efficiency, and how feedback loops can be introduced to continuously improve accuracy. The session also highlights how serverless components such as AWS Lambda can be used for orchestration and real-time processing. **SPEAKER BIO** Mosaic Syed is a Senior Data Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across global enterprise environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosaic-basha-syed-92300856 **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: [https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/](https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/) **THANK YOU** *VEEAM* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Veeam*, please visit their website: [https://www.veeam.com/](https://www.veeam.com/) **DIRECTIONS** 8800 Lyra Dr #450 · Columbus, OH go to 4th floor. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

**Building a great product is one thing—building momentum behind it is another.** Join **Senior Product Manager Adam Solaiman** and **User Experience Manager Tyson Smith** for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into scalable products inside large organizations. In this session, they’ll share how teams move from ambiguity to execution—navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and continuously evolving products after launch. You’ll walk away with insights on how to: * Build and sustain momentum across teams * Adapt to changing priorities without losing direction * Scale products thoughtfully in complex environments Whether you're driving a new initiative or growing an existing product, this conversation will give you practical strategies to keep things moving forward. Come connect, learn, and swap stories with fellow product professionals. \-\-\- Food and drinks will be provided by Switchbox, our generous host. Free parking will be available at the front and back sides of the Switchbox Office.

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)

**History** The history of [Blendon Woods Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/blendon-woods/) began long before its 1951 opening, rooted in a landscape of rugged ridges and deep ravines that made the land unsuitable for traditional farming. In 1945, a report proposing a metropolitan park system for Franklin County specifically highlighted these cliffs of Bedford Shale as some of the "wildest land in the vicinity". Following this recommendation, the recently formed park district purchased the first 229 acres in early 1949. Because the terrain was so uneven, developers had to cut a mile-and-a-half-long roadway through dense woods just to bring in heavy equipment. This initial preservation effort ensured that the mature second-growth hardwood forests remained largely untouched by the urban expansion spreading toward Westerville. Opening day arrived on Labor Day, September 3, 1951, marking Blendon Woods as the second park in the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks system. The final push to open was a frantic race; the State Highway Department only finished the primary gravel access road four days before the gates opened. Early staff members, consisting of just four full-time employees, had to hand-dig pit toilets and learn construction skills on the fly to build the first picnic shelters. Despite the dusty conditions and limited facilities, the park was an immediate success, drawing massive crowds from across Central Ohio. By the end of the 1950s, annual visitation had already climbed to over 190,000 people. As the surrounding suburbs grew in the 1960s, the park faced severe overcrowding that threatened its natural habitats. In response, Franklin County voters passed the first Metro Parks levy in 1960, providing the funds necessary for a decade of steady expansion. During this era, the park nearly doubled in size, growing from 264 acres to over 570 acres by 1968. Planners also addressed a critical water shortage by collaborating with the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service to build a lake in 1964. This body of water originally served as a temporary reservoir before its role shifted toward conservation and wildlife support. The 1970s marked a transition toward the specialized wildlife and educational focus for which the park is known today. In 1971, the Walden Waterfowl Refuge was established around the 11-acre Thoreau Lake, creating a sanctuary that remains restricted to provide a quiet habitat for migratory birds. A formal nature center was also developed during this period, expanding on the guided Sunday walks that had been a park staple since the early 1950s. The park’s famous "Monarch Mansion" also became a prominent fixture, starting a long tradition of raising and releasing thousands of monarch butterflies each September. These initiatives cemented the park’s reputation as a premier destination for birders and nature enthusiasts. In more recent decades, Blendon Woods has continued to modernize while maintaining its wilderness character. The 10-acre Natural Play Area was added in 2017, encouraging kids to explore the ravines and woods off-trail. This was followed by the opening of a $1.5 million inclusive playground in April 2025, designed to accommodate children of all physical abilities. The nature center also underwent major renovations to include immersive, three-dimensional exhibits and a new butterfly house. Today, the park encompasses 653 acres, preserving a unique geologic and biological corridor amidst the bustling Westerville and Northeast Columbus area. **Map of the Park** Here is a map of [Blendon Woods](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BLN_map_Inclusive-Playground-and-Butterfly-Trail_May-2025_1980px.png). **Summary** For this event, we will hike the Lake View, Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook, Brookside, and Sugarbush Trails. This sounds like a lot, but it will really be only a little over five miles. Blendon Woods has a few hills here and there, but it's not one of the more strenuous metro parks. **Where We'll Meet** We'll meet just in front of the Nature Center. This is about a mile into the park from the main entrance. You have to go past the Ranger Station and the Shadblow Reservable Area to get to it, so don't stop too early at the Ranger Station and get it confused with the Nature Center. **After the Hike** Afterward, we will head over to [Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/) at Easton for [drinks](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/#dinner-menu) and [food](https://forbiddenroot.com/wp-content/uploads/Cbus-Food.pdf). We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks. The brewery's actual address is [4080 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4080+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88388a86d10b6619:0x4d42b470a5cf11d3?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111); however, I recommend pointing your GPS to the [Worth Garage](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Worth+Garage/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388b4df6082825:0x17582f0eccd9dda1!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11rzfvvv8b?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) across the street. Parking in this garage is free as long as you're not on the first floor, and it is literally right next to the brewery.

This is a time where players of all ages, and skill levels can gather and enjoy a nice Sunday full of Chess!

Community Backyards Workshop Join us at the Ohio Herb Center in Gahanna to learn about sustainable home gardening. We can make small changes in our yards to make a BIG impact for a better environment and healthier waterways while saving money. This workshop is presented by Friends of Alum Creek and hosted by Ohio Herb Center. By attending, any participating community resident can receive a voucher for a rain barrel, compost bin, or native plants for attending. Vouchers are limited to one per household per year. Registration in advance is encouraged but NOT required. Click here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/65f65aw (Free Workshop Registration: Registration is free. Registering in advance provides your information to Franklin Soil and Water ahead of time, so when you come to the workshop, we will have your voucher ready for you when you arrive) * Location: Ohio Herb Center, 110 Mill St, Gahanna, OH 43230 * Date and time: Sat, May 23, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM * Organizer: The Community Backyards Program, (614) 486-9613, communitybackyards@franklinswcd.org **FAQs** **Our Community Backyards workshops are FREE and a great way to participate in the rebate program. Our workshops are typically 1 to 1 and a half hours long and held in-person. Our workshops cover the same content as the online course, but they are more detailed and allow the chance to ask questions and have discussions with the presenters and other residents. We occassionally have "advanced topics" classes where you dive deeper into one topic of Community Backyards such as invasive vs. native plants or rain gardens.** **Registration is encouraged but not required.** You can register in advance to receive your voucher at the workshop. If you don't register in advance, that's okay - you can still show up (unless otherwise noted - which is very rare) and sign up for a voucher at the class, and we will send you one via email or mail within a few business days after the workshop. **"Do I have to be a resident of that community to attend that workshop?"** Nope! Our workshops are open to everyone (unless otherwise noted - which is extremely rare). You can attend a workshop that best suits your schedule even if it is in a different community than your own. **"Why is registration closed?** Can I just show up?" Yes, you can show up without registering! We close registration typically 1-2 days before the workshop to give the vouchers and materials to the presenters. However, you are always welcome to just show up and fill out a short form to request a voucher at the workshop. If eligible, we will send one to you within 1-2 business days after the workshop. **Voucher note**: Classes are free for everyone but vouchers are for residents of Franklin county or participating community (list here: https://www.communitybackyards.org/participate) 2026 Participating Vendors: City Folk's Farm Shop, Fisher's Gardens, Leaves for Wildlife, Scioto Gardens, Hoover Gardens & Gift Center, and the FSWCD/SWACO Compost Bin Sale. *when redeeming your voucher at a vendor, Please bring a physical copy of your voucher to receive an immediate discount on your purchase. Additionally, to keep up with number of vouchers that are given out, we have changed the expiration date on the vouchers to 30 days

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. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."

Wild Ones Columbus Annual Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 23th, 2026 9:00 am to 1:00 pm (Eastern Time) Overbrook Presbyterian Church Parking Lot, 4131 N High St, Columbus, OH, 43214 Public Welcome, Family-Friendly Free Event A wide variety of native flowering plants, grasses, shrubs, and trees will be available from Wild Ones Columbus and local vendors Natives in Harmony, Leaves for Wildlife, and Scioto Gardens. Wild Ones will publish a list of plants that will be available at this year's sale closer to the event date. Be sure to stop by! Show up anytime!

**🔥 Lincoln Street Salsa HAS MOVED TO EVERY FRIDAY, NO MORE SATURDAYS!** **🔥 Lincoln Street Salsa @ 1717 Brice Rd, Reynoldsburg 43068** **🔥 Salsa, Bachata, Merengue Dancing!** **🔥 NO PARTNER OR EXPERIENCE NEEDED!** **🔥 Every FRIDAY, 8 pm - 1 am** **🔥 8:00 pm - 8:30 pm = Registration** **🔥 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm = Beginner Dance Class** **🔥 9:30 pm - 1:00 am = Open Dance Party** **🔥 LincolnStreetSalsa.com** **🔥 Questions? Text Todd 614-774-8146**

**✅ Bachata Mondays with Todd Smith!** **👉 Beginner Bachata Class** **$15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** . 7:00 pm – 7:15 pm … Registration 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm … Beginner Class . **👉 Intermediate Bachata Class** **= $15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** . 8:15 pm – 8:30 pm Registration 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm Intermediate Class . **👉 If You Take Both Bachata Classes** **= $25 In Advance / $35 At the Door** . **👉 Buy Advance Tickets Now at:** . https://columbussalsadancing.com/bachata-mondays-dance-class-tickets/

Art in the Park: DIY Garden Mosaic Stepping Stone Saturday, May 30, 2026 In this fun hands-on workshop, let your creativity flow as you design and craft your own mosaic stepping stone, perfect for adding a personal touch to your outdoor space! You will use concrete, colorful tiles, and your imagination to create a unique piece of garden art. No experience needed! We will provide the concrete, molds, tiles, and some inspiration patterns. If you have any ceramic pieces, glass, or stones of your own that you would like to add to your mosaic, feel free to bring them, but we will also have plenty on hand. Your mosaic stepping stone will need to set and dry, so we will create them on this day and you will pick yours up within the next week. * Ages 16+. * Registration required by May 26. * Yard ReWild discount applies. Class Fee: $20 1PM - 3PM Location: Shelter 6, Infirmary Mound Park Register here [https://www.lickingparkdistrict.com/269/May-2026](https://www.lickingparkdistrict.com/269/May-2026)

Happy Birthday to all June birthday people! I put this on the schedule because it's my birthday month, and this is my favorite place; it's also Dave Koczur's (MAFIA meetup leader) birthday on June 8; if you who are reading this have a June birthday as well, tell us in the Comments! For anyone off work or with a flexible schedule, come to Pistachio Vera in German Village for a tea and pastry. We will try to get a table outside. If convenient, you could put a fold up chair in your car in case we can all sit outside but we run out of chairs. https://www.pistaciavera.com/

Jimmy V's Grill & Pub in Grandview Heights. You are responsible for your own meal/drinks. We usually don't have any agenda other than eat, drink and talk. :) If the weather is nice we will be on the back patio, otherwise we are in the cigar room. This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us. COTA bus #5 comes to W. 5th and Wyandotte Rd. And it's a minute walk to the restaurant.

**💥 Join us THIS Saturday and EVERY Saturday!** **💥 At Columbus’ Hottest New Salsa Venue!** **.** Lincoln Street Salsa THIS Saturday and EVERY Saturday! 8 pm – 1 am **.** **💥 Gorgeously Renovated Studio!** **💥 Free Parking!** **💥 BYOB!** **💥 Easy Access from Highway!** **.** Lincoln Street Salsa 1717 Brice Rd Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43215 **.** **ENTRANCE IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING** **Behind Anthony’s Pharmacy!** **.** **PLEASE SHARE and help get the word out!** **.** **🟣 Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue Dancing!** **.** **🟣** 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm **𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻** **.** **🟣** 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm **𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Class!** **.** **🟣** 9:30 pm – 1 am **𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆!** **.** **✅ Questions?** **Visit [LincolnStreetSalsa.com](https://columbussalsadancing.com/)** Or Text Todd: 614-774-8146 **.** **✅ No Experience Necessary!** **✅ No Partner Required!** **✅ Plenty of People to Dance With!** **.** **✅ $15 Cash / $16 Card** **✅ College Students $5 Off with Valid ID!** **✅ BYOB** **✅ Age 18+** **.** **✅ Lincoln Street Salsa is the perfect place for…** **.** **👉 Learning to Dance** **👉** Social Dancing **👉 Birthday Celebration** **👉** Bachelorette Parties **👉 Girl’s Night Out** **👉 Date Night** **👉** Getting Fit / Burning Calories **👉 Meeting New People** **👉** Having Fun, Fun, Fun! **.** ✅ **Questions?** Visit [LincolnStreetSalsa.com](https://columbussalsadancing.com/) Or Text Todd: 614-774-8146

**Welcome to Drunken Philosophy** a casual, curious social discussion **Optional topic for this meetup: What's up with all the AI hate?** A recent survey found that 74% of Americans have a negative view of AI, and I want to know why. Come out and debate whether AI is good or bad. My hot take: a labor-saving tool that could potentially help cure cancer gets called dangerous because it might raise unemployment or cause a speculative investment bubble, that tells you a lot more about capitalism and the economic system we live under than it does about the tool itself. As a computer programmer, I think AI is a wonderful tool that has increased my productivity by at least an order of magnitude. I'd go so far as to say Claude Code is the best tool I have ever used. Debate me and name a better one. Is AI potentially dangerous? Yes, but so are a lot of tools. Chainsaws. Steam engines (early ones would occasionally explode and kill everyone in the room). Do you think cavemen sat around debating whether fire could be used as a weapon or for self-harm, and decided not to discover it? I have two friends who hate AI for opposite reasons: one thinks it's a fad and not useful, and the other thinks it's going to take over everything and cause human extinction. Come out tonight, have a friendly debate, and make some friends. No lectures. Friendly crowd. Drop in for one drink and stay if it's fun.

Thanks for being a part of the CABS Meetup Group! We meet @ the COFFEE UNDERGROUND on Indianola Avenue. We play many different games @ CABS - bring your own or play one of the OVER 2222 in our library. What are your favorite games? What was the last game you played? Hope to see and game with you soon! Check us out on Facebook! Doors open early on Saturday Mornings at 10am and around 4pm on Fridays if you are interested in learning new / simpler games ... or new to the hobby or just want to check us out come in early just after noon and we will show you around before the crowd grows. Stay for a game or two, an hour or two or for the day! Your first visit is free and after that it's $5 a meeting or you can join for the year! It's Your Move