LBGT Events

This is not an event, but an announcement that we are accepting new members. If you'd like to pursue joining our group, please read the "about us" section and then write us at columbusmensgroup@gmail.com with a few paragraphs about yourself, what you'd like to experience in the group, and the contribution that you'd like to make. Thank you!

Join us every other Wednesday during the summer at 5:30pm at Blendon Woods Inclusive Playground. Starts Wednesday June 17th. **Agenda** 5:30-6:15 Kids Play & Dad's Meet 6:15-6:45 Snacks & Father/Son Men's Group Circle \- Simple intro Round \- What are Dad & Son working on? \- Various Topics for Fathers and Sons\(What does it mean to be a man? Etc\.\) 6:45-7 Close. Go get food or keep playing. Mario will lead this group and hold the space. Generally, it is a laid-back, open group that can be modified to accommodate those who show up. If people want to go get dinner after, we can :) It's all about making friends and building a positive community. Mario has led men's groups for several years, sponsored by Speak Your Mind, an Ohio Non-Profit organization with a focus on men's mental well-being. Click here to learn more about SYM: https://linktr.ee/taketimespeakyourmind). All events are non-denominational and donation-based. No one will be turned away for their beliefs or financial position. Suggested donation is $5 per family per meeting (Covers the cost of meetup). **Donation link**: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/angels-for-angels/speak-your-mind **Liability Waiver** to fill out before your first event (Required). This covers the non-profit in the event of any accidents. https://form.jotform.com/242207035182144 Contact Mario with any questions: 808-855-8831 Address: 4265 E. Dublin Granville Road Columbus, OH 43081 Follow signs to the back of the park (Inclusive Playground)

This week is national unplayed games week, so we encourage you to break out those shrink-wrapped games you bought on a whim but haven't had a chance to try yet. Do your best to learn the game ahead of time to facilitate the process! let's get those dusty ones to the table! The Forge does have a full bar and kitchen. There is no cover charge but they do request all attendees to purchase a minimum of ~20 per person. Soft drink refills are 1 each. Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area. Parking can sometimes fill esrly. There is additional parking lot behind the neighboring Mexican restaurant that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

Want to see your work shine and put your pride on display? Then come to July's Creativity Circle! We will be making simple Suncatchers with tissue paper! Seats and supplies limited! Come while you can for as long as you like! Westerville Public Library in Meeting Room D.

Mental Health, how do you understand it? How can you improve it? How do you get rid of stress, anxiety and uncertainty? These emotions are buried deep in your reactive mind. Find out what the reactive mind is, and in the process find yourself. Have you ever suffered from a traumatic experience, a deep loss or been through a painful breakup? Has your ability to communicate suffered as a result? And after that, even though you "moved on" did you find that things were never quite the same? Have you ever looked at childhood photos, or reminisced your early life and wondered where that happiness and spark went? Are your emotions out of your own control? Have you ever felt, even if you aren’t aware of it, that possibly you are getting in your own way of your happiness and success? How does this affect your self-confidence? Find out what is at the root of all stress, anxiety, depression and self-doubt. Find out how and why you hold yourself back from achieving your goals and having the life you have dreamed of. As soon as you learn what is at the root of these unwanted conditions, you’ll see it is something you can DO something about. You will not be labeled or categorized at this MeetUp. This group is hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

🇺🇸 Red, White & BOOM: A Black Love Summer Social ❤️ Skip the downtown chaos and celebrate with great people instead! Join Black Love & Friends as we spend the evening together in the beautiful, historic King-Lincoln District, just steps from Mayme Moore Park, with an incredible view of the Red, White & BOOM fireworks. This isn't a formal event—it's a relaxed summer gathering. Come early or stop by later. Stay for an hour or stay all evening. We'll have our own private meetup space where you can kick back, meet new people, play a few games, enjoy light refreshments, and simply enjoy the holiday together. Throughout the evening we'll explore the King-Lincoln District, soak up the atmosphere, laugh, connect, and then settle in as the Columbus skyline lights up with one of the biggest fireworks shows of the year. ✨ What to expect: 🎆 Great views of the Red, White & BOOM fireworks 🏙️ Historic King-Lincoln District ⛺ Private Black Love & Friends meetup tent 🎲 Lawn games & conversation 🥤 Light refreshments 🤝 New friends & great vibes 📸 Perfect summer photo opportunities Event begins: 6:30 PM Fireworks begin later in the evening, so arrive whenever works for you. Feel free to come and go throughout the night. ⚠️ RSVP is required. Space at our tent is limited, so we'll only be able to accommodate those who register in advance. Bring a chair if you'd like, wear your favorite red, white, and blue, and come celebrate community, connection, and summer with Black Love & Friends. Good people. Great conversations. Amazing fireworks.

Come assist Van Buren Shelter (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/vanburen) staff in serving dinners and cleaning up on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Dinner for the women is 5-6 pm and for the families is 6:15-7:15 pm. There is ample free parking available in the shelter's lot. The recommended area to park is in green in the image above. There will be a new entrance for the time being. We are asking all volunteers to enter through the Donation Dock door, the orange mark on the image above. This door is located between the Single Adults and Family Shelter. You will see 2 large garage doors with a large green trash compactor in the center. Please head to the closest garage door to the building wall, with a ramp leading up. There, you will see a door with a sign stating instructions on how to enter the building. Please ring the doorbell, and a staff member will come and escort you into the building. If a staff member takes longer than 5 minutes, please call the front desk at 614-689-2020. This is a new process for us, and we do not want to keep you waiting! We appreciate your patience as we navigate this temporary change. The shelter needs a volunteer count the day before the event so sign-up ends Monday at 4:50 PM. Afterwards some of us go to the Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup in progress to have a bit to eat or drink (http://www.meetup.com/omnipresentatheists/). Volunteers must be 14 or older. Since we will be working around families, the YMCA does not permit volunteering by individuals with convictions for violent or sexual crimes. The YMCA reserves the right to run background checks on volunteers. For questions, comment on this page or contact: Andrew, awhit12@yahoo.com, (614)937-5802 (cell). Please let Andrew know if you volunteer anytime other than our COUNT events so that he can count your hours toward our service record.

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

*The streets of Columbus are going French this July!* The **[Chouette Bastille Day Festival](https://www.chouetterestaurant.com/)** returns to N. High Street this summer for an afternoon of live French jazz, traditional French cuisine, and premium cocktails, wines, and craft beers from our DORA bar. Free cover, festive, and entirely French.⁠ **⁠When:** Sunday, July 12th, 12PM to 4 PM - we'll meet about 2pm. **Parking**: Metropolis Parking garage, one block west. Metropolis Parking lot, one block east. **Note**: Feel free to come by early and grab a sit down lunch at one of the great restaurants nearby, if you like. Once the fest begins, eats n drinks purchased are walkabout, round tables, or lean in high tops. *You just may find me at a barstool at Hank's ;)*

\*\*\*UPDATE\*\*\* THANK YOU for the GREAT response to our CMG 17th Anniversary Party! Should be another FUN anniversary event! We currently have a few un-paid RSVP’s and a pretty good waiting list. So, in fairness to all and to ensure we have an accurate RSVP count for the restaurant and theater, here’s our plan for finalizing the RSVP list for this event: If you are RSVP’d and have already PRE-PAID, you are ALL SET! Look forward to seeing you on the 19th for what should be a GREAT day and a FUN time together! If you are RSVP’d but have NOT yet Pre-Paid (or reached out to make arrangements), please do so by Thursday, July 9th. If I don’t hear from you before then, all unpaid RSVPs will be moved to the Waiting List and remaining spots will be filled first-come, first-served. If you are on the Waiting List, be sure to check back on Fri, 7/10 and if you are moved to the RSVP list, please make payment as soon as possible to guarantee your spot! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Join us for a CMG Special Event you won’t want to miss: The Columbus Movie Group’s 17th Anniversary Party with THE ODYSSEY + BRAVO! Always a fun and memorable event, this year we’re combining a DELICIOUS meal in Bravo’s Banquet Room and a CMG Exclusive Private Screening of what’s certain to be one of the BEST films of the year: THE ODYSSEY! Plus, a great group of Movie Group friends to enjoy it with, and more! Here are complete details for this event: THE ODYSSEY: The film is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic that follows Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, and chronicles his long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope. The film is written/directed by Chrostopher Nolan and the ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie and Charlize Theron. Early buzz is strong for what should be an excellent epic film! TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_bKjZeJBBI MEAL PLAN: Meet at the Lennox Bravo between 1:45 and 2:00pm and we’ll be dining their upstairs Private Banquet Room! Just let ‘em know you’re with the Movie Group! Our meal includes \ \*bread \* unlimited soft drinks / tea \ \*choice of soup or salad \* choice of selected entree (including vegetarian/vegan options) \* dessert! Added perks: Door prizes and a little something for everyone as we celebrate 17 years of good movies, good friends and good times together! See meal details and options below. BRAVO MEAL DETAILS. All meals include: \* Freshly-baked focaccia bread \* Unlimited Soft Drinks, Coffee and Tea. (Pay-as-you-go Bar Drinks Also Available) \* Soup or Salad. Choices include: • Wedding Soup: Classic Italian Wedding soup with orzo, meatballs, spinach & Parmesan • Chopped Salad: Chopped greens, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, olives, feta, red wine vinaigrette (Vegetarian or Vegan w/out Feta) \* Choice of Entrée. Options include: • Chicken Marsala: Grilled chicken, marsala sauce, mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables • Pasta Bravo: Grilled chicken, rigatoni, mushrooms, roasted red pepper cream sauce • Pasta Bravo w/out Chicken: Rigatoni, mushrooms, roasted red pepper cream sauce (Vegetarian) • Eggplant Parmesan: Crispy breaded eggplant, marinara, mozzarella, herb linguine (Vegetarian) • Mediterranean Vegetable Salad: Entrée Salad with grilled seasonal vegetables, orzo, farro, sweet garlic vinaigrette, balsamic reduction (Vegetarian or Vegan w/out Feta) • Spaghetti Pomodoro: House-made tomato compote and basil (Vegetarian or Vegan w/out Parmesan) \* Plus, Dessert, Door Prizes and a little something for everyone to celebrate our CMG 17th Anniversary! MOVIE PLAN: We’ll be seeing a CMG-Exclusive Private Screening of THE ODYSSEY immediately following the meal at 4:00pm. We’ll head to the theater together immediately after the BRAVO portion of the event. Exact screen number will be confirmed/announced closer to the date of the event. HOW TO GUARANTEE YOUR SPOT: Seating is limited and prepayment required to RSVP. Don't miss out -- please RSVP and pre-pay as soon as possible to guarantee your spot! All-inclusive pricing of $55 per person includes: salad, bread, entrée, beverages, dessert, tax, tip + private screening and a little something-something to take home with you! Prepayment via VENMO (@Daniel-Bezon), ZELLE (Daniel Bezon), or cash/check at any event between now and the Anniversary Party. If either payment option requests a phone number or if you’d like to mail payment, just send me a private message offline and I’ll send you the phone number and/or address. Look forward to seeing you there for what should be another fun and memorable event, Dan

Tired of swiping? Join us in the **Beer Garden at Edision Brewing Company** for a fun Summer bash on the patio **100+ Columbus singles in one space** — all here to connect in real life. No speed dating. No pressure. Just real conversations, good vibes, and new connections. ## [TICKET & REGISTRATION LINKED HERE! ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/singles-summer-bash-edison-beer-garden-tickets-1991203300674) \*\*\*\*\* ## 💫 What’s Included * Name tag + guided icebreaker card * “I’m Interested in You” cards * Giveaways throughout the night * Full bar + food available for purchase Whether you're new to the city, working from home, or just ready to meet new people — this is your crowd. ## 📍 Event Details **Who:** Singles 21+ (20s–40s) **Where:** Edison Beer Garden 785 Science Blvd, Gahanna, OH 43230 **When:** July 15th 6:30PM ## You never know who you’ll meet. Join us!