Log Management
Meet other local people interested in Log Management: share experiences, inspire and encourage each other! Join a Log Management group.
82
members
1
groups
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out log management events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the log management events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find log management events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Log Management Events Today
Join in-person Log Management events happening right now
CodeRetreat Leuven
Come and join **your fellow peers** to have a good time **practicing** **writing code** to get better at writing code in your real jobs.
We’ll start off with **koffiekoeken** and form pairs to do the Game of Life Code Kata.
After 45 minutes we’ll delete all our code and talk about new insights you’ve gained.
Then we’ll pair up with new people and do it all over again but with new constraints applied, like not using conditional expressions, or committing code on green within 2 minutes.
At some point we’ll break for lunch and we’ll figure something out for dinner too.
## **What to bring?**
This event is very hands-on and it’s always better to come prepared.
Bring your laptop (and peripherals if this helps you code better).
Make sure you’ve installed GIT, and some programming languages you like.
Here are some kickstarting code repositories you can already clone to see if they are usable for you on your machine:
[https://github.com/SoftwareSandbox/coderetreat-kotlin](https://github.com/SoftwareSandbox/coderetreat-kotlin)
[https://github.com/SoftwareSandbox/coderetreat-java17](https://github.com/SoftwareSandbox/coderetreat-java17)
[https://github.com/SoftwareSandbox/coderetreat-elm](https://github.com/SoftwareSandbox/coderetreat-elm)
[https://github.com/TimmyGilissen/coderetreat-dotnetcore](https://github.com/TimmyGilissen/coderetreat-dotnetcore)
## **Schedule**
08:30 Welcome with koffiekoeken
09:00 Kick-off, facilitated by Vincent Verhoeven and Tim Schraepen
09:30 First kata
12:30 Lunch break
13:30 More kata’s
17:30 Closing
## **Is this event for me?**
If one or more of these apply to you, I’d say you’ll have a good time and learn something new:
* You’re a student and want to learn from people that code for a living
* You want to improve your coding skills
* You want to learn how to improve your AI context/harness engineering via software crafting skills
* You’ve never done Test Driven Development before
* You’re experienced and want to pair with somebody outside of your team
* You’re very experienced and want to help your peers grow their coding skills
## **Practical Info**
Our host of the day is Unlockd and along with sponsoring the food and drinks, they’ve lent their office space (desks, monitors, meeting rooms, …) to help you become a better software developer.
Unlockd is an agency specialised in building (mobile) apps for any screen. They focus on collaboration with clients who appreciate creating value through small iterations. They do this for mobile, web, desktop and embedded devices. In small teams they focus on app development but include all involved 'edges' like back-end/middle layers, embedded/BLE interfaces, design, dev ops, app store publishing and optimisation, production monitoring, etc.
They've build apps for Hubo, Standaard Uitgeverij (Strips), Lava (fruite & vegetable auctions), Classified Cycling and many more.
Hike Vielsalm – Stavelot – Trois Ponts (29 km)
This hike takes us through the ***heart of the Ardennes*** from Vielsalm to Trois-Ponts. We start in Vielsalm, a town known for its ***deep forests and Ardennes traditions*** and follow mostly woodland paths along the ***GR 5*** and the **Promenade du Sanglier**. In Stavelot, home to the ***impressive Abbey of Stavelot*** we join the ***GR 14 for the final stretch*** leading us through ***rolling valleys*** to our destination in Trois-Ponts.
***After our hike*** we continue our good habit of ***taking a nice beer/pancake/snack in a local pub*** in Trois Ponts before returning to Brussels.
**Please don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)**
We will walk at ***an average speed of 5km/h*** both on paved and unpaved roads. ***I’ve never walked this road before so it’s possible that there are some mistakes in the planning***. This means it could become longer.
***●●Meeting point***
We meet at ***08h45 in front of the Starbucks in Brussels Central***. The train ( IC507-Eupen) leaves from ***platform 3 at 09h00***. It arrives at ***09h59 in Liège-Guillemins*** where we change to train ( IC5310 - Troisvierges) leaving from ***platform 4 at 10h07***. We arrive at our ***destination Vielsalm at 11h12*** and start our hike to Trois-Ponts.
***●● Train tickets***
\- single ticket Brussels to Vielsalm \(14\,90 € weekend / 09\,00 € with train card\+\)
\- single ticket Trois\-Ponts to Brussels \(14\,90 € weekend / 9\,00 € with train card\+\)
***●● Trains back to Brussels***
There is a train from Trois-Ponts to Brussels at ***17h02, 19h02 and 21h02***.
***LAST TRAIN = 21h02***
**●● Specifics**
distance: \~ 29 km
elevation gain: \~ 548 m
net walking time ***(breaks are not included here):*** \~ 6h00
level: ***intermediate – hiking expercience is an advantage***
***In the unlikely case of too bad weather we may cancel a hike even few hours before the event. If this must happen we will of course update the Meetup website and send out an email to those registered. So, it is important to have access to either the [Meetup](http://meetup.com/) website and/or your emails.***
**●● *What to bring***
\- warm comfortable hiking clothes – *waterproof hiking shoes*
\- extra socks to change \+ compeed for blisters
\- enough water \(min 2 l\) and food for lunch/breaks
\- sun protection oil\, tick repellent\, a hat and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on [www.meteo.be](http://www.meteo.be/))
**\- some cash money to pay Maikel a drink ;\-\)**
**●● *Basic rules***
Please RSVP only if **you really intend to come**. And if your plans change **update your RSVP** so other people still have the possibility to join. This is basic courtesy towards others. **People who cancel at the last day (24h) or don’t show up for the hike will be blacklisted for future hikes.**
**When you are on the waitinglist it means you should not come to the hike. When there is no +1 function it means you can't bring any guests. Everyone should register for him/her self.**
**●● Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability**
**By signing up for this event you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves.**
Saturday Morning Coffee - 10:00 @MIR Concept Coffee Store
Hi everyone,
This coffee morning event is @MIR Concept Coffee Store!
Saturday, 9 May 2026, from 10:00 - 13:00.
MIR opened its doors about 4 years ago, right off Place Jourdan.
Doriana, the owner, is a super nice host, and is excited to have our group as her café.
The café is very beautiful and has great coffee, and many yummy food options.
Their Instagram channel:
https://www.instagram.com/mirconceptstore/
**The address is:**
MIR Concept Coffee Store
Rue Gray 4A
1040 Etterbeek
***
1. The **prime time** of the event is **10:30 - 12:30**. That's when most people will be there.
2. When you enter the gallery, it's either on the right-hand side or left-hand side of its hallway, depending which entrance you take.
3. If you intend **to join past 12:00** (high noon), then there is no need to register. Just come and join!
4. **DON'T forget to cancel** if you can't join!
5. **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))**
**As always, feel free to follow us on INSTAGRAM!**
[https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==](https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==)
**THE STRUCTURE of THE EVENT:**
* I will post the event on Saturday/Sunday evening for the following Saturday.
* I send out a reminder to everyone on Friday.
* There is sometimes a waiting list.
* In case RSVP is closed (once there are 10-15 people on the waiting list), I might reopen it on Friday, depending on the number of cancellations in the meantime.
* **For everyone on the waiting,** please check your status and messages on Friday evening the latest. I message everyone on the waiting list on Friday.
* **Please, move to "not going" AS SOON AS you know that you can't come anymore, that includes everyone who is on the waiting list.**
**IMPORTANT:**
* **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))**
* When you register yourself, be careful not to register accidentally a +1 guest (unless you bring a guest). It happens very often.
* If you have any questions then, message me.
***
**A MESSAGE FOR NEWCOMERS:**
*In the three years of hosting this coffee group, I have met many people who struggle with anxieties when coming to an event for the first time. Sometimes, it took them more than one attempt before being able to join.*
*Occasionally, people reach out to me before the event, and I have always been grateful for that as it offers the opportunity to communicate with each other and to find the best and most gentle way for that person to join the group.*
*I would like to encourage everyone who struggles with this to contact me before. It would really be too bad if you can't join us, as it mostly gets better the second or third time you come.*
*In addition to that, if you arrive and notice any signs of nervousness or fear, you can always let me know right then.*
**THANK YOU AND SEE YOU ALL ON Saturday!**
Limitations and the meaning of life - The Brussels Philosophy Meetup
We are living in an age of ever increasing intelligence and power. Individual humans haven’t really become any smarter or more powerful, but together we’ve developed systems that increase the control we exert over our environment. If we look at a country like China for example, the last 50 years have seen an undeniable and unprecedented increase in living standards, which correlates with [an increase in happiness and life satisfaction](https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction).
Another way to look at this is that we’re constantly finding ways to overcome the limitations imposed on us by life/existence/the universe. Hungry? Just go to the supermarket! Had a bad fall? Here is surgery and some painkillers! Cold? Open your tap and warm water flows out like magic!
What if we follow this process to its conclusion? What does a world without struggle, problems or limitations look like? What would the absence of limitations do to our behavior, our values and our ethics? Would we still be human or does something get lost along the way? Is our current intelligence explosion missing a balancing wisdom explosion?
We’ll be approaching these topics by thinking creatively about the following concrete questions among others:
\- If we had a vaccine against lung cancer\, why shouldn’t we smoke?
\- If we could suck all of the CO2 out of the air\, why shouldn’t we continue using fossil fuels?
\- If antidepressants had no side effects\, why shouldn’t we all take them to deal with grief?
\- If we could breed animals \(human or nonhuman\) without pain receptors\, why shouldn’t we eat them?
\- If all human activity could be automated\, why shouldn’t we become “WALL\-E people”?
The Manneken Pistols (Mostly covers band) @ Wild Geese
Bonjour à tous ,
Je vous propose que nous nous retrouvionsau Wild Geese pour assister à ce concert. L'entrée est gratuite. De 20h00 à 22h00 : The Manneken Pistols
Join the Brussels Live Music Aficionados for a thrilling night of live music at The Excelsior This time, we are excited to present you The Manneken Pistols (Covers band) : A collective of musicians in Brussels, Belgium, formed September 2014. They play mainly blues, classic rock and music from the 60s and 70s. Mostly covers, some original
This meetup is not just about the music, it's also about connecting with other music enthusiasts in Brussels. Come along, meet fellow musicians, and share your passion for live music. Whether you're a musician yourself or simply love the vibrant concert scene in Brussels, this event is for you.
Don't miss out on this incredible night of music, socializing, and the electrifying atmosphere of Rock Classic. Let's celebrate the magic of live music together. See you there !
**Practical information : duration of the concert : 2h (8-10pm). Free entrance / Address :** Avenue Livingstone 2-4 - Bruxelles (Metro Maelbeek)
# Au plaisir de vous y voir et de passer une bonne soirée en votre compagnie.
Singles Apero night
Want to meet new people and mingle in a cosy environment?
Come along to our singles apero night this Saturday 14th of February at 7pm.
For more details please below link:
Full Circle - SOCIAL & WELLBEING events https://share.google/qs8gyMsIflGY9MnWq
Log Management Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Sonian forest 10Km loop walk from Merry Horse
This Sunday we will do around 10Km walk in the Sonian forest starting from the classic Merry Horse.
The walk will look like this:
https://mapy.com/s/nemejabeme
After the walk we will stay for a drink/bite in the Ginguette du Merry.
https://www.merryhorse.com/bar-restaurant
For further details, you can contact me +32472828639
Let's Write!
Let's meet to write !
Schedule :
11:00 - 11:30 am : Presentation tour. Share briefly with the group about your project and your "goal of the day".
11:30 - 13:30 : Let's write !
13:30 : Conclusion tour. Did you achieve your goal of the day ?
See you soon !
Sunday Run (~15-16k)
Join us on our weekly Sunday run to get your day started on the right foot. Whether you're a first-timer with the Brussels Runners or a familiar face, we can't wait to see you there!
What to Expect:
Distance : \~15-16 km.
Pace : \~6 min/km.
Mixed Terrain : A combination of dirt paths, forest trails, and possibly some road sections.
Scenic Views : Enjoy the beauty of nature as we traverse diverse landscapes.
Good Company : Run with like-minded individuals and make new friends.
Post-Run Coffee : Optional post-run gathering for refreshments and camaraderie.
**No Bag Drop**
Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability.
By signing up for this event, you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves.
Questions and comments are welcome.
SUNDAY Coffee Morning - 10:00 @The Unusual
This coffee morning event is @ The Unusual Café!
Sunday, 10 May 2026, from 10:00 - 12:30.
It's limited to 30 attendees.
Therefore, please, **cancel if you can't join anymore.**
The Unusual opened its doors in February 2025.
It's a wonderful specialty coffee bar that also specialises in Belgian hot chocolates.
Each month, they create a new special hot chocolate.
It's run by a super nice staff that has created **a community place** that is more than just a café.
**The Instagram channel:**
https://www.instagram.com/theunusual.brussels/
**Website:**
https://theunusual.be/
**The address is:**
The Unusual
[Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 49](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2JZKjKSQ43GAwebs5)
1000 Brussels
***
1. The **prime time** of the event is **10:00 - 12:00**. That's when most people will be there.
2. If you intend **to join past 12:00** (high noon), then there is no need to register. Just come and join!
3. **DON'T forget to cancel** if you can't join!
4. **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))**
As always, feel free to **follow us on INSTAGRAM!**
[https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==](https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==)
**THE STRUCTURE of THE EVENT:**
* I will post the event on Saturday/Sunday evening for the following Saturday.
* I send out a reminder to everyone on Friday.
* There is sometimes a waiting list.
* In case RSVP is closed (once there are 10-15 people on the waiting list), I might reopen it on Friday, depending on the number of cancellations in the meantime.
* **For everyone on the waiting,** please check your status and messages on Friday evening the latest. I message everyone on the waiting list on Friday.
* **Please, move to "not going" AS SOON AS you know that you can't come anymore, that includes everyone who is on the waiting list.**
**IMPORTANT:**
* **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))**
* When you register yourself, be careful not to register accidentally a +1 guest (unless you bring a guest). It happens very often.
* If you have any questions then, message me.
***
**A MESSAGE FOR NEWCOMERS:**
*In the three years of hosting this coffee group, I have met many people who struggle with anxieties when coming to an event for the first time. Sometimes, it took them more than one attempt before being able to join.*
*Occasionally, people reach out to me before the event, and I have always been grateful for that as it offers the opportunity to communicate with each other and to find the best and most gentle way for that person to join the group.*
*I would like to encourage everyone who struggles with this to contact me before. It would really be too bad if you can't join us, as it mostly gets better the second or third time you come.*
*In addition to that, if you arrive and notice any signs of nervousness or fear, you can always let me know right then.*
**THANK YOU AND SEE YOU ALL ON Saturday!**
How can karma help you + Meditation
Register yourself on the [website to receive the full details](https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/j5YTbU6YaGLgGOXyvMNn).
How can you benefit from learning more about karma and YOUR karma?
Join us to learn more about karma and practices that you can use to improve your own life!
The talk will be followed by a guided meditation to bless ourselves and the Earth, called Twin Hearts Meditation.
WE NEED LOVE, THE WORLD NEEDS LOVE
Sunday
10:30 - 11:30
Av Louise 505, Brussel
Donation-based.
There is a box at the entrance to receive your donation
Register yourself on the link a the top to receive all the details
This talk + meditation is followed by a Pranic Healing session, a powerful healing system to bring more inner peace, self-connection, and emotional and physical healing. You can register yourself the [healing session that follows here](https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/7QLiiTnqLMxNg6Bdm5Bm).
With love,
Juliana
Deep Conversation - Question Chosen in Session
Welcome to our weekly event in the upstairs room of The Sister Café, rue Chair et Pain 3, one block from the Grand Place. Please get there early enough to order your drink at the bar first. Thank you!
After introductions we will collect questions from the group participants, choose one by voting then discuss it for an hour. Then most of us stay for drinks and bizarre conversations.
Past questions have been wide and not confined to academic philosophy:
What is a genuine friend?
Is social media turning us into emotional zombies?
Do we lose some of the experience of things by defining them?
Are we driven by sex?
Is loneliness a personal failure?
Is morality relative?
**Crucially, be kind and respectful and generous** in your disagreements; remember how much you personally enjoy someone else proving you wrong before celebrating your cutting counterexamples.
Healing sessions - donation-based
Please [register yourself on the website ](https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/7QLiiTnqLMxNg6Bdm5Bm)to receive the details of how to join.
This powerful healing technique removes the negative energies and blockages to then nbe replaced by life energy or prana.
Organized by Juliana Cruz, a Pranic Healing practitioner for over 10 years.
These donation-based sessions are in a group session, done by different practitioners who have learned Pranic Healing. The sessions take from 20 to 30 minutes.
* **Sunday**
**From 11:30 to 12:50**
20 - 30 min session per person
First-come, first-served.
This practice comes after a meditation (from 10:30 to 11:30) to receive and share energies of loving-kindness to the entire Earth. You can join by [registering yourself here](https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/j5YTbU6YaGLgGOXyvMNn).
With love,
Juliana
Log Management Events Near You
Connect with your local Log Management community
CBusData - Practical AI for Power BI Developers
Practical AI for Power BI Developers
A year ago, “agentic AI” was mostly hype for Power BI teams. Today, it deserves your undivided attention. For Power BI pros, there is now a real opportunity to reduce repetitive development work, accelerate delivery, and help developers do more, but only when strong DataOps practices are in place to make AI workflows effective.
This session is a no-nonsense introduction to effective AI patterns for Power BI and Fabric development. Along the way, we will make sense of the growing pile of terminology, including skills, plugins, hooks, and MCP. You will see examples of how modern AI tooling can help with development tasks across Power BI and Fabric, along with the prerequisites, guardrails, and DataOps principles needed to use it responsibly.
Whether you're burned out on AI hype or already using Copilot CLI daily, this session will show you the foundations that are finally making AI-assisted development genuinely useful.
Building Momentum: From Ambiguity to Execution
**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.
Building Scalable Customer Identity Resolution Pipelines on AWS Using AI
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
Manic Mondays with Salsamante Dance Academy
Start your week the right way with Manic Mondays. Giving you an enjoyable Bachata lesson with a push of cool moves.
The second hour has Beginner/Intermediate Salsa on 1. You must understand basic Salsa skills to participate.
730pm-830pm Bachata Cool Moves
830pm-930pm Salsa On 1 (Beginner/Intermediate)
$15 for One Class
$20 for Both
Free Parking & Plenty of Dance Space.
Data & Analytics Wednesday - Mapping and Dashboards
**Total Eclipse of the Chart: School Redistricting Dashboards**
In this presentation, we will explore the utilization of maps, sets, and SQL within a Tableau dashboard to help provide “what-if” analyses generated through the use of a mapped dashboard, providing different scenarios and the potential implications of these.
While in this use case we are focused on a large school district, the concepts of utilizing existing data to explore the future impacts of modifying different geographic boundaries can be useful to many industries, balancing the mix of maps with visual analytics.
**About Our Speaker**
Robert Kramer is the Data Systems and State Reporting Coordinator at South Western City Schools in Grove City. He has worked there for 17 years, serving previously in the roles of Data Analyst, Programmer, and Operations Coordinator. Prior to working at South Western, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Pinnacle Data Systems in Groveport. He graduated in 2005 from The University of Toledo with his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics. Robert resides in Obetz with his wife, and their 15 and 12 year-old daughters. He was also just elected to his 3rd four-year term on the Obetz City Council.
Thanks to our 2026 sponsors:
[Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro)
More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)
Trails & Ales! Blendon Woods Metro Park / Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery
**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.



















