Sustainable Energy

Join us for an inspiring session exploring the frontier of "constructive" democratic technology. As traditional mechanisms for citizen engagement struggle against polarization and an algorithm-driven attention economy, how can we build digital public infrastructure that actually brings people together? Digital deliberation provides a new framework for our democracy. Rather than focusing on division, these tools allow us to map underlying consensus and foster collective sense-making across society. In this meetup, we move beyond abstract theory to explore the practical ways the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) has successfully deployed citizen participation at scale, and look ahead to the new European Civic Tech Hub. We will dive into: * **The Power of "Voxit":** How Finland successfully scaled this open-source platform across more than 120 societal dialogues, utilizing AI and statistical clustering to map "Uncommon Ground" and find consensus. * **From National Labs to European Impact:** Insights from massive citizen dialogues—such as the "What do you think about AI, Finland?" campaign—and how they directly shape public sector rulebooks. * **The European Civic Tech Hub:** How the ongoing work to build a centralized hub under the European Commission's *European Democracy Shield* aims to solve the biggest bottlenecks in civic tech adoption, from procurement to GDPR compliance. **About the Speaker & Moderator:** **Sanna-Kaisa Saloranta (Speaker)** is a Specialist and Democracy Team Lead at Sitra's International Programmes. She leads efforts to scale democratic innovations that support collective sense-making, actively working to bridge the gap between Finnish open-source success and the wider European digital ecosystem. **Michael Jensen (Moderator)**, Co-founder of DemAI, will host the session and guide the conversation, drawing on his expertise in democratic AI to bridge the themes of the presentation with our audience's questions. Come prepared for a constructive dialogue on how we can learn from these approaches to build a more transparent, resilient, and connected democratic future in Europe. We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us in the next AZUG meetup and learn how to tune your cloud database. **Hands‑on tutorial on Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server parameter tuning** PostgreSQL exposes hundreds of configuration parameters, but only a few dozen truly determine performance and resource efficiency. Tuning them correctly is notoriously difficult due to complex interactions and workload‑specific behavior. Traditional approaches—manual tuning or generic rule‑based tools—often fall short. In this practical workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of server parameter tuning and get hands‑on experience using heuristics‑based open‑source tools such as PGtune to achieve meaningful performance improvements. We'll explore which parameters matter most, how PGtune's heuristics work, and why they influence performance. The session concludes with an introduction to DBtune Community Edition , an AI‑powered agentic tuning engine that blends heuristic rules with modern AI and ML techniques to deliver smarter, workload‑aware optimization. **Prerequisites: Bring your own laptop with a command‑line shell (eg, PowerShell).** If you are using a company laptop, please whitelist \*\* [http://app.dbtune.com%2A%2A./]app.dbtune.com\*\*. **About our Speaker:** Dr. Luigi Nardi is the founder and CEO of DBtune, a leading company driving advancements in AI, database systems, and cloud computing. Previously an associate professor of AI at Lund University and a research staff at Stanford University, Luigi's expertise centers around Bayesian methods and optimization theory and practice. Luigi's journey includes a post-doctoral position at Imperial College London and a role as a software engineer at Murex, following his Ph.D. program in applied mathematics at Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris in 2011. Luigi is a public speaker and prolific researcher, having co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed papers at leading venues in machine learning and computer science. **Sponsors:** https://www.dewise.com/ https://codenode.dk/

*Talk by Claes Worm* `tatr` is a new tool written in OCaml for recursively traversing file-hierarchies and finding all indented trees of text that match your queries. Its design tries to be simple, powerful, elegant and general. A common action on the CLI is to search for all the files within some directory that contain a specific regular expression - e.g. using a mix of `find` and `grep` or tools that do both like `ripgrep`. These tools only match on lines, not on “sets of lines” or “related lines” or “trees of indented text” - `tatr` does this and filters the trees to only show the parts you are interested in. What formats can you query? Anything that contains lines of text that are related to each-other based on indentation. E.g.: * bullet-point based notes like markdown, wiki, org-mode or plain text * notes with *tags* * code that contains comments * structured configuration-formats like json, sexp, etc. When used with your notes; you suddenly get the opportunity to not only structure your notes by linking pages in a graph or tree - but also by tagging and logically relating “verbal arguments” via indentation. [https://github.com/rand00/tatr](https://github.com/rand00/tatr) [https://r7p5.earth](https://r7p5.earth) *As usual, there's mingling at the local bar after the talk.*

Fulfillment. Joy. – Do you know what it is? Do you feel it now? Many of us are living lives that have “just sort of happened”. We had a dream, a vision (maybe we still do) for what we wanted our lives to look like. Somewhere along the way, life took over and something else ended up happening. We made decisions, took a turn down a path, and now our life isn’t what we thought it would be. Or we’re living someone else’s life. Maybe it’s what our parent’s wanted for us. What we believe our partner or a potential partner might want. Or maybe it’s what we believe we need to do and have to be happy. I was one of these people. My life checked all the boxes for what I thought I needed in order to be happy. And still, I wasn’t. Join me for a coffee talk on what it means to live a Life By Design. Where your choices are deliberate and based on your authentic, true self. What you have to let go off to achieve this (hint: the notion that vulnerability is a weakness and feelings of fear and guilt) and who you will become in the process.

We are a group of people meeting on Tuesdays to socialize around cooking and eating together. Usually around 40-50 people. Many are international students, but also other people join. The foodclub exist independent of Meetup, we invite you because we have room for a few more people. The food is vegan and made from donated leftover veggies from a local greengrocery. The place has originally hosted leftwing activist groups, and many of the people joining are also involved in political groups. If you want to join for chopping and cooking, we will be doing that from 3 to 6 pm. It is possible to join part of the time. From 6:30 to 8pm we are serving food. Donation around 30 kroner. If you are helping out some hours, chopping, cooking or cleaning, you can eat for free. From 8 to 9 - 9:30 pm we are cleaning up the place. We hope to see you in our lovely foodclub <3

Booked pitch at Holmen. Pitch is booked until 22.30 💰 **Cost:** 10 kr Mobilepay: 9539SH Revolut: [revolut.me/frederwnn](https://revolut.me/frederwnn) Or bring Cash * Event begins at 20:15 * You must sign out no later than 9:00 same day * Spots are non-transferable (you cannot reserve a spot and send someone else in your place) * Members who follow the rules and attend regularly will be given priority **Be at the pitch at 20.15 sharp!** Minimum 14 players by midnight and we play! Otherwise the game is cancelled. We aim for 8v8. The game is naturally for everyone no matter gender, level or anything. We emphasise on having fun! That also means no risky tackles or foul language. Bring a white and a black t-shirt and a ball if you have one. **Last minute sign-off's** (Later than 9AM on the same day) or no-shows will be banned from the next games and be put in the no-show list. 3 Strikes and you're out for a full year - no exceptions

**Co-working for writers in Amager!** Join us for an hour of focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in the area. We meet in this lovely spacious café, chilled out, usually not very busy at this time, with an on-site bakery of delicious pastries. Once everyone is here and settled, I will lead a quick introduction, and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. After the hour is up feel free to chat / take off / keep writing if you're on a roll. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers, and it can be a great way to learn from eachother. **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com) **Practical Details:** WiFi name / password: Kasada / haveaniceday Travel / Parking info: Kasada is just a few minutes walk from Lergravsparken Metro Station. We've reserved the large round table in the main room, with power outlets if you need one. Venue Guidelines: Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

We are looking much forward to welcome you to Rust meetup #68! This month's meetup will be hosted by Microsoft. Microsoft are located at: Kanalvej 7, 2800 Kongens Lyngby As usual, RSVPs open a week before the meetup. The agenda for the night is outlined below: \- 18:05\-18:15: Welcome \- 18:15\-19:00: Mossa: **THE RUSTY ROAD TO EPIDEMIOLOGY** \- 19:00\-19:50: Food Break\, Sponsored by Microsoft \- 19:50\-20:35: Game Show 2 \- 20:35\-20:50: Raffle \- 20:50\-21:00: Clean Up\, Leave \- 21:00 \- ???: Bar Make sure to bring your best energy for a cozy evening in great with other Rust enthusiasts, professionals and amateurs alike. Let's Rust up! 🦀

Tickets here: [www.TheSilvers.dk](www.thesilvers.dk) Here in Copenhagen we have started a movement of weekly dinners (on a Wednesday) hosted by the senior generation in their own homes. Seniors with 60+ years of life experience who are community leaders, intellectuals, artists, storytellers, and want to share their experience over dinners for a small group each time. Every Wednesday there is dinner hosted by a different Silver (senior host) who will open their front door, welcome a group of 5-8 people into their home, and share their stories, knowledge, and connections across the table over a themed evening. Each host chooses their own theme and it is the aim to pass on their hard-earned knowledge.

Join us for another evening of deep dives into data engineering! This time, we are hosted by **[Heyra](https://heyra.io/)** for two talks that explore the practical side of the "Agentic" shift in data workflows and the high-performance internals of data transfer with Apache Arrow. As always, there will be food, drinks, and plenty of time to network with fellow data engineers in the Copenhagen community. Based on the style of your previous events and the details provided, here is a draft for the upcoming **Agentic data engineering, beyond the hype** *Kilian Tscherny, Lead Data Engineer @ Heyra* Data engineering is changing fast, and the teams getting ahead are the ones rebuilding their workflow around agents instead of just bolting them on. In this talk, Kilian will cover how the team at Heyra has adapted to this shift, sharing real-world examples of how agentic workflows can move beyond the hype to provide actual architectural value. **Taking Flight: Zero-Copy Data Transfer at Scale with Apache Arrow Flight and Friends** *Anders Bogsnes,* *Head of Investments & Trading Engineering @ Nordea Asset Management* We all love Apache Arrow in our DataFrames and DuckDBs - but have you considered how the data is ending up on your machine? Arrow Flight and friends was designed as a way of enabling end-to-end native Arrow communication and in this talk we will go through the motivations behind the Arrow Flight protocol, introduce some of the derived protocols, and we end by building an Arrow Flight server from scratch and demonstrating how to interact with that server from a client. **Agenda** * **18:00:** Doors Open & Networking * **18:20:** Welcome from Copenhagen Data Engineering & Heyra * **18:30:** Agentic data engineering, beyond the hype – Kilian Tscherny * **19:00:** Food, Drinks & Networking * **19:30:** Taking Flight: Zero-Copy Data Transfer at Scale – Anders Bogsnes * **20:00:** Networking & More Drinks

No agenda. No awkward intros. Just good people. Just Gutsy is a weekly meetup for solo travelers, nomads and locals who love meeting them, a simple way to find your people in a new city. Who comes: Solo travelers in transit · digital nomads · curious locals who love meeting travelers What to expect: casual and self-led · small group energy · show up, talk to someone, see where it goes Not sure how to talk to strangers? I put together a set of questions that actually make it easy — find them here: [justgutsy.com/icebreakers](http://justgutsy.com/icebreakers) The only things you need to do: → Comment below so others know you're coming → If plans change, update your RSVP → When you arrive: comment "Here, [what you're wearing]" so people find you When & where: • Every Sunday · 4PM local time Meetup.com sometimes shows a different timezone — ignore it, it's always 4PM where you are • Location: in front of the Søren Kierkegaard statue Join Just Gutsy → [justgutsy.com](http://justgutsy.com/) · Early members get lifetime premium access to the app

The CPH AI Hub warmly invites you to join our upcoming workshop on AI in defense and security. On Thursday, 28 May 2026, from 18:00–20:00, we will gather in Copenhagen to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming modern defense, security, and society. The discussion will cover both the technological applications of AI in military settings and the wider societal, ethical, and governance challenges that accompany these developments. Topics of Discussion • The EU and the broader political landscape • Applications of AI in military and defense contexts • Societal and ethical implications of military AI • Opportunities for collaboration with CPH AI Hub This is not intended to be a formal conference with set speakers, but rather an open-ended and informal discussion among people in Copenhagen who share an interest in these topics. Together, we will exchange perspectives, discuss current developments in AI and governance, examine the evolving political context within the EU, and explore opportunities for meaningful collaboration that can positively impact our communities, workplaces, and society more broadly. If you would like to make a presentation during the workshop, feel free to reach out beforehand. **Location** Studiestræde 24 1455 Copenhagen K Upon arrival, please enter the courtyard and turn right. The venue is located upstairs. We look forward to welcoming you!

**Founders Running Club** (FRC) brings founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking. We like to be comfortable when we run and finish with coffee and conversations. Choose your pace or follow a pacer—pets, friends, family, are welcome. 🗓️ Launched in San Francisco, July 16, 2022 🌍 Now in 35+ cities 📅 Running + Networking events + Community **Join the community** [http://foundersrc.com/chats](http://foundersrc.com/chats) **Stay updated**: Instagram [http://instagram.com/foundersrc/](http://instagram.com/foundersrc/) Podcast [http://podcast.foundersrc.com/](http://podcast.foundersrc.com/) LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/](http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/) Strava [http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC](http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC) Website [http://foundersrc.com/](http://foundersrc.com/)

**🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 **📓 HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CRqdyO6p6lZDIN2qVRIlWX), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 19:15-19:25 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 19:25-20:45 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 20:45-21:00 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:00 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** 🗣 “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * ​What will we talk about? What's the topic? ​The topic for the week is shared every Sunday in the Whatsapp group. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CRqdyO6p6lZDIN2qVRIlWX). * Do I need to study or read anything to attend? No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what YOU think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it, but it's not required. * Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on? The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * Is it mostly men that attend? Surprisingly, no! Although philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * Can I come alone? Of course you can, we encourage it :) * Can I be late? Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * Where do you meet? The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CRqdyO6p6lZDIN2qVRIlWX) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All. ✨** Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in 25+ countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CRqdyO6p6lZDIN2qVRIlWX) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/?hl=en) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈

Community Backyards Workshop .Community Backyards Workshop - Westerville Join us for the Westerville Community Backyards workshop! This is a FREE class on how you can protect our waterways and environment with small changes in your gardening habits. We will discuss rain barrels, rain gardens, composting, and native plants. This workshop is presented by Friends of Alum Creek. 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. * Location: Westerville Community Center, 350 N Cleveland Ave, Westerville, OH 43082 * Date and time: Sat, May 30, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM * Organizer: Community Backyards Program, (614) 486-9613, communitybackyards@franklinswcd.org (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) https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/h2w5ms8 **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

The number of ticks and tick diseases in Ohio have quickly multiplied over the last 10 years. Dean Kreager discusses tick species, tick pathogens, tick-borne diseases, tick bite prevention, and proper tick removal. Kreager is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator with OSU Extension in Licking County * Lakewood Public Library (in Hebron)- May 26 at 7pm [https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/tick-talk-29621](https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/tick-talk-29621) * Johnstown public library at 7:00 pm June 8 [https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/ctick-talk-29622](https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/ctick-talk-29622) Free to attend, no RSVP needed

Join us at Unity of Columbus for our Weekly Reiki Share, a peaceful and uplifting gathering for connection, healing, and growth. A Reiki Share is a time where Reiki practitioners and students come together to give and receive healing energy in a supportive and welcoming environment. These sessions will be moderated by Columbus Unity Reiki. Reiki is a hands-on energy healing method from Japan that first came to the United States in 1938. Since then, it has grown in popularity and is now widely practiced throughout the West. All levels are welcome, and you do not need to be a practitioner at Unity of Columbus to attend. If you are a Reiki practitioner, a Reiki student, or simply interested in becoming a Reiki student, we warmly invite you to join us. Come practice your healing techniques, learn new approaches, receive healing energy, and connect with a like-minded community in a space of relaxation, renewal, and positive energy.

(Note: RSVPing here on meetup does NOT reserve your seat. To do that, you’ll need to register at our website, **[HERE](https://www.coreerocks.com/Events.aspx?ID=In-Person-Columbus-Meeting-How-I-Get-Private-Lenders-and-Partners-to-Fund-My-Deals-14-6-2-2026)**.) Tuesday, June 2nd, 5:00–8:30 PM Eastern Central Ohio Chapter Meeting IN PERSON IN COLUMBUS How I Get Private Lenders and Partners to Fund My Deals If you can’t fund it, you don’t have a deal. And right now, funding is where more investors are getting stuck. Private lenders are more cautious. Partners are asking better questions. And deals that look good on paper still fall apart when the money doesn’t show up. That’s why we’re bringing in a panel of investors who are actually getting their deals funded right now. You’ll hear how they’re finding money, structuring deals, and building relationships that lead to repeat funding. Here’s what you’ll learn: * Where they’re finding private lenders today * How they start conversations that lead to funding * What makes lenders and partners say YES * How they structure deals to be fundable * The biggest mistakes investors make when raising money * How to build repeat funding relationships **Early Session (6:00–7:00 PM Eastern):** **Having Trouble Finding Tenants? How Community Shelter Board Can Help** Nicholas Brenner will walk you through programs designed to help rapidly rehouse tenants, including financial support that can stabilize your rentals. **The Deal Room (7:00–7:30 PM Eastern)** Bring deals, funding needs, buyers, and problems. This is where connections turn into action. This meeting is for serious real estate investors nationwide, and we’re known for our high-content, real-life education and our nationwide community of dealmakers. Members and non-members at all levels are welcome. Register below to reserve your seat. Remember, to actually reserve your seat, you have to go **[HERE](https://www.coreerocks.com/Events.aspx?ID=In-Person-Columbus-Meeting-How-I-Get-Private-Lenders-and-Partners-to-Fund-My-Deals-14-6-2-2026)** and register on our website!

**History** The [Franklin Park Conservatory](https://www.fpconservatory.org/)’s roots trace back to 1852 when the Franklin County Agricultural Society purchased 88 acres of land to host the Ohio State Fair. After the fair moved to its permanent home, the city of Columbus transformed the grounds into Franklin Park in 1884. This transition shifted the space from a temporary event site to a dedicated public green space for the growing community. The park became a central hub for outdoor recreation and early civic gatherings in the neighborhood. In 1895, the landmark Victorian-style Palm House opened its doors, drawing heavy inspiration from the Glass Palace of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This iron and glass structure became an immediate icon, housing exotic plants that residents would otherwise never see in the Midwest. It remains the oldest part of the facility and serves as a primary link to the conservatory’s 19th-century origins. For decades, it stood as a singular testament to grand horticultural architecture in Central Ohio. A major turning point arrived in 1992 when Columbus hosted AmeriFlora '92, an international horticultural exhibition. This massive event prompted a $16 million renovation and expansion, adding significantly more greenhouse space and the Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse. The festival put the conservatory on the international map and fundamentally changed its scale and ambition. Following the event, the facility transitioned from a city-run park to a private, non-profit organization. In 2003, the conservatory’s identity was further defined through a long-term partnership with world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. After a successful exhibition, the Friends of the Conservatory purchased most of the glass installations, creating the largest permanent collection of Chihuly’s work in a botanical setting. These vibrant glass sculptures are now woven throughout the biomes, blending art with nature. This addition helped cement the conservatory as a premier cultural destination rather than just a botanical garden. Recent years have seen the site expand beyond the glass walls to emphasize community engagement and outdoor education. The 2018 opening of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden added two acres of interactive landscape designed for hands-on learning. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus also provides local residents with space to grow their own food and learn sustainable practices. Today, the conservatory balances its historic Victorian charm with modern commitments to local ecology and the Columbus community. **Maps of the Conservatory** Here is the [main map](https://www.fpconservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/franklin-park-zones-scaled.jpg) of the Conservatory grounds. Here's a [map of the areas](https://www.fpconservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ConstructionMap-2026.jpg) in which the Conservatory has ongoing construction (see below). **Summary** For this event, we'll explore Columbus's highly-rated and very popular Conservatory. As mentioned above, the Conservatory is doing renovations on parts of the facility. These renovations are scheduled to be ongoing until the Fall of next year. Basically, no matter when you go to the Conservatory over the next 18 months, you're going to see some metaphorical orange barrels. So let's just go now. **Tickets and pricing** On the first Sunday of every month, the Conservatory is free for residents of Franklin County and the city of Columbus. You must bring an ID to receive this discount. (Yes, they do check.) Otherwise, tickets are $25.20. Members of the Columbus Zoo (of which I am one) do get a discount on tickets, though I have never actually bought a ticket to the Conservatory (I've always gone on free days). I believe the discount is $4. Parking is always free. If you have additional questions about pricing or whether and for what you qualify, you can reach the Conservatory at 614-715-8000. **Where we'll meet** We will meet just outside the main entrance. I guarantee there's going to be a line. The Conservatory is always popular on free days, and especially in nice weather. **Your GPS is stupid!** Be careful simply typing "Franklin Park Conservatory" in your GPS and going where it tells you. The only way to access the parking lot to the Conservatory is off of Broad Street. Unfortunately, since Google Maps is unable to find its way out of a wet paper bag, it has a tendency to want to take people to a mythical, non-existent Conservatory entrance on Nelson Road. If your GPS does this, just drive to the north side of the Conservatory along Broad Street. Your GPS should then redirect you to the main Conservatory entrance. If your GPS doesn't, then throw your phone away\* and look for the big Conservatory sign on the south side of Broad Street between Nelson Road and Franklin Park West. You also should be able to use the map pin I've provided, below, and it should properly direct you to where you need to drive. \* Don't really do this. **After the event** After stopping to smell the roses, for those that are interested, we'll head to the nearby [Columbus Brewing Company Beer Hall](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/) for [drinks](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/#draft-list) and [lunch](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/#food-menu). The Beer Hall's actual address is [200 Kelton Ave, Columbus, OH 43205](https://www.google.com/maps/place/200+Kelton+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43205/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x883889a94ac4acad:0xadb2e60240dbc38b?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111) (it's literally just on the south side of the Conservatory). Be sure this is where your GPS is taking you when you use it, as the Brewing Company has a taproom on Harrison Avenue that is *not* what you want for this event. We should be at the Beer Hall by 1 if you can't make the Conservatory and just want to join us for drinks.

Join us as we get together to see Paul Rudd in the latest comedy-drama-musical from John Carney, POWER BALLAD! The film follows a washed-up wedding singer, a fading boy band singer and a stolen hit song. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick's song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. Power Ballad is written/directed by John Carney, the master of the modern musical and creative mind behind Once, Begin Again and Sing Street! It stars Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu and Jack Reynor. BUZZ & ACCLAIM: The film premiered to rave reviews at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival where critics call it “a sure-fired crowd-pleaser” that “just might be the feel-good hit of the year!” Others say, “Paul Rudd delivers a career-best performance in this charmer” that’s both “hilarious and deeply moving!” SUMMER OF ICE CREAM, VOL 2: SHAKE NO. 8! Ranked the #1 Ice Cream Shop in Columbus in 2024, this is the perfect place to kick off our Summer of Ice Cream and grab a sweet treat after the show! Their menu features an array of traditional, specialty and vegan shakes, hot cocoa, and more! You can check out their full menu here: [https://www.shakeno8.com/menu.php](https://www.shakeno8.com/menu.php) PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing and will meet in the lobby area about 20 minutes before the show. Once showtime is announced, advance ticket purchase is advised! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. We'll head to nearby Shake No. 8 immediately following the show! Should be a fun one, Dan

**Soulbits Circle: A Monthly Gathering** **Every fragment of your story is medicine; come weave it into being** **Hosted by: Caitlynn Fortson** **[www.kalikwellnesswithin.org](www.kalikwellnesswithin.org) \| [www.centerfornewlife.org](www.centerfornewlife.org)** **The Center for New Life or Virtual, upon request** **Monthly Circles \| Fridays 6:30\-7:30PM** **Upcoming Dates: 5/1, 5/29, 6/26, 7/24, 8/28, 9/25, 10/23, 11/27, 12/18** A monthly healing space where we gather to tend the pieces of ourselves and weave them back into wholeness that we are. Each session opens with a Soulbits oracle image setting the tone for the gathering we will move through. We will come together to honor the natural rhythms of rooting, rising, releasing, and receiving; the cycles that shape the soul’s journey. Through the four pillars of being: mindset, movement, connection & nourishment, we will create a space where imagery, sensation, and community weave together. Where the body becomes the guide, images act as mirrors, and the soul speaks. This circle is about noticing what rises, honoring what’s true, and reconnecting with the parts of yourself ready to be seen. This is a space to gather your scattered pieces, soften your body, and return to your truth with community by your side. Soulbits Circle is a reminder that every fragment of your story, every soulbit, belongs. Together we weave them into the blooming wholeness that you are. *Energy Exchange: 1-group $20-40 or 6-group $115* *Payment Options: Venmo or Cash* **Please RSVP to [Caitlynn](https://kalikwellnesswithin.org/) via** **email @ [kalik.wellnesswithin@gmail.com](mailto:kalik.wellnesswithin@gmail.com)** **text @ ‪(614) 407-4021‬** 💫