There’ll be motorcycles, music, pigs and snakes in downtown Columbus this weekend.
The Columbus Broadway event series kicks off today, marking the beginning of the Uptown Concert series and Market Days on Broadway.
Lisa Rowe, director of business development, said they try to pick “regional and local favorites” to play during the free May concert series -- performers this year include Peggy Jenkins and the Bizness and Classic Addict. Performances are every Friday in the 1000 block of Broadway.
Market Days are every Saturday, May through November, and feature more than 45 different vendors selling baked goods, plants, art and produce.
“There’s a lot of fresh produce, all locally grown,” Rowe said.
On Friday, event-goers can serve as judges for the People’s Choice Award at the Char-Broil Pig Bowl, a barbecue contest featuring top professional and amateur cooking teams from across the southeast.
So where to start? Here’s your guide to navigating Uptown this weekend:
Friday, May 6
The concert series continues on Friday with Classic Addict, playing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The four member Columbus-based rock band is celebrating the release their new 12-song CD, Kickstart. Vocalist and guitarist Cale Dodds said concert attendees can expect to hear songs from the new album, as well as some old favorites and covers.
“We wanted to have our first release party in Columbus and thank our supporters,” Dodds said.
While you’re listening to the music, sample some barbecue. The fourth annual Char-Broil Pig Bowl begins with a People’s Choice competition from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Broadway. For $5, participants can sample small portions of barbecue from different teams and vote on which they enjoyed the most. The winner will be announced Saturday, along with the rest of the Pig Bowl awards.
Saturday, May 7
The music continues Saturday in the 900 block of Broadway with performances during the day from Marshall Ruffin, Jon Saunders and others.
There will also be a reptile show from the Southeastern Reptile Rescue exhibit featuring cobras and alligators.
Saturday also marks the beginning of Market Days. Vendors will line the 1000 block of Broadway from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday. Market Days continues each Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon, May 14 through November 5.
Sara Pauff, 706-320-4469
