Springtime in Columbiana is fast approaching!  The date for the annual event is May 3rd and 4th.  This year we will be holding a French Market in the parking lot of Grace Church on Main Street!  The market will be open both days from 10am to 5pm with a variety of vendors selling yard sale type merchandise, crafts, and home-made goodies!

For those interested in one of the limited spaces please contact Tourism.  Spaces are by donation (minimum of $20).  Vendors must provide their own tables, chairs, tents and event is rain or shine.

Springtime in Columbiana is also hosting a second annual birdhouse decorating contest.  The contest is open to all ages and birdhouses will be judged by the public.  A $5 entry fee is required and participants can create their own birdhouses or they can get one from the Tourism office included in the $5 entry fee.

The Columbiana Area Tourism Bureau has 2013 calendars for sale at a discounted rate of $5.00 each.  This is half price!!!  The calendars are a valuable tool for Columbiana events.  Each month features a picture of Columbiana and has the events for the month located on the correct date!  Make this an annual tradition starting this year!!!  Support Columbiana Area Tourism Bureau and their efforts to bring events and tourism dollars to the community!!!  Money from the sale of calendars goes directly to the Tourism Bureau.

If you are looking for a nice overnight stay in Columbiana as you are passing through or even just to get away from your kids for an evening...Columbiana Inn Bed and Breakfast is a delightful place to stay.  Owners (pictured above) Paul and Susie Bissell are the perfect hosts!  They easily join into conversation and are most gracious in providing for their guests needs.  Upon arrival my husband and I were given a tour of the Annex which was the "room" we booked for the evening.  This room was actually two stories containing three bedrooms, two baths, a living and dining area!  Had it not been winter we even had access to a front and back porch!

Susie and Paul will give a tour of the entire Inn (outside of where guests may be staying).  They delight in telling the story of the multi-year process of renovation, of how they found treasures, why they decorated as they have, and how they have lived in the loft! 

After our tour my husband and I went out to dinner but before we did, Susie loaded a tray of goodies up for us.  Fresh baked pastries, hot chocolate, wine, and other snacks to take us through the evening.

The Inn has everything you need for a comfortable stay from fluffy towels and scented soaps to cable and wireless internet access.  The Annex is an excellent option for those that may need a place to stay when they have pets as this set of rooms is pet friendly!  It is also a great option for families and those traveling for business with a need for multiple rooms and/or night stays!

Breakfast the next morning was devine!  Paul made his famous potatoes.  We had scrambled eggs that I am now craving for.  We were served juice, milk, hot tea, hot cinnamon flavored chocolate, hot coffee...  The baked oatmeal was so different from standard breakfast menus and I again am finding a craving for more.  We were also delighted with fresh fruit and other pastry delights!  We were served at a table with another couple and enjoyed conversation about education, our children, and traveling.  One could not have asked for a better overnight stay!

If you are looking, search no longer!  I highly recommend staying at this establishment.  You are in a historic home on Main Street and have easy access to shopping, dining, and other tourist activities.  Call early to book a night or two at the Inn as Susie and Paul have been filling their rooms fast!  http://columbianainnbb.com/ for full details and extensive pictures and information on the Inn.

It was a wonderful season to experience the Joy of Christmas drive through light show.  With "One Million Lights Seriously" as the theme for this year, there was seriously a lot of fun going on!  Overwhelming the number one attraction at this year's event according to hundreds of surveys turned it was the Gingerbread House.  From the delightful decorations provided by Susie Bissell and Ginny Perkins to the 100 hand-crafted and decorated gingerbread houses created by area school children; this was a delightful stop in the light show.

Next year's plans are already on the table and we hope to utilize all the feedback found in the survey's.  Most of you wanted more lights and more displays.  And with that, the majority of ideas wanted the light show to feature more displays along the water and familiar Disney characters.  The other suggestion was to pipe music into the light show.  The research has begun and the committee is excitedly discussing the opportunities to make 2013's season a success.

Santa was at the light show every evening and we handed out thousands of candy canes and hundreds of coloring books.  Hundreds of cups of homemade hot chocolate were served up every weekend, and the Chicago Style hotdogs were a successful hit.

The season pass selling at $12 offered for the first time this year will be back for 2013.  We sold out our first year and were amazed at the success of the season pass!!!  We hope everyone enjoyed it themselves.  I know I enjoyed driving through every weekend with my children!  Hearing the awwws and ooohhhs and the look at that one over and over again, never got old!

Keep following our website and blog to stay up to date on the details of all 2013 events and of course our pride and joy; the Joy of Christmas light show!  Calendars featuring eve

(Featured in the picture above is the Columbiana Middle School's MH class during a field trip to the Gingerbread House.  One of the classmates is holding the gingerbread house the class created as a group.)

Today is the day for a cash mob in Columbiana!!!  At 11:15 this morning Cash Mobbers were asked to go to Bo's Pet Shop at 11:15am and to spend $20.  In order to receive a discount shoppers were asked to bring jingle bells that they shook while shopping.

To continue the event into Columbiana, at 11:30 this morning those participating were asked to go to Ace Hardware on Main Street.  Same thing spend $20 use your jingle bells. 

And in the spirit of Small Business Saturday the Tourism Bureau wanted to extend the Cash Mob invite to Vivian's on South Main Street at 11:45am. 

All shoppers are asked to save their recipts totalling $20 or more from the zip code 44408 and to show them at the entrance gate today at the Joy of Christmas Light show.  Those doing so will receive a reduced entry fee of $5 instead of $8 per carload. 

The Joy of Christmas drive-through light show is about to start!!!  In one week on Friday night the show opens at 7:00pm with Light Up Night.  But first you have to check out light up night in the city circle at 6:00pm.  There will be Christmas carols and the offical light up of the tree in the circle and all the lights along Main Street. 

Tonight I was able to participate in the filming of the commercial for the Joy of Christmas. It was a lot of fun and my daughter who is a diva want to be couldn't stop looking at the camera.  My son was cute in every way possible.  The rest of the children were a delight!  Santa was his jolly self and the children loved him!!!  After seeing the light show through a different set of eyes, knowing all the behind the scene work that it took to make everything possible... I was loving what I saw tonight.

Santa's Ice Castle was warm with the fireplaces glowing.  The treats from "Columbiana Diner" were tasty.  The crafts thrilled the children, some of whom mailed letters to Santa already!  Mrs. Claus' cupboard is full of little gifts available for purchase.  And then, after the filming inside of all the great things that visitors can participate in... I took a drive through the park to see the lights that are up and glowing brightly!  Not everything was lit as many things are still being set up but as you can see from the picture, some fun displays are ready to go.  The displays are mostly animated and add up to a million lights!!!  My two children 6 years, and 19 months were very excited to see the lights and cannot wait to come back when the sh

Check out the page on this website for all the details for the third annual Joy of Christmas. 

So for anyone that is planning a trip to Columbiana, plan to spend the night at one of the local places and then go to Salem for the day.  There is a lot of history to Salem and for those that like architecture you can see some excellent examples in downtown.  I spent an hour walking the streets of Salem this past weekend snapping photographs of things I liked.  Found bits of history I did not know about and things I am eager to go back and more fully explore.  As a side note do not visit Salem during a Sunday morning the small shops are not open, most of the restaurants are not open until later in the day, and the only thing you can see is the typical Dollar General, Walmart, Home Depot shopping.

Salem is a short 20 minute drive west of Columbiana heading down State Route 14.  You will pass through Washingtonville before coming into Salem.  I highly recommend the Irish pub for a meal.  But you can also try several other places along the main streets that are equally enjoyable.  Pick your theme... sports bar, Italian, cafe... you can find most of it in Salem.  Even some chain restaurants if you are not brave enough to try something that is outside the normal! 

Made my way out to Christmas in Columbiana today, the first of the four days it is open.  I was shocked at the line of cars coming into the parking lot.  By the time we left the lot was full to the road.  Last year the crowd was half this size on the day I went!  Maybe it had something to do with 70 degree fall weather, or maybe people are just ready for fall and winter activities!  Either way the atmosphere was fun and despite the crowd rather enjoyable.

This is the 18th year for the festival that boasts 200 crafters.  I was as usual frugal with my spending but I wanted everything!  I try to buy from different vendors every year.  The picture shows a little trinket made of brass that I purchased from Victor.  He doesn't have a website, doesn't have a business card, and only sells at shows such as this.  I was very eager to have a piece of his handcrafted elegance. 

My only other purchase today was a CD from B.E. Taylor a performer at the show.  I purchase one Christmas CD a year as a tradition and try to make them different from prior year purchases.  While sitting down to my bowl of fiesta rice (a food vendor I saw during Shaker Woods) I was close enough to hear Mr. Taylor perform.  It was a delightful sound and I didn't mind the Christmas music in October.  So I purchased my annual album which happened to be the first of his three holiday albums. 

My daughter found some delightful little hair clips that fit her unique personality.  My mother found oodles of purchases.  One which will be making it's way to my daughter for Christmas.  A bunk bed for "American Girl" sized dolls from Sullivan Doll Furniture.  I managed to sneak Elizabeth away from the booth so my mom could make the purchase of her "boxed wreath, wrapped in black trash bags."  I cannot wait for the surprise!

I highly recommend attending this event this weekend or next. Dress for the weather because it is outside in the woods.  Comfortable shoes are best as the pathways are pebbles and leaf covered at this time of year.  Bring lots of cash for food that will surround you the entire time you shop.  If you don't buy anything from a vendor, plan on spending it on the food.  If the vendors had food establishments open in Columbiana year-r

Traveling the streets in Columbiana with the intent to view the changing of the leaves from a tourism viewpoint has me seeing beauty I did not notice in my own backyard!!!  I heard that the first week of October is the best week to view the color changing in the leaves in Ohio so I made the effort to drive a few streets in town this week to see how true that was.

My first road was Middleton Road which is just outside City limits.  Found a few great views but didn't have permission to take pictures so I had to keep driving.  Upon turning onto Kelly Park Road I stopped and took a few pictures along the railroad tracks.  Threw my favorites up on my Facebook page, even some from my parent's house a mile down the road.  Most trees had not yet started to change color yet but the hint of what to come was a nice touch in the photgraphs.

A few days later I drove to Firestone Park to see the red trees that have been raved about along the football field.  I was not disappointed.  The sun was shining perfect, the football field was clean, and the trees were in their glory.  So was Firestone Pool as you can see from the image below.

I found a great view of more fall trees from my neighbors backyard on Fairfield Avenue.  A place most people would not have access to, but proof that there are more places like this all over the area.  With just a few stops along my normal route I realized that yes, Ohio does have some great fall colors but if you come to visit too soon you will see mostly green.  If you come and visit a few days later you may see many of the trees already dropping their leaves as the testimony of leaves piled curbside already document.  Timing the tour of colors is highly recommended for the very first week of October in my opinion!

Finish out this weekend with visits to Beaver Creek State Park and Pioneer Days, Detwiler's or Catalpa's for pumpkin picking and hayrides, or just a drive through the streets in and around town.  Don't wait because next will be the snow!!!

So yes, that is me making funny faces today at the Columbiana Maze Craze.  Want to thank Mike and Cindy Bacon for a great event!  Who would have thought that as a child I would run through corn fields getting lost on purpose for a game of tag and now as an adult, I would get lost in a mapped maze for fun!

I didn't actually get lost, as I did have the map and did try my best to follow it but I had my six year old daughter with me and she kept running off and expecting me to keep up!  We spent an hour at the maze sampling all four of the mazes, though we did not complete any of them in their entirety.  I think that mostly had to do with a six year olds attention span and energy level.
The maze is a lot of fun, the challenges are fun.  Three different ones which are geared at different ages.  Of course, to me I was excited to do the one for the littlest of children, finding the paw prints, and who doesn't like Clue!?!

I highly recommend taking a look at the maze, plan on spending a long afternoon or evening there.  I wore my hiking boots and had my daughter in her "muck" boots.  Jeans, and long sleeves were quite appropriate.  There are fun activities to participate in after like the mining and wagon rides.  Bring extra money for those events as well  so you can purchase pumpkins, gourds, and delcious concession stand food!  And depending on where you are at in the maze, you can smell that food which e