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Pickaway
County Events
Sept. 8
Arts & Crafts Show and Sale
Area vendors display arts and crafts in the Downtown Business
District.
9 a.m.-3 p.m. 740-474-3636
Sept. 8-9
Green’s Farm Heritage Days
Heritage demonstrations, food, tours, live music at Green
Heritage Museum.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission.
740-474-3636
Sept. 20
Third Thursday Pizza Challenge
Pizza restaurants compete for prizes; entertainment by the
New Basics Brass Band. 5-9 p.m. Admission includes pizza.
740-474-3636
Oct. 17-20
Circleville Pumpkin Show
Parades, contests, entertainment, food and the world’s
largest 400-lb. pumpkin pie. 740-474-7000, www.pumpkinshow.com
Nov. 17-18
Holiday Open House
Downtown Business District. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday,
noon-5 p.m.
740-474-3636
Nov. 18
TubaChristmas
Pickaway County Courthouse. 3 p.m.
740-474-4668, tubachristmas.com
Dec. 1
Christmas Parade
Downtown Business District, 1 p.m.
740-474-3636
Ongoing
Flea Market
Pickaway County Fairgrounds, Circleville. Oct. 6-7,
Nov. 3-4, Dec. 1-2.
740-474-2085
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| By Aaron Leventhal
Recently, my good buddies Jackie Jacobs and Wayne Owens and
I discovered that Pickaway County, less than an hour’s
drive south of downtown Columbus, is an ideal destination
for a relaxing and economical golf getaway. Spared the hassle
of a long drive to golf meccas such as the Greenbrier or Hilton
Head, we got in three rounds of golf on three exceptional
courses in 48 hours.
Pickaway County, settled in1796, is comprised primarily of
small farming villages such as Williamsport and Tarlton. Circleville,
initially built to conform to circular prehistoric earthworks
on the banks of the Scioto River, is the county seat and its
largest town, with a population of about 14,000. We stayed
just outside of town at the Holiday Inn Express (740-420-7711)
next to Rooster’s and across from Bob Evans at 23911
Route 23 South (we call it High Street).
Golf
All three courses we played are set in lush, rural, wooded
surroundings with rolling hills, running streams and placid
ponds. They are all immaculately groomed, fun and definitely
challenging. However, we played the front tees, which has
its advantages. The Players Club at Foxfire (614-224-3694)
features the Foxfire course with bluegrass and Players course
with bent grass. Rated 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest, the club
offers twilight specials after 1 p.m. Upper Lansdowne Golf
Club (800-858-2989) is a public course noted for its scenic
beauty and economical greens fees. We enjoyed toasted Italian
subs and grilled chicken salads in the Oasis Café.
Cooks Creek Golf Club (800-430-GOLF) was co-designed by golf
pro John Cook on his grandfather’s farmland. The 4 1/2-star
course, bordered by the Scioto River and Little Walnut Creek,
is rated by Golf Digest as one of Ohio’s top ten public
courses.
After each round of golf, we enjoyed dining, shopping and
entertainment. We even found time to do some sightseeing.
Circleville is a lively and hospitable community that is much
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Golf
buddies Aaron Leventhal, Waynes Owens and Jackie Jacobs.
Chef
Mike Cutter at Tuscan Table |
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more than the home of “The
Greatest Show on Earth” – the Circleville Pumpkin Show.
Ohio’s oldest free festival marks its 101st anniversary when
it takes place October 17-20.
Attractions
Slate Run Metro Park (614-837-1680) on State Route 674 has a 150-acre
wetlands wildlife refuge with an extensive trail system, 1885 covered
bridge, picnic areas and habitats that are home to more than 200
species of birds. Its living historic farm showcases agricultural
life in the late 1800s. In 1999, the Pickaway County Historical
and Geological Society (740-474-1495) acquired a 2.5-mile section
of the historic Erie Canal and developed Canal Park, a recreational
area for canoeing and kayaking. Deer Creek State Park (740-869-3124)
has hiking and biking trails, golf, tennis, fishing, a beach, lodge
and cabins. Green’s Heritage Museum (740-477-3630) in Orient
consists of 14 buildings portraying a unique part of Central Ohio’s
history, including a 1799 Smoke House, 1930s White Castle and antique
toy trains, bikes and horse-drawn carriages. The Ted Lewis Museum
(740-477-3630) in downtown Circleville pays tribute to “The
Jazz King” with his trademark battered top hat, clarinet cane
and famous salutation “Is everybody happy?”
Shopping
Shopping in Circleville is a nostalgic walk down Main Street U.S.A.
Of note are Cami’s Corner, a crafts and antiques emporium;
Wittichs, for fine homemade candies and ice cream; Artsaround Gallery,
featuring original local artworks; Treasure Isle, for gifts and
home accessories; and The Hippie Hut, for retro ‘60s apparel,
posters and gifts.
Dining and Entertainment
Circleville was a culinary surprise, with a half-dozen excellent
restaurants serving up good food with fine service at reasonable
prices. It’s worth the trip just to dine at the recently opened
Tuscan Table (740-477-3040), where chef Mike Cutter (who apprenticed
for five years with a famous Italian chef in Chagrin Falls) prepares
authentic Italian fare to perfection. The way to go is the Family
Style Dinner where the table chooses two appetizers, salads, pastas,
entrées and desserts for $23.95 per person. The portions
are gigantic. We dined on calamari frutti, stuffed mushrooms, house
salads, fettuccine Alfredo, penne with Bolognese sauce, chicken
Marsala, risotto primavera, tiramisu and spumoni.
We enjoyed lunch at two restaurants in downtown Circleville -- JR
Hooks Café & Pizza Shoppe (740-474-2158) and Gibby’s
Sports Bar (740-477-3471). Both popular casual dining establishments
have great sandwiches and lively bars. The Screening Club (740-477-8603),
is attached to the back of a movie house that was a 1928 Vaudeville
theater and has a bar with 88 rocking chairs where classic movies
are featured rotated twice weekly.
For more information on what to do, where to stay and where to dine,
contact the Pickaway County Visitors bureau at 740-474-3636 or www.pickaway.com.
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Aaron Leventhal is publisher of High Street Neighborhoods.
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