The Sombrero Galaxy as seen through a 32" telescope similar to the Perkins Observatory's main telescope.

If you live in Central Ohio and you haven’t gotten enough of the sun lately you may be a crazy person. But, if you happen to be that crazy, the Perkins Observatory (20min north of Columbus) will be the perfect place for you this weekend.

They are having the last event of the “Celebration of the Sun!” series Saturday July 23rd at 4pm.

Weather permitting you will be able to view the sun directly through Perkins high powered telescopes and learn a little bit about what you are looking at too.

The first Celebration of the Sun! sessions held July 9 and 16th were well attended so come early.

Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for children if the tickets are pre-ordered by phone. Tickets at the door cost $2 more.

If you HAVE gotten enough of the sun lately nighttime programs resume July 29, including astronomy lectures and tours of the observatory. If weather conditions permit, participants will have the opportunity to look through the telescopes at celestial objects like the Sombrero Galaxy pictured above.

Perkins is one of 32 observatories in Ohio and is the only one in Central Ohio that allows members of the general public to look through its large telescope, according to the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association’s website.

Perkins once was home to a 69-inch Perkins telescope, which was the third-largest in the world in 1931. It since has moved to Arizona and a 32-inch telescope has taken its place.

The observatory serves more than 40,000 guests each year, including many local school groups and organizations.

Perkins is operated by Ohio Wesleyan University and is used by the physics and astronomy department for research purposes.

Perkins schedule for the rest of 2011

Starting at 9pm:

July 29

August 5, 12, 19, 26

Starting at 8pm:

September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

October 7, 14, 21, 28

November 4, 11, 18

December 2, 9, 16

For more information visit Perkins Observatory.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Hayden Falls Park, Dublin

Midsummer is a great time to get out of the city. Central Ohio has a lot of metro parks to help you with that. The bountiful trees all around filtering and cooling the air are reason enough to go, here are a few more if you need them.

Hayden Falls Park has a gorgeous waterfall and stream tucked into a cove that is easily accessible and open to anyone who is interested in getting wet as well. And its just up the road in Dublin.

Take a trip down the Scioto at the Scioto Canoe Livery, called Columbus’s best kept secret, where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and tubes.

Did you know that 12 Metro parks have trails where you can walk your dog? Prairie Oaks and Battelle Darby Creek even offer places where you can let your dog go for a swim and Scioto Audubon has dog parks with agility courses at their park.

Below is a list of links to local Metro Parks, you’re sure to find one that draws you in.

METRO PARKS

BATTELLE DARBY CREEK
1775 Darby Creek Drive, Galloway, OH 43119

BLACKLICK WOODS & GOLF COURSES
6975 & 7309 E. Livingston Ave, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

BLENDON WOODS
4265 E. Dublin-Granville Rd, Westerville, OH 43081

CHESTNUT RIDGE
8445 Winchester Rd N.W. Carroll, OH 43112

CLEAR CREEK
185 Clear Creek Rd, Rockbridge, OH 43149

GLACIER RIDGE
9801 Hyland Croy Rd, Plain City, OH 43064

HAYDEN FALLS PARK 4335 Hayden Run Rd., Dublin

HERITAGE PARK and TRAIL
7262 Hayden Run Rd, Hilliard, OH 43026

HIGHBANKS
9466 U.S. 23 N., Lewis Center, OH 43035

INNISWOOD
940 S. Hempstead Rd, Westerville, OH 43081

PICKERINGTON PONDS
7680 Wright Rd, Canal Winchester, OH 43110

PRAIRIE OAKS
3225 Plain City-Georgesville Rd, West Jefferson, OH

SCIOTO AUDUBON
395 W. Whittier St, Columbus, OH 43215

SHARON WOODS
6911 Cleveland Ave, Westerville, OH 43081

SLATE RUN and LIVING HISTORICAL FARM
1375 S.R. 674 North, Canal Winchester, OH 43110

THREE CREEKS
3860 Bixby Rd, Groveport, OH 43125

WALNUT WOODS
6833 Richardson Rd, Groveport, OH  43125

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

FARMER’S MARKETS
The farmer’s markets in Central Ohio are in full swing and they run through October. Here is a handy guide to see what’s hitting the market when. Below is a list of local farmer’s markets, no matter where you live there is one for you.

• Bexley Farmer’s Market – Bexley City Hall, 2242 E. Main St, Bexley
  Aug 13 – Oct 29, Sat 10a – 1p
• Canal Winchester Farmer’s Market – High St, Canal Winchester
  Sat 9a – 1p (May 6 to Oct 21), Wed 5p – 8p (July 5 to Aug 30)
• Clintonville Farmer’s Market – High St. in front of Clintonville Commons, Clintonville
  May through October, Sat 9a – 12p
• Delaware County Farmer’s Market – Delaware County Fairgrounds
  Sat 10a – 12p (June to Oct), Tues 3p – 5:30p (July to Sept)
• Grandview Avenue Farmer’s Market – Grandview Ave at Second Ave, Grandview
  July 23 – Oct 29, Sat 10a – 1p
• Grove City Farmer’s Market – Town Center, Grove City
  July – Sept, Sat 8a – 12p
• Groveport Farmer’s Market – Brook Alley and Main St (Huntington Bank parking lot), Groveport
  June – Aug, Thurs 5p – 7p
• Lancaster Farmer’s Market – OJFS parking lot, Wheeling St & Memorial Dr, Lancaster
  Sat 7:30a – 12p (Apr 22 to Oct 7), Wed 6p – 8p (May 3 to Oct 4)
• London Farmer’s Market – Keny Blvd. and Lafayette St, London
  June – October, Wed 3p – 7p, Sat 8a – 1p
• Main Street Delaware Farmer’s Market – downtown Delaware
  May – Oct, Wed 3p – 6p, Sat 9:30a – 12:30p
• North Market Farmer’s Market – 59 Spruce St (Short North), Columbus
  April to late October, Sat 8a – ?
• Pearl Alley Farmer’s Market - Pearl Alley (near Rhodes Tower), Downtown Columbus
  May 20 – Oct 28, Tues & Fri 10:30a – 2p
• Powell Farmer’s Market – Olentangy St. between Liberty and Depot, Powell
  June 1 – Oct, Wed 4p – 7p
• Sunbury Farmer’s Market – Town Square, Sunbury
  May 20 – Oct 14, Sat 9a – 12p
• Upper Arlington Farmer’s Market – 2100 Arlington Ave, Upper Arlington
  July 20 – Oct 26, Wed 4p – 6p
• Union County Farmer’s Market – Corner of Plum and 6th St. Muncipal Parking Lot, Marysville
  May- October, Sat. 8am
• Westerville Farmer’s Market – N. State St. and E. Home St. in the Church of the Messiah parking lot May- October, Wed. 3p-7p
• Worthington Farmer’s Market – N. High St, Old Worthington
  May 14 – October, Sat 9a -12p
• New Albany Farmer’s Market – Market Street Square at 200 Market Street, New Albany July- September, Thurs. 4p-7p

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Comfest (Goodale Park, Victorian Viliage)

ComFest
June 24-26; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Satruday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Goodale Park, Victorian Village
Annual all-volunteer celebration featuring food and craft vendors and many local bands performing of numerous stages.
comfest.com

Powell Festival
June 24-25; 5-11 p.m. Friday, 12-11 p.m. Saturday
Village Green Park, Powell
Two days of live music, food and family fun capped by fireworks display.
cityofpowell.us

North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival
July 8-10; 7-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 12-6 p.m. Sunday
North Market, Arena District
Ohio wineries and local cuisine vendors and live music.
northmarket.com

Westerville Music & Arts Festival
July 9-10; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Heritage Park, Westerville
Local artists and musicians in downtown Westerville.
westervillechamber.com

Bike Columbus Festival
July 15; begins at 6 p.m.
City Hall, Downtown
Two bikes tours, 12 and 25 miles, through Columbus ending at an after party on Gay St.
bikecolumbusfestival.com

Franklin County Fair
July 16-23; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday-Saturday
4H displays, contests, live entertainment, games, fair concessions, rodeo, moto cross and tractor pulls.
fcfair.org

Shadwobox Live Sketch Comedy Festival
July 19-20; show times TBD
Shadowbox Live, Easton
Comedy troupes from around the country go head-to-head in a two-day competition.
shadowboxlive.org

Jazz & Rib Festival
July 22-24; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday
McFerson Commons and North Bank Park, Arena District
Award-winning barbecue competition and live music by national and local acts throughout three days.
hotribscooljazz.org

Serbian Festival
12-10 p.m. Saturday, July 23
St. Stevan of Dechani Serbian Church, East Side
Annual summer picnic featuring live Serbian music, dancing, full bar, and a buffet of authentic cuisine.
ststevanofdechani.org

Ohio State Fair
July 27-Aug. 7; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, July 27-Saturday Aug. 6, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6
Ohio State Fairgrounds
Rides, concessions, livestock displays and competitions and nightly concerts featuring Ke$ha, Journey, Brad Paisley and more.
ohiostatefair.com

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

6/14/2011 Free Script Reading Series Raconteur Theatre Company

6/16/2011 Urban Monthly Mix Exchange OSU Urban Arts Space

6/17/2011 Creekside Blues & Jazz Fest. Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau

6/17/2011 June Music & Art in the Park City of Canal Winchester

6/17/2011 Raconteur presents Whales, Sav Raconteur Theatre Company

6/18/2011 Digital Video Workshop OSU Urban Arts Space

6/18/2011 Raconteur presents Whales, Sav Raconteur Theatre Company

6/18/2011 Creekside Blues & Jazz Fest. Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau

6/19/2011 Creekside Blues & Jazz Fest. Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau

6/19/2011 Brass Band Of Columbus North Columbus Civitan Club Park Of Roses Concerts

6/20/2011 Camp Rock Jazz Arts Group

6/20/2011 Camp Blues II Jazz Arts Group

Business Events

6/16/2011 Business Expo (Trade Fair) Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce

Children Activities

6/17/2011 Tween Scene Groveport Cultural Arts Center

6/18/2011 Rocky’s Reading Room PBJ Connections

6/20/2011 Summer Camp with the Horses PBJ Connections

Clubs

6/16/2011 Bridge Club JCC

Education

6/20/2011 Intro to Digital Photography Groveport Cultural Arts Center

Environment & Recycling

6/18/2011 Canoe Float – Alum Creek river Friends of Alum Creek & Tributaries (FACT)

Fundraiser / Benefit

6/14/2011 SpeedPie on American Flag Day American Pie Party

6/16/2011 “Wine in the Garden” (featured event) Heritage Day Health Centers – Adult Day Care

6/18/2011 Taste For F.A.C.E. Friends of Art for Community Enrichment

6/20/2011 1st Annual Golf Tournament T.O.U.C.H. Mentoring Program

Health

6/14/2011 Mindfulness Meditation Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/15/2011 Cooking for Wellness @ RMH Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/15/2011 Yoga Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/16/2011 Qigong Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/16/2011 Tai Chi Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/16/2011 Cooking for Wellness Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/18/2011 Walk with a Doc Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/18/2011 Yoga Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

6/20/2011 Yoga Cancer Support Community-Central Ohio

Lecture / Workshop

6/14/2011 Homebuyer Workshop Groveport Cultural Arts Center

Literary

6/16/2011 Reader’s Circle Membership Meetings

6/20/2011 Weekly Network Mtg w/speaker 40 Plus of Central Ohio – Professionals in Transition

Social Services

6/16/2011 Bexley Farmers’ Market

Other

6/16/2011 COSI After Dark COSI Columbus

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

A flash mob erupted at the first annual Follow Me! – Fun Fit Family Day.

The dancing started spontaneously as these things tend to go during the last half hour of the event and continued until the event’s closing gaining momentum as it went along. A very exciting and sweaty way to cap off a day of activities!

Held at Easton Town Center, Fun Fit Family day was an exciting event with enumerable activities including.

- Pictures with the National Championship Trophy
- Make Your Own Bracelet Station
- OSU Activity Zone
- Columbus Blue Jackets Corner – interactive activities
- A full sized street hockey arena
- Columbus Crew – interactive inflatable activities, prize wheel & FIFA Xbox

- COSI on Wheels ~ 9 Fun activities about “The Incredible Human Machine”

- Face Painting

- Caricatures
- Booths to learn about nutrition, local activities and businesses

Free 30 minute activities for the family led by some of the best athletes and fitness professionals in Columbus include karate, yoga, ballet, and Zumba.

There was also a football clinic with former OSU football players, and healthy cooking demonstrations at the MI home store.

Follow Me! Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids” main ongoing mission is to aide in the fight against the rising epidemic of childhood obesity in America by educating parents of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

There are many steps one can take to eliminate much of  the stress of selling a home. By prepping your house ahead of time you can be fully prepared. Get your home ready to sell with these five easy tips.

1. Take YOU out of the equation.
Get rid of your personal touches. Anything on display that you hold dear, box it. Chances are potential buyers are not you. Start by taking down all the adorable photos of your kids, especially off of the refrigerator. It really cleans up  the kitchen to have a refrigerator free of papers and photos.

2. Zero out the clutter.
It’s time to toss the stuff in the corners. This is a major step towards having a presentable listing, and you may even find a few things that you’ve been looking for. Throw away all that you can and donate the rest.

3. Make your home not just presentable but appealing.
When selling a home, appeal can’t be underestimated. Get your house ready to sell by cleaning up the outside. Create a look, your home has personality, make the reasons you bought it in the first place shine. As for the inside, buyers want a blank canvas.

4. Take care of any stinky situations.
Don’t try to disguise smells, just get rid of them. Have the carpet and furniture professionally cleaned. If you have cats, change the litter box everyday.

5. Start cleaning.
One of the most important things that you can do when selling a home is to thoroughly clean your house. Scrub the baseboards, moldings, and the blinds. Clean the carpets. Get your wood or tile floors to shine. Clean as if your mother-in-law is coming. Also, there is nothing wrong with getting a little help. Spending some money on a professional cleaning service can be well worth it. It will get the job done faster, and hopefully better, than if you did it by yourself.

A last and final tip: If you are considering selling your home, take an afternoon and go to a new home community. Walk through the model homes. Notice how spartan they are. Model homes are depersonalized, de-cluttered, and very clean. Aim for that same look for your own home when you’re looking to sell.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Downtown Columbus is about to get a major facelift.

Work on The Scioto Mile, a huge winding riverfront park that stretches from the Arena District all the way to the Whittier Peninsula is on track for its grand opening on July 7th. The mile which boasts fountains, benches, and free Wi-Fi will physically connect Downtown to the Scioto River. Construction began in 2008, there is word that the Promenade section of the park may be open for visitors to take in the fireworks on the 4th as well.

The Promenade section of the park stretches along Civic Center Drive from Broad Street to Rich Street and connects Battelle and Bicentennial Parks.  Civic Center Drive has already undergone huge renovations in order to enhance access to the park.

A historic limestone railing (called the balustrade) runs along the Scioto Mile. The balustrade is presently undergoing restoration and will ultimately team with a continuous stone bench and a bubbling four foot-wide stream.

In addition to these features, a stone colonnade with swinging benches, traditional park benches, card and chess tables and a stunning plaza make this park an beautiful collaboration between nature and architecture.

And yes, the entire area will be designated a free Wi-Fi zone, offering a little work and a little play every day.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Real Living, one of the nation’s most innovative national real estate franchisers, announced that 30 additional companies — along with their hundreds of real estate professionals and dozens of offices — have already selected Real Living this year, as the company’s national expansion continues.

“This year has started with a lot of momentum and we are excited to have these 30 firms join the ever-expanding Real Living national network of real estate offices,” said Real Living President Harley E. Rouda, Jr. “We are seeing companies from coast to coast embracing the Real Living brand as we continue to grow our network of offices.”

Rouda said the growth isn’t over. ”As we continue our expansion in 2011, we anticipate additional firms joining Real Living from markets of all sizes, including those we partner with through Area Development Alliances. Through our Area Development Alliances, we are bringing an innovative approach to the industry by sharing franchise fees with alliance partners. This is truly an exciting growth vehicle for us, and a fabulous revenue opportunity for franchisees.”

In 2010, Real Living maintained an industry-leading customer satisfaction rating of 96 percent based upon research by an independent research firm. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Home sales are on the rise in Central Ohio. According to the Columbus Board of REALTORS home sales in March outpaced the previous month by almost 32% bringing the total number of homes sold during the first quarter of 2011 to 3,678.

1,487 homes were sold last month in central Ohio, up 31.8% from the previous month’s sales. While the year’s sales are behind 2010 by 7.9% that number is still 6.9% ahead of the 2,178 sold in the first quarter of 2009.

Homes put in contract saw an increase over last year as well, by 11.5% 2,512 to 2,252.

This looks like a trend of leveling off when you factor in the fact that this year’s average sale price for homes in central Ohio is down 3.7% from 2010, but also up 3.8% from the average sale price in 2009. Spring fever is working its magic however with the average price of a home sold in March being $144,975, up 2.1% from the previous month’s average of $140,770.

As trends in the market go it seems the supply and demand curves are working their magic. The total inventory of homes available for sale was down 22.3% from a year ago making way for this positive growth.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.