It's time for the third annual Show Your Love contest!  With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's a great time for you downtown-ites to show some love to your favorite downtown eatery.

That's right, the downtown hot spot that gets the most votes wins the coveted Show Your Love plaque.  And when you vote you are entered to win lunches from each of our five featured restaurants, each of which marked its downtown debut in 2010:  Lynally's, Michael O'Toole's,The Pickle, Si Senor and Spinelli's Deli.

They are all begging for your vote.  Don't believe us?  We've got the videos to prove it!

Don't Miss! Columbus Children's Theatre: The Elevator Family Location: Park Street Theatre Hours: February 3 - 20; Thursday - Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Admission: 10.00 - 18.00; Thursday, 9.00 Phone: 614.224.6672 colschildrenstheatre.org Second Annual Endurance Sports Expo Location: The Athletic Club of Columbus Hours: February 3, 6 - 8 p.m. Admission: No cost accolumbus.com The Columbus Symphony: Russian Masters - Rachmaninoff Paganini Rhapsody Location: Ohio Theatre Hours: February 4 - 5, 8 p.m. Admission: Adults, 20.50 - 66.50; Children, 11.50 - 34.50 Phone: 614.228.8600 columbussymphony.com Exhibit: Perpetuating the Senses: 2011 Art Scholars Juried Exhibition Location: OSU Urban Arts Space Hours: February 5 - March 31; Tuesday - Wednesday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission: No cost Phone: 614.292.8861 uas.osu.edu More Events For a complete listing of events, please visitExperience Columbus.

February is Black History Month and as part of the year-long Ohio Statehouse Sesquicentennial celebration you can immerse yourself in Black History each Tuesday from noon - 1 p.m. throughout the month.  Head over to the Ohio Statehouse Museum Gallery on the ground level to enjoy a series of living history presentations. 

These presentations will introduce guests to African Americans who were prominent figures in Ohio and U.S. History.  First-person interpreters will present a 45-minute vignette focusing on African American history, each rich with history, drama and adventure.  The programs are presented by We've Known Rivers, a partnership of dynamic storytellers with a passion for history and education.

The scheduled living history performances include Sojourner Truth, portrayed by Annett Jefferson on February 1; Aunt Hettie portrayed by Sandra Quick on February 8; George Washington Williams portrayed by Anthony Gibbs on February 15; and Tuskegee Airman portrayed by Anthony Gibbs on February 22.

During the month, visitors can also take in special tours of the George Washington Williams Room, a Black History Month exhibit and a soul food menu at the Capitol Cafe each Wednesday in February.  The George Washington Williams Memorial is a tribute to Ohio's first African-American legislator, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Hamilton County in 1879.  The room honoring him exhibits furnishings representing styles popular in the late 1800's and will be a focal point during Statehouse tours in February.  The 2011 Rosa Parks Children's Art Exhibit will be on display in the Statehouse Map Room, highlighting colorful artwork created by elementary school children throughout central Ohio.  And remember to check out the special soul food menu which will be offered by the Capitol Cafe on Wednesdays in February, coinciding with a series of no-cost lunch-time concerts.

Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse
Location: Ohio Statehouse
Hours: Living History Presentations, February 1, 8, 15 and 22, noon - 1 p.m.; Tours, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Admission: No cost
Phone: 888.OHIO.123
ohiostatehouse.org

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