Making weekend plans? Check out these 10 cool events happening in Columbus

It's Labor Day weekend and local folk musician Bill Cohen hopes his Sunday show will help "put some meaning back into the ... holiday." Playing music from Arlo Guthrie to Bruce Springsteen, he and other musicians will sing the praises of U.S. workers — from farmers and miners to doctors and teachers — who make our lives richer.

The weekend also will offer sports fans the chance to "root, root, root for the home team" when the Ohio History Connection presents its annual Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival on Saturday and Sunday at Ohio Village.

Other upcoming entertainment includes a concert by '80s New Wave band Modern English, a soon-to-close exhibit at Streetlight Guild, and the Reaganomics' farewell concert.

There are plenty of options to quench your thirst for fun around Columbus and you can read more below. To receive these ideas in your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.

Mount Vernon's First Friday ushers in September

September First Friday in Downtown Mount Vernon will kick off at 6 p.m., offering three entertainment-packed hours presented by Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Central Ohio Technical College, Kenyon College, and Knox County Career Center. The evening will include live music by popular Americana band Six Miles to Nellie; a sneak preview of MTVarts' "Matilda JR." (which runs Sept. 15-17 at Knox Memorial Theatre, 112 E. High St., Mount Vernon); and a cruise-In sponsored by A+ Auto. There also will be food trucks, vendors, and activities including a teachers vs. students game of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" and a chocolate cake-eating contest. Register for cake-eating contest (spaces are limited) from 6-7 p.m. Friday at the Experience Mount Vernon table on East Vine Street. (mvac.org)

Library cards grant free Fridays at history center

Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) has partnered with the Ohio History Connection to offer CML cardholders free admission to the Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., every Friday in September. Visitors who present their cards this Friday also can enjoy free access to the adjacent Ohio Village. Guests at the history center can view interactive exhibits devoted to everything from life in the '50s to extinct and endangered Ohio species to a collection of restored Civil War battle flags. One admission per card will be permitted. The event is part of CML's ongoing sesquicentennial celebration. (columbuslibrary.org/150-anniversary)

'Watering the Seeds' continues at Streetlight Guild

There's still this Saturday and next to view "Ohio Cultural Carriers: Watering the Seeds," a free exhibit showcasing three generations of Black art with works by Richard Duarte Brown, Malik Carrington, and Smoky Brown, at Streetlight Guild, 1367 E. Main St. The gallery will be open from noon to 3 p.m. Various media are represented including sculptures, paintings, water features, and immersive experiences. Also coming up at Streetlight is “Rhapsody & Refrain 3: 30 Columbus Poets,” a month-long series during which each day will feature a poet performing a set of original work. Shows are at 8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5. (streetlightguild.org)

Modern English to bring '80s to A&R

With about 8 million plays, "I Melt with You" is a staple of alternative-New Wave radio. As promised in their chart-topping hit, Modern English will "stop the world" and flash back to the early 1980s - during a show at A&R Music Bar, 391 Neil Ave., on Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. Also known for songs including "Hands Across the Sea" and "Ink & Paper," Modern English was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2020 BMI Awards. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the show. (promowestlive.com)

Reaganomics to bid farewell at festival

This weekend will be '80s dance music fans' last chance to see the Columbus-based Reaganomics, who'll give their farewell performance at the annual St. Michael’s Festival. The free event will be held from 7-11 p.m. Friday, and 5-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at St. Michael The Archangel Catholic Church, 5750 N. High St., Worthington. The music lineup will be: Friday - The Joint Rockers (8 p.m.); Saturday - The Shazzbots (5 p.m.) and The Big Badd (8 p.m.); Sunday - The Wet Bandits (5 p.m.); culminating in The Reaganomics' performance at 8 p.m. The festival also will offer games, rides, food, strolling entertainment, a cash raffle, a silent auction, and a casino bake sale. Bring canned food items (for the food pantry) and/or pack of new diapers and get $5 in game tokens. ATM available. Free parking can be found in the lot across from the church and on area side streets. (saintmichaelfestival.com)

'Field Trip' to pop up at Blendon Woods

Nature, beer, and music will intersect at "Field Trip," a pop-up bar hosted by Seventh Son Brewing Co. and Friends of Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks in Blendon Woods Metro Park. The event, which will be held from 6-9:30 p.m. Sept. 8, will feature Seventh Son beer (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), Kitty Paw hard seltzer, wine, the Elevated Wood Fired Pizza food truck, and string music by Chamber Brews. The pop-up will be located at Camp Sugarbush on the south end of the park, which can be accessed from the Day Camp entrance, 5364 Cherry Bottom Road. A map can be found at metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/blendon-woods. Tickets, which must be purchased by Sept. 7 on the Seventh Son website, are: $45 standard and $20 for designated drivers. (seventhsonbrewing.com)

Vintage 'base ball' fest to be a real catch

The Ohio History Connection will hit one out of the park when its annual Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival slides into home base – Ohio Village, 800 E. 17th Ave. – from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More than 25 teams from around the U.S. will participate in the country’s largest gathering of vintage teams that play by 1860s “base ball” rules. The family-friendly event will include food trucks, various activities and crafts, plus the chance for kids to hit and play catch with players from the Ohio Village Muffins. Guests will also learn the early roots of the game. Tickets are included in general admission to Ohio Village: $16 for adults; $14 for ages 60 and older; $14 for students (with ID); $10 for ages 4-12. Children 3 and younger, as well as OHC members, are admitted for free. (ohiohistory.org)

Flower growers to say 'Hello, dahlias!'

The Greater Columbus Dahlia Society (GCDS) will bring flower power to the Union County YMCA, 1150 Charles Lane, Marysville, for its 57th Annual Dahlia Show from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. The top growers in the Midwest will vie for recognition and cash prizes in numerous categories, and hundreds of breathtaking blooms, floral arrangements, and photos will be on display. Both GCDS members and non-members are welcome to enter their blooms. Free admission.  (columbusdahlias.com)

Musical labor of love to honor US workers

To honor American workers on Labor Day weekend, local musician Bill Cohen, with vocalists Phil Hart and Terese Schleifer, will perform songs by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Sam Cooke, Dolly Parton, Alabama, Bruce Springsteen, Leadbelly, and others. The 4 p.m. Sunday show at Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave., will include a photo/video presentation about such historical moments as labor unions winning reforms like the eight-hour workday and ending child labor. A $15 donation is asked at the door, but all contributions, big or small, are welcome. Part of the proceeds will go to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, an activist group that has helped organize and mobilize some of the nation’s impoverished farmworkers. (facebook.com/billcohensings)

Upper Arlington to get artsy for Labor Day

The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival will offer visitors the opportunity to explore, purchase, and even create artwork in Northam Park, 2070 Northam Road, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday. Now in its 57th year, the free fest and art show will feature some 200 artists working in media including painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, jewelry, and more. There also will be hands-on art activities and live music performances, plus food trucks from around the area serving everything from Southern-style to Asian fusion to Mexican street food. Sensory rooms and air-conditioned cooling-off spaces will be provided. Street parking is available throughout the neighborhood or park at The Wellington School, 3650 Reed Road, and hop one of the shuttles running every 15 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (upperarlingtonoh.gov/LDAF)

bpaschal@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 things to do in Columbus this weekend