“It’s constantly exciting. Things feel fresh. It’s fun to experience them. ... It’s neat to have those opportunities close to home. For my normal day to day, it’s a fantastic community to live in. … I’m so happy here.”
About eight years ago, Megan Evans returned to her hometown of Newark from Miami, Florida. She was a little apprehensive; excited to be close to family again, of course, but she loved the city, and had been thriving there for two years. As soon as she returned, though, Licking County’s charm pulled her back in. You might have lived here your whole life or you might be visiting just for the weekend, but you’ll never meet a stranger in the county. In summer, you’re always craving an ice cream cone from Velvet Ice Cream, dying to stop and enjoy an unforgettable new flavor. You drive past children playing in their back yard; you can hear their shrieks of excitement through your open window as you fly past them. In winter, you might find yourself strolling through Granville, the brisk air stinging your cheeks and lifting your spirits. Everything around you is so quiet you can almost hear the snowflakes falling onto the roofs above. You feel like you’ve walked into a postcard, and just for a few days until the snow melts, you feel like you’re in a world entirely your own.
“I got a job that I love,” Evans says. “I bought a house and I found a great group of friends that I love spending time with.” Evans decided that her journey would consist of just that: spending a weekend with her closest friends. Couples, Chase and Cory, and Bethany and Tyler; and friend, Taylor; all live close by in Newark, and all except Tyler work in Newark, too. So, they began their journey close to home at the Draft House, the perfect place to converge for drinks and dinner, and talk about the weekend to come.
“That’s our favorite downtown spot,” Evans says. “The ladies who own it, they’re characters. Great food, cheap beer. I think you can get a draft there for $2 and you get it in a mug from the freezer.” Draft House is the ideal location to get a taste of Licking County. It’s a no-frills spot for the unofficial Newark burgers: the Benji Boy and Benji Girl. In fact, since Evans has moved back, she’s seen a new side of Newark that didn’t quite exist when she left for Miami after college. It’s a Newark she feels comfortable in as a young adult, and a Newark with a downtown that feels alive, electric and exciting.
“Downtown Newark is great to go out to now. You can easily make a Saturday on a nice day of going out, hitting a few spots on the Beer Trail. There’s a great vegan taco place in Alexandria, Village Taco,” she says. “It’s a beautiful place and it’s nice to have such a warm, inviting outdoor space for people to gather in and enjoy being outside. … It’s a small town or a small city, but it’s just like the community that everyone’s looking for.” Soon, it was time to turn in. So, the group eventually emerged from Draft House into the streets of downtown Newark to head home and rest up before the days to come.
The next morning, Tyler and Evans met up at Everest Gear in Granville to get some last-minute camping supplies. Their plan was to camp out at the Ohiolina Music Festival. They were excited, especially considering this was the first year that the festival was stationed in Licking County. Evans is an avid outdoorswoman, so finding the time to get to a brick and mortar store for backpacking gear is always a treat. Next, they met up with Chase, Cory and Bethany at Aladdin Restaurant for some classic hometown diner food.
Finally, the group headed over to their camping spot at Infirmary Mound Park. While Evans had been to the park plenty of times to visit the dog park or sightsee, the group chose a spot she’d never visited to station the tent. “It was this beautiful space I didn’t even know existed,” Evans says. “We all had tents and a little picnic table and you could either listen to the music or hike down the hill a little bit to be where the music and dancing was. There was stuff all day.”
Ohiolina isn’t your average music festival. Though it’s new to Licking County, its atmosphere fits the region perfectly, and offers plenty of ways for attendees to get involved, whether you prefer to just dance and enjoy the September air, kayak, or get your om on during morning yoga. Of course, the food is often as important as the music, and Ohiolina didn’t disappoint. Attendees stopped by local food trucks like Moe’s Original Bar B Que and Weathervane Kettle Corn. Without the backdrop of Licking County, the festival wouldn’t be quite the same. Living in Newark, Evans and her friends get a different daily experience in Licking County. But wherever you are in the county, you can always feel that subtle tug at your heart. Natural beauty is close, and it’s begging you to run to it. Stop by Lobdell Reserve to get away and blow off some steam at the disc golf course. Breathe deeply and take the tension out of your shoulders at Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve, where you can experience both natural and human history of the gorgeous county. You just might run into Evans while you’re there. The county has grown, changed and evolved over the last few years. But sometimes it’s not the homemade food, laughter with friends or exciting attractions you need, all of which you can find in the county. Sometimes it’s simply the quiet.
But soon, the sun would rise and the chirping crickets and buzzing cicadas would be drowned out by Ohiolina’s Southern inspired line-up. Cedric Burnside, Woody Pines and the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys, among others, started off the weekend with some soul. On Saturday, The Dip ended the night after a day of bluegrass inspiration by Todd Albright, Erica Blinn and more. On Sunday, Men of God’s Heart brought it home with gospel, taking Licking Countians to church before they headed home in higher spirits than they’d arrived.
But the music didn’t end with Ohiolina. Everywhere in Licking County, you can find the bass pumping and the soul radiating through the region. Oftentimes, Evans and her friends walk into a bar on a Friday or Saturday night only to be unexpectedly greeted by local musicians and a room full of residents, drinks in hand, tapping their feet along to the music. Or, head to Legend Valley Concert Venue, where you can get a taste of a major outdoor music venue, where the thumping beat will draw curious visitors from miles away. Take a deep breath; you can feel the passion emanating from every Licking County resident.
With small bar venues mixed in with larger venues like The Midland Theatre and Thirty One West, the music never stops in Licking County. And if residents or visitors feel they have to leave the county to find the music that gets them moving, they’re simply not looking. Walk into the many bars throughout the region. Stroll through downtown Newark. Open the door. Whatever it is you’re looking for, it’s here.
