The Arnold Sports Festival is not all muscles and weights. The event provides a backdrop to athletic prowess across all sports and multiple venues. It can be overwhelming to attend, but I've got the scoop on getting around the events and whether it's worth your time.
Venues
The festival has long since outgrown the slanted roofs of the Columbus Convention Center and expanded to several venues throughout the city including surrounding hotels and Veterans Memorial. The best way to figure out your route is to take a look at the site and decide which events you'd like to attend.
Pay close attention to the events that are included in the general price of admission and which ones are extra. The premium events - championship bodybuilding rounds included - are usually not in the Convention Center and carry additional fees.
If you find your interests will have you driving back and forth, park your car and simply hop the COTA. It is much easier than trying to find and pay for parking around the event.
PARKING! Oh boy, you know the areas where the events take place are difficult to park on good days, the Sports Festival makes the entire area a mad house of cars and pedestrians carrying large bags of free goodies. Consider parking your car at the Columbus Commons parking garage and hoping the bus up to the events.
Don't miss North Market Review, great for tailgate treats!
Pay close attention to the events that are included in the general price of admission and which ones are extra. The premium events - championship bodybuilding rounds included - are usually not in the Convention Center and carry additional fees.
If you find your interests will have you driving back and forth, park your car and simply hop the COTA. It is much easier than trying to find and pay for parking around the event.
PARKING! Oh boy, you know the areas where the events take place are difficult to park on good days, the Sports Festival makes the entire area a mad house of cars and pedestrians carrying large bags of free goodies. Consider parking your car at the Columbus Commons parking garage and hoping the bus up to the events.
Don't miss North Market Review, great for tailgate treats!
Activities
The biggest event for the festival takes place at the Convention Center. Many of the early rounds of competition take place there and the HUGE vendor's market is a major draw.
Every kind of vitamin, sports drink, herbal supplement, energy bar, fitness gear imaginable is at this event and they are giving away samples at every turn. I still have supplement samples from 5 years ago!
Beyond the market, there are always plenty of crowd participation activities including fitness challenges and contests. Another crowd favorite? Celebrity sightings. Lou Ferrigno is a regular attendee and WWE wrestlers always manage to make an appearance, not to mention various health and fitness gurus.
Often overlooked are the exhibitions and youth competitions including ballroom dance, martial arts, gymnastics and cheerleading. Don't miss out on great performances, hit the side rooms to really experience the full range of what the festival has to offer.
Don't miss The Happy Greek Review another great place to eat in the area.
Every kind of vitamin, sports drink, herbal supplement, energy bar, fitness gear imaginable is at this event and they are giving away samples at every turn. I still have supplement samples from 5 years ago!
Beyond the market, there are always plenty of crowd participation activities including fitness challenges and contests. Another crowd favorite? Celebrity sightings. Lou Ferrigno is a regular attendee and WWE wrestlers always manage to make an appearance, not to mention various health and fitness gurus.
Often overlooked are the exhibitions and youth competitions including ballroom dance, martial arts, gymnastics and cheerleading. Don't miss out on great performances, hit the side rooms to really experience the full range of what the festival has to offer.
Don't miss The Happy Greek Review another great place to eat in the area.
Vendors
I mentioned free goodies. Well, bags and bags worth of goodies are available at the festival. Vendors from around the country with various supplements, vitamins, energy bars, equipment and clothing come to festival just to get people to try their goods. If you've ever driven through the city during the event you've seen mobs of people lugging big bags.
One note of caution, be careful with taking too many freebies. You then have to drag all that stuff from place to place and it can get annoying real fast.
Don't miss Easton Eats and Treats.
One note of caution, be careful with taking too many freebies. You then have to drag all that stuff from place to place and it can get annoying real fast.
Don't miss Easton Eats and Treats.
Crowd
The crowd at the classic is pretty fun and agreeable. An important thing to note? The crowd is HUGE. If you have a problem with lots of people in tight spaces, you may want to plan to attend the smaller exhibitions and avoid the marketplace all together.
Another option is to go first thing in the morning. On the weekend, by the middle of the day you're going to encounter thousands of people all looking at the same thing and going the same place.
With so many people in the facility it gets hot, the aisles of the marketplace get clogged so think twice about bringing small kids (NO STROLLERS ALLOWED).
Overall, the event is a wonderful opportunity to experience a world most of us don't see on a regular basis. A little planning ahead and a lot of patience will get you through just fine.
Another option is to go first thing in the morning. On the weekend, by the middle of the day you're going to encounter thousands of people all looking at the same thing and going the same place.
With so many people in the facility it gets hot, the aisles of the marketplace get clogged so think twice about bringing small kids (NO STROLLERS ALLOWED).
Overall, the event is a wonderful opportunity to experience a world most of us don't see on a regular basis. A little planning ahead and a lot of patience will get you through just fine.
