I adore coffee. Me and caffeine were meant to bean. You cannot expect a latte out of me before my first cup. Personally, I celebrate coffee daily. Nationally, coffee is commemorated on September 29th. National Coffee Day is a holiday that can come with some fun perks, or you can brew up your own way to celebrate.
Free or Discounted Coffee
Many coffee shops and restaurants offer free or special deals on cups of joe. Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Dunkin’, Einstein Bros. Bagels, and Cinnabon all usually participate, just to name a few. Check with companies individually as deals vary and change annually.
Explore the Columbus Coffee Trail
I was thrilled to discover that Columbus has a coffee trail! All you have to do is pick up a card at any of the participating locations and get it stamped every time you make a drink purchase at a different shop. After four stamps, you’ll get a t-shirt. After all 17 stamps, you’ll get a travel mug and well-earned bragging rights. Plus you’ll have tasted some of Columbus’ best locally-brewed coffees, which is a reward in and of itself. Some of the shops have parks nearby, so you can make a trip of it with the whole family!
Try a New Coffee Shop
Not *all* of the best cups of brew are on the coffee trail. I love trying smaller, local coffee spots. In Gahanna, my two summer favorites are the lavender latte from Blank Slate Cafe and the iced mocha from Upper Cup Coffee Co. at Creekside. In the colder months, Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery, as well as Mrs. Turbo’s Cookies both, have delicious, hot coffee to warm you up. And that’s just in one suburb!
Start a Coffee Subscription
I’m digging the new trend of coffee subscriptions. Many of them are customizable and allow you to try coffee from around the world without leaving your kitchen. A few highly-rated subscription options are Atlas Coffee Club, Driftaway Coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee, Mistobox, Crema.co, and Craft Coffee. These also make excellent gifts for the fellow coffee-lover in your life!
Check out the Columbus Coffee Festival
The Columbus Coffee Festival kicked off in 2015 and is set to happen annually at the Ohio Village. Tickets are sold in time slots and do sell out! You can sign up to be notified when ticket sales begin. I recommend the earlier time slots and leaving the kids at home, if possible. Our daughter was pretty bored, and it looked like strollers were having a hard time getting around. Admission includes a free mug and a map showing where over 40 vendors will be handing out samples of coffee, food, and experiences such as live music, yoga, axe throwing, art, and mini-golf. We went in 2018 and it was 100% worth it! This year the festival was on September 27, 2020. Perfect timing for National Coffee Day!
