COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first weekend without health orders in Ohio mixed with warm weather made for a bustling scene in the Short North. 

Crowded bars, arts events, street performances and the return of tourism brought energy to Columbus as the city showed a liveliness that’s been missing since the pandemic began. 

Friends Sonya Zaguzina, 24, and Katie Porter, 23, said they felt a dramatic shift in the city right after Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Ohio was ending all the health orders last month. Enjoying drinks with girlfriends at Townhall, they said going out is finally fun again.

“It's really nice that everybody's out here again. Now you can actually communicate with people. You can talk to people. It’s back to normal,” said Porter. “Before, you could go out, but it hasn’t been the same. It was just really dull. You could only sit at a table.”

The announcement from the governor that Ohio was reopening without mandated masks, social distancing or capacity restrictions, which took effect Wednesday, was quite a surprise to Porter and Zaguzina, but they both said it was a good move after a long year of social life being discouraged and restricted. 

“It was depressing!” she said. “I graduated college in May, so my first full year post-grad has been in COVID.”

Zaguzina said the pandemic put all her plans on hold. Instead of "hitting the ground running" after college like she was expecting, she moved home and started working remotely in November, missing both social and professional interaction for more than a year.

“You don't realize how much communication really matters, like social interaction, until it's taken away. And then when you come back, you’re just like, 'Wow'” she said.

Jim Skinner, 57, an engineer from Indianapolis, said he and his wife were visiting Columbus for the weekend to see family. On Saturday night, they were taking in the sights after going to an art gallery.

“There’s a pretty high energy. It’s a little bit of everything — all kinds of people,” he said. “You can tell people are happy to start getting around. We just went to dinner. People seem to be really having a good time and enjoying the nice weather.”

Skinner said he was having a perfect weekend trip in Columbus, which brings joy after being stuck at home. He said this past year he has had to work remotely and remain separated from his grandkids until they were able to get vaccinated.

Kathy Parry, 55, of Pittsburgh, was also visiting Columbus this weekend. She and her husband decided they were finally ready to get out and her kids recommended making the drive. 

“It's crowded, very crowded,” she said. “Everyone that we have talked to is happy to get out and finally be able to do things and live life, so it’s been nice.”

Ordering a glass of chardonnay at Short North Pint House, Parry said they’d already done the Columbus Food Tour and were also going to visit the Columbus Zoo. 

Parry said for the past year, they had been extra careful living with their daughter who was pregnant during much of the pandemic, but now that the baby is 2 months old and they’ve been vaccinated, they feel more comfortable dining out. Still, being in crowds feels a bit odd, she said.

“Oh my gosh, I totally feel weird. For the last year, you're under a mask and you just feel like you shouldn't be talking to people, and you know like, stay your distance,” she said. “It's open and it looks normal, which is a good thing, but that's just a little bit in the back of my mind still, always.”

Pat Gaitan, 28, was enjoying drinks at Wine on High with two friends after watching the Memorial Tournament golf action at Muirfield Village Saturday. Like Parry, he said it was nice to be around people, but he thinks it will take some time to ease back into the pre-pandemic rhythms. 

“Before this I was a very social person, loved being around a lot of people, and now it's like, let's keep a little bit of distance, which is weird,” he said. “I think it's one of those things where being around people in general is going to take some time.”

Being at the event and then seeing the scenes in Columbus Saturday night, Gaitan said he feels like Columbus is coming back to life.

“The last year has been very low key for most of us, and today, it was like that first time where you were almost shoulder to shoulder with people and felt comfortable,” he said. “It feels like 2019. Feels like I guess things are, I'm not going to say back to normal, but it feels like things are on track for the right direction.”