COLUMBUS, Ohio — One can't help but sit back and admire the festival of lights at Columbus Commons this time of year.
It's a sight that never gets old for Ohio State Graduate and Co-Founder of Columbus City Adventures Jeff LaFever.
“This use to be the site of City Center Mall. There was a lot of retail here before that though. And some people may remember when it became the Centrum, which was a downtown ice skating rink,” said LaFever.
LaFever has spent the last four years educating and entertaining visitors from near and far about the history of Ohio's capital city.
The pandemic has slowed his business a bit, but interest in bus tours has increased this season.
“This is a family-oriented event. We hope to bring mom and dad and the kids and maybe grandma and grandpa to come down with them so they can enjoy this stuff as a family,” said LaFever.
But for LaFever, who has lived in Ohio's capital city for nearly four decades, working as a tour guide for Columbus City Adventures doesn't feel like a job at all.
“What I'm real excited about, in addition to the stops we've had, that are getting to be such great traditions in Columbus, like the Huntington train display up at the Columbus Metropolitan Library or the Grand Illumination along the Scioto Mile. But we have a new stop this year, which is the Catholic Museum of Art and History,” said LaFever.
Perhaps the best part for LaFever is just watching visitors' faces when they discover the best of what Columbus offers not only during the holidays but throughout the year.
“Just meeting the people and getting to tell the stories and getting them inspired by where we live. Or where there's going to live or possibly even where they want to live. Or even visitors coming to Columbus to understand our city a little bit better. Because a lot of people don't really know much about our city,” said LaFever.
Columbus City Adventures' tours are two-and-a-half hours long and run Fridays and Saturdays in December.
For more information on Jeff LaFever's tours, click here.