We all remember shopping at the mall during the holiday season at some point in our lives. No doubt the retail world has shifted over the years, but the value of shopping at the mall remains, as it can be a one-stop shop for many people on your list. Colony Square Mall has pumped new energy into its establishment in recent years, focusing on both large and small retailers, and even incorporating some services and attractions that make a visit to the mall a nostalgic and progressive experience. Additionally, the Colony Square Mall is becoming even more community-focused, often the hub of many local events and a go-to gathering place.
“Now more than ever, we have welcomed additional new small businesses. So shopping at Colony Square Mall supports your local community in many, many ways. We have dozens of owner-operated small businesses here at the mall that offer a great variety of gift items, self-care items, services, entertainment, food, and a wide range of things that I think appeal to different audience levels,” explained Colony Square Mall General Manager Jessica Brailer. “I think that you can get a lot done here in one day. Park once, it’s super convenient. Come in and just make a day of it.”
Shopping
Adventure Gaming, American Eagle Outfitters, AT&T, BinMania, Casa Bella, Claire’s, Dejavu, Dunham’s Sports, Finish Line, Five Below, Izzy Bees, JCPenny, Kips Cards, Lu Lu’s Gifts and More, Planet ill World Comix, Rudolph and Me Personalized Ornaments, S & J Gifts, She Carnival, Spencers Gifts, T.J. Maxx, The Vintage Rescue are all located inside the mall. It’s a diverse list of boutiques, shops, and classic stores that will provide a ton of gift options. There is truly something here for everyone.
Dining
There is a lot of variety when it comes to great eats at the Mall. The 146 Restaurant, Picnic Pizza, Jamie’s Cheese Steaks, China Max, Chatty Cat Cafe, and Auntie Anne’s are all conveniently located inside the food court or near the food court, so you can take a break from shopping and grab a bite to eat. While you are there, make sure to pick up some amazing swag from Chatty Cat Cafe (all purchases support foster cats at the cafe). Or, grab a gift certificate or card to any eateries that offer them.
“The 146 is a full dining experience. And they also have some happy hour options and some lighter fare options. If people want to just come in and do a nice appetizer to share or a quick bite or the full service dinner, it’s available too,” said Brailer.
Entertainment
“I think something that most people can agree upon is that they like to gather and do something that brings smiles to people’s faces. And it’s a great collective place, you know, like, hey, let’s meet at the mall. Let’s go have a coffee and play some putt-putt. So we’re glad to be able to offer these additional things for the community, especially families,” said Brailer. “They’re all very budget-friendly. So Cinemark is having a lot of new movies come out. I know a lot of people are excited about Wicked for Good, the new Zootopia. There are several other new movies that are coming out in November, December. … They’re also offering a holiday fan club package where you can come in and for $5 you can see some favorite holiday movies like Elf and A Christmas Story.”
Cinemark offers gift cards or you can gift a Movie Club Membership (see their website for details). In addition to Cinemark, there is also Smashing Barrels Retrocade, and Perry’s Glow Putt. How about this gift idea? Write a message in a greeting card sharing your invitation to take them to either Smashing Barrels or Perry’s (why not both?) for a fun-filled afternoon!
Relaxation and Self-Care
Fabulous Styles and Cuts, Planet Fitness, Relax Zone, Super Brow, TruEnergy Healing & Wellness, Z. Nails offer services that are beneficial to your well-being. Whether you need to relax or look and feel your best. Purchase a membership, book a session, or make an appointment for someone on your gift-giving list. Make it a girls’ day out and go with!
“Everybody can agree that the holidays, while enjoyable, can sometimes be a little bit overwhelming or stressful,” said Brailer. “So I think we have a lot of good opportunities for folks to take a step back and do something nice for themselves and maybe even enjoy some one-on-one time with a loved one.”
Additional Businesses
Giving gift cards, paying for classes, or taking someone to the mall for an experience are great ways to think outside of the gift-wrapped box. Portraits by RJS Steed, Gracie Allegiance Jiu Jitsu, Ian Lauer’s Kenpo Karate, Legacy Ink, Westwood Tattoo Collective are all perfect for this kind of gift giving. Sometimes the best gifts are experiences and the memories attached to them.
Visit With Santa
It would not be a holiday shopping trip to the mall without Santa. He will be arriving on November 21 and will be there until Christmas Eve, December 24. Specific hours can be found on the Mall website. You can even reserve your time online! Walk-ups are also welcome.
Special times to visit with Santa are listed below.
- Pet Night: 11/24, 4:00 pm -7:00 pm
- Buckeye Santa: 11/29, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Pet Night: 12/1, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Santa Cares: 12/7, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Pet Night: 12/8, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Pet Night: 12/15, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
For pet nights, the best entrance to use is by The 146 because it is closest to Santa’s setup. The Santa Cares event on December 7 is set aside for children with sensory needs. People can come in before the mall opens when it is quiet and have dedicated time with Santa. A Buckeye Santa event is planned for the day of the big OSU versus Michigan game.
“He’s going to be wearing some special Buckeye gear that day. … And then the game will be airing down at The 146 restaurant, which is real close to the Santa set. And we’re going to have Brutus here for a couple hours walking around,” mentioned Brailer.
Gift Wrapping
Gift wrapping services are coming back to the mall on select Saturdays! Local non-profits will be on site to help save you time by wrapping your gifts for a small donation.
“You can stop at the gift wrap table, leave your items with a little bit of instructions, and then there’ll be suggested donations that’s going right back into the community.”
- November 29: 1-5PM Good City Creatives
- December 6: 12-4PM Lifewise Academy
- December 13: 12-4PM Grace Wesleyan Church
- December 20: 12-4PM Good City Creatives
- December 20: 4-8PM Grace Wesleyan Church
Salvation Army Angel Tree
The Angel Tree will be set up in front of T.J. Maxx. Shoppers can select a tag on the tree; the tag will have a list of suggested items that a local child has requested for Christmas. The person who has selected the tag will go and purchase the items on the list and bring them back to the mall or to the Salvation Army to be distributed to local families ahead of Christmas. The dates to participate in fulfilling a wish list are November 14 through December 7.
Events
“I think people really like the craft and vendor shows, which are Black Friday weekend. And then the one leading up to Christmas is the weekend of December 19th. That’s all weekend,” said Brailer. “I feel that the mall, especially in the food court, is a great place to perform in front of that poinsettia tree. There’s plenty of seating there. People can get a snack if they’d like and just enjoy. So we’re looking for local music performances, dance groups. We have a couple on schedule here now. So we’re looking, definitely looking forward to that.”
As you can see, there is a lot of life and excitement surrounding Colony Square Mall. It is an obvious choice for a well-rounded day of holiday shopping.
“I’d like to invite everyone out to come and just see the additional things that we have to offer. And we have a great ambiance here for the holidays. And we’re offering some holiday pop-ups too. So you’ll see some people that come mainly during the holiday season that have holiday-themed, you know, your ornament cart, things like that. And then we’re having a lot of craft and vendor shows. So I think it really is, it’s just a nice, well-rounded experience here at the mall,” Brailer said.
Follow Colony Square Mall on Facebook to stay informed about all of the events and new businesses coming to the mall. Their website, colonysquaremall.com, is also frequently updated and has a full event schedule and a mall directory on the site.