Butterflies return to Franklin Park this Saturday, plus a Black-owned brewery opens its first Short North taproom and CAPA takes over Idea Foundry.

Good morning, Columbus. It's 30° right now but climbing later today to 52° under clear skies. Winter coat weather at sunrise, light jacket by lunch. Layer smart.

📍 Blooms and Butterflies returns to Franklin Park Conservatory

Winter feels shorter when you're standing in a room full of tropical butterflies.

Franklin Park Conservatory's Blooms and Butterflies exhibition opens this Saturday, marking the return of one of Columbus's (and my) most reliable mood-lifters. Hundreds of free-flying butterflies from around the world land on shoulders, feed at fruit stations, and flutter between tropical plants.

Visitors walk through warm rooms where dozens of species fly around. Watch chrysalises split open in real time as butterflies emerge.

This is the conservatory's signature event. If you haven't been, expect crowds on weekends. Weekday mornings are quieter. The exhibition runs through April, giving you plenty of time to catch it without fighting Saturday morning families.

📍 Columbus Association for the Performing Arts takes over Idea Foundry in Franklinton

The 54,000-square-foot makerspace gets a new operator with bigger performance ambitions.

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts is taking over operations at Idea Foundry, the Franklinton makerspace that's been around since 2008. The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts plans to add theater performances and arts programming to the facility while keeping current members and tenants in place.

The deal brings the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts's resources to a space already known for woodworking shops and metalworking equipment. Expect theater performances next to welding demos.

Current members and tenants stay. Your welding access is safe. The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts's backing means more people will finally notice this Franklinton landmark.

📍 Dafuque Beer Co. opens first taproom in the Short North

A Black-owned brewery gets a permanent home on High Street.

Dafuque Beer Co. opens its first brick-and-mortar taproom at 1205 N. High St. on Feb. 28. The Black-owned craft brewery has been building a following through pop-ups and distribution deals. Now it has a dedicated space in the Short North.

The brewery's name, pronounced "the f*ck," invites exactly the kind of double-takes founder Day Bracey wants. Expect a rotating tap list with classic styles and Bracey's spin on them.

⚡ Quick Hits

• Superman sequel films in Cincinnati this summer. The follow-up to this summer's Superman movie, shooting under the code name "Exodus," was awarded $1.9M in state tax credits. Good for Ohio's film economy and fun to look for landmarks when watching.

• Ohio lawmakers push tougher penalties for drivers who ignore crossing guards. House Bill 690 would make it a first-degree misdemeanor, prompted by a Warren County case where a driver who hit a guard was fined just $48.

• New Pickerington Central Junior High opened this week. The building features lockdown-capable safety doors in each section, a robotics lab, and touchscreens in every classroom. Community open house is Saturday, 6-7:30 p.m.

🎟️ Out & About

The Daily Growler: Girl Scout Cookie + Beer Pairings | This Weekend | Powell. Pair Thin Mints with Southern Tier Irish Cream Cocktail Stout, Samoas with Seventh Son Stone Fort Oat Brown Ale, and Tagalongs with Wolf’s Ridge Clear Sky Daybreak Coffee Cream Ale. $25/pp and plan for a 30-60 minute experience.

New Edition with Boyz II Men & Toni Braxton | Saturday, 8 PM | Schottenstein Center. Relive your junior high dance experience as The New Edition Way Tour brings three decades of R&B hits to the Schott. From $125.

Brit Floyd | Saturday, 8 PM | Palace Theatre. Pink Floyd tribute with full theatrical production before the legislature takes away THC sales. If you missed the actual band, this is the next-best option. From $51.

Ohio State Men's Lacrosse vs. High Point | Saturday, Noon | Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium. Buckeyes open the home season. If you're not sure who High Point is, join the club. Check ohiostatebuckeyes.com for tickets.

📜 On This Day

On this day in 1812, the Ohio General Assembly officially named the state's new capital "Columbus," ending Chillicothe's run and planting a flag on the Scioto riverfront. The city was named after Christopher Columbus (no kidding), and the decision came down to geography: Columbus sat near the center of the state and had river access. At the time, it was mostly farmland and a few scattered buildings. The statehouse wouldn't be completed for another four decades. Today, Columbus is the 14th-largest city in the country.

A chilly start to the weekend, but that Saturday sunshine should make up for it. Get outside this afternoon.

See you Sunday.

Before coffee. Before the chaos.