Editor’s Note: Beat Notes is a weekly feature from Dispatch journalists who share what’s been happening in their areas of coverage and upcoming events. This week, we hear from Belinda M. Paschal, who covers arts, entertainment and breaking/trending news in Columbus and central Ohio. She has been with the Dispatch since 2021.
George Gershwin’s classic “Summertime” evokes languid days when “the livin’ is easy,'” but when you cover arts and entertainment in Columbus, summer is the busiest time of the year.
The season began June 20, but the summer social scene started revving up in mid-May with Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival at Historic Crew Stadium. A steady stream of coverage before, during and after the sold-out event kept fans in the loop.
But it wasn’t a one-woman show. I’d be remiss to overlook the colleagues who contributed to this coverage, including those with the fortitude to brave the crowd of thousands to write a review or capture riveting live shots.
Belinda Paschal is a Columbus Dispatch reporter photographed Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in the 605 S. Front St. newsroom.
The events schedule kicks into high gear in June, as festivals fill the next few months with celebrations of food, music and various cultures. Among those I’ve written about are the Columbus Arts Festival and the Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March, with more ahead.
You can also look forward to reading about everything from butter cows to “Weird Al” Yankovic in our upcoming coverage of the Ohio State Fair.
Juggling breaking and trending news
Since my last check-in, I’ve taken on more of the breaking/trending news beat. Urgency requires putting aside other tasks to get pressing reports out. The mental pivot can be dizzying, but there’s satisfaction in giving readers the most up-to-date details. The increased visibility doesn’t hurt, either.
To that point, it’s often the “quick hits” that attract large audiences. My most-viewed story to date announced an Ohio State Fair $6.14 ticket sale, drawing some 29,000 people to read a 174-word blurb.
Columbus Dispatch staff member Belinda Paschal (right) smiles after making a bad “dad joke” during the daily staff meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
Other stories on the horizon
One piece in the works examines the recent increase of women diagnosed with autism and ADHD. There is much to learn since most research has involved children. I hope to educate through interviews with diagnosed women and experts from Ohio State, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and UCLA, among others.
Also, I continue to follow the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) project turning the former Central Presbyterian Church into an event venue. In the latest chapter, the site was renamed the Wrightsel Music Hall and demolition work began in May.
I’ll keep reporting on the project as it develops into a facility where CAPA says a top priority will be offering programs at affordable ticket prices.
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Summer heats up arts, entertainment scene for Dispatch reporter
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