Grand Valley Dale Ballroom

I went to the Grand Valley Dale Ballroom as a guest at a musical memorial service for a man who had played in a Big Band-era group that often performed there. The ballroom is spacious, with a large dancefloor in the center, surrounded by tables and chairs, and a stage for performers. It was clean and attractive, and the food/drink service was nice. If I were ever to host an event that included dancing and performances, food and drink, etc., I would definitely consider this venue. It would make a great place to host a wedding reception, a 1920s or 30s ball, or a concert that involved dancing. I'm not sure if the dance floor can actually be removed to prevent it from being scratched by other types of events, and I believe that it is marketed primarily as a venue for dancing. It's somewhat remote from downtown Columbus, and it might be slightly difficult to see the entrance to the parking lot at a nighttime event, but it's well worth checking out.

I was in a wedding that hosted their reception at the Valley Dale Ballroom and we were less than impressed with the service and staff. While the ballroom itself is beautiful and full of unique history the whole venue smelled musty and moldy from the second we walked in the door. We had to find the staff on 3 separate occasions to have the fans turned on as it was very hot in the ballroom (about 110 guests in June) and they kept getting turned back off. Servers were nice but looked sloppy in mismatched/ ill fitting uniforms and needed to be reminded or asked to fulfill basic service needs (ie: refilling waters at guest and wedding party tables). They also forgot the appetizers during our cocktail hour; their solution was cramming some onto the dinner buffet and doing a last minute walk around the room with the others. The coordinator attended the first third of the event before going home for the night so the staff was largely on their own. Items promised to be boxed up for the bride and groom at the end of the night were never delivered. I hope this gorgeous local gem of a venue finds itself some new management moving forward.

Great venue for large events, with a storied past.