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My name name is Chip Gregory and I moved back to Marion in 2023 fully expecting life to slow down.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
Even in this medically-induced retirement, I still have enough gas in the tank to get myself into productive trouble. So I put it toward something I care about. That “something” became Marion LIVE — a local blog dedicated to what’s actually happening in Greater Marion.
Outside of Paul James and his amazing radio show, you’d think nothing was happening in Greater Marion.
Meanwhile some folks are still waxing nostalgic about “the way things used to be.”
What? Are you kidding me? This county is alive. And people are showing up.
Marion LIVE exists to highlight what’s happening right now — the music, theatre, comedy, killer brunches, historic venues, bars with stories older than their bricks, and yes… fried bologna sandwiches with a national fanbase.
If you’re bored in Marion County, you’re not doing it right.
-We have axe throwing. Axe throwing, people! In a Scottish bar that also hosts live entertainment — Kin & Kilt.
-We have the historic and legendary Marion Palace Theatre — the kind of venue other towns would kill to have. Not only does it bring national acts to its beautiful stage, but every summer it produces epic, high-end musicals that pack the house.
-We’ve got a hip, speakeasy-style bar downtown — Shovel City Drinkery — that literally sets drinks on fire. On fire. Are you kidding me? Magnificent!
-We have an underground and fringe cabaret (Rogue Theatrics) started by a bunch of local crackpots and musicians. (That would be me and my friends. We did that. Sorry?)
-Then there’s G&R Tavern down in Waldo — a little place with global reach. People from all over the world come to eat a fried bologna sandwich and have a beer.
-We’ve also got a 90-year-old Irish pub — Coonies Place Restaurant, Tavern, & Catering in LaRue, Ohio — that knows how to throw a St. Patrick’s Day party like no other.
-We have Bowstring Bar & Grill in Caledonia — a bar, a restaurant, live entertainment, and fun events all packed into one place. They serve steaks that could start a religion, high-end pub food, and concerts that fill the building.
-We have authentic Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Japanese, and even Argentinian-Italian-American fusion — run by people passionate about sharing their heritage through food.
-We even have those amazing massive downtown bird statues that will absolutely scare the crap out of you if you round a corner too fast.
-We’ve got the legendary OK Café Marion,Oh on East Center — 80+ years of pizza, subs, cold beer, outdoor concerts, bike nights, karaoke, trivia, and live music packed into one wildly comfortable, unmistakably Marion institution. The kind of place where doctors, bikers, and blue-collar regulars all end up at the same table, the pizza is hot, the beer is cold, and half the room has a story that starts with, “Back when I was a kid at the OK…”
-We’ve got Bucci’s Italian Scratch Kitchen, serving brunches so wildly popular there’s now a waiting list to get in. People are flying in from all over the country. No joke!
-We have live concerts happening in bars and venues all over Marion County — not just here and there, but nearly every weekend, all year long. Blues, rock, country, jazz, metal — you name it, somebody’s playing it.
Full Disclosure: Marion LIVE is volunteer-driven, and any revenue goes straight into running the site and supporting Rogue Theatrics — because arts and local storytelling matter here.
I started this project because I love Marion County, I’m still wired to make things, and this community deserves a spotlight that’s current, honest, and alive — not negative, dusty, or stuck in the past.
Marion LIVE shows the Marion County that’s happening right now — vibrant, creative, surprising, and absolutely alive.