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What’s the best season in CBUS? Festival season.
That’s our professional opinion. And that’s why we are so excited about these 25 can’t-miss festivals in the city, ranging from weekend-long food fairs to tried-and-true traditions with decades of experience.
Music festivals
- Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival | Thursday, May 16-Sunday, May 28 | Historic Crew Stadium | Prepare for another year of all out rock music, featuring Disturbed, The Misfits, Pantera, and Slipknot.
- Breakaway | Saturday, May 31-Sunday, June 1 | Historic Crew Stadium | Kaskade, Tiësto, and Two Friends are the major headliners for this two-day EDM festival.
- Creekside Jazz and Blues Festival | Friday, June 14-Sunday, June 16 | Creekside District | Creekside has been a Gahanna staple for 25 years with great music, food, and shopping.
- Buckeye Country Superfest | Saturday, June 22 + Sunday, June 23 | Ohio Stadium | Country star Zach Bryan headlines this two-night concert at the Shoe.
- Ohio State Fair Concert Series | Wednesday, July 24-Sunday, Aug. 4 | Ohio State Fairgrounds | Find a concert for any type of music fan, ranging from KIDZ BOP to La Zenda Norteña to Ohio Players.
The Historic Crew Stadium will be lit up for Breakaway. | Photo via @crewstadium
Art + culture festivals
- Ohioana Book Festival | Saturday, April 20 | Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Library | Celebrate Ohio-based authors and literature at an all local day at the main library.
- COSI Science Festival | Wednesday, May 1-Saturday, May 4 | COSI | Join Ohio’s largest STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) event where kids are encouraged to have fun while they learn.
- Central Ohio Folk Festival | Saturday, May 4-Sunday, May 5 | HighBanks Metro Park | Listen to a variety of folk performers, ranging from blues to John Prine tributes.
- Hell City Tattoo Festival | Friday, May 17-Sunday, May 19 | Hyatt Regeceny Downtown | This festival isn’t for the faint of heart, as it celebrates piercings, tattoos, and other body adaptions.
- Ohio Black Expo | Thursday, May 23-Sunday, May 26 | Scioto Mile + Greater Columbus Convention Center | Spend your Memorial Day weekend celebrating Black culture, businesses, and leaders from across the Buckeye State.
- Columbus Asian Festival | Saturday, May 25-Sunday, May 26 | Scioto Mile | Promote and celebrate Asian culture in Columbus by participating in events like the Dragon Boat Race on the river.
- Columbus Arts Festival | Friday, June 7-Sunday, June 9 | Scioto Mile | Meet local artists, listen to bands, mingle with businesses, and enjoy the 61st edition of the Columbus Arts Festival.
More than 700,000 people flock to CBUS each year for the Stonewall Pride Parade and Festival. | Photo via Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March
- Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival | Friday, June 14-Saturday, June 15 | Goodale Park | Join one of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the world with fun activities, educational workshops, and live performances.
- Stonewall Columbus Pride March | Saturday, June 15 | Broad Street + High Street | March alongside the LGBTQ+ community throughout the streets of Columbus with hundreds of thousands of viewers watching.
- Worthington Arts Festival | Saturday, June 15-Sunday, June 16 | Worthington Village Green | View various collections of fine art created by local artists. Plus, the festival returned to its original outdoor location.
- ComFest | Friday, June 28-Sunday, June 30 | Goodale Park | Come one, come all to ComFest, a Columbus tradition for 50+ years with fair food, local performers, and street vendors.
- Red, White and BOOM! | Wednesday, July 3 | Downtown Columbus | The largest fireworks festival in the Midwest is back, and it’s boomin’ with a parade and street fair prior to the show.
- Dublin Irish Festival | Friday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 4 | Coffman Park | Stop by various cultural stages featuring storytelling, folklore, music, and workshops, all related to Irish traditions and lore.
- Columbus Water Lantern Festival | Saturday, Aug. 10 | Franklin Park | Light up paper lanterns and watch them float away, creating a captivating view that can only be experienced in person.
- CBUS Soul Fest | Saturday, Aug. 17 | Genoa Park | Celebrate Columbus’ Black culture with live soul music and delicious food.
Red, White, and BOOM! veterans know to plan for late night after the fireworks due to traffic in the area. | Photo by Designecologist via Pexels
Food + drink festivals
- Taco Fest | Saturday, May 18-Sunday, May 19 | Genoa Park | Grab tacos from your favorite local truck + stick around for live music, pet costume contests, and tequila vendors.
- Grove City Wine and Arts Fest | Sunday, June 14 | Town Center Park |Grove City’s festival enters its 14th season of highlighting top-notch wines, art, and food from around the state.
- Jazz & Rib Fest | Friday, July 19-Sunday, July 21 | Scioto Mile | Just like the name implies — this beloved two-day event is all about great jazz music and potentially even better barbecue ribs.
- Columbus Food Truck Festival | Friday, July 12-Saturday, July 13 | Genoa Park | Stay tuned for a full lineup of participating local food trucks.
- Columbus Food Truck Festival (pt. 2) | Saturday, Aug. 17 | Franklin County Fairgrounds | Good news: Food Truck Fest will return again in August with another lineup of great and local options.
Looking for more big events? Check out our freshly updated guide to 20 concerts in 2024.
