Festival season is once again upon us! We have an ultimate list of all of the best festivals in Columbus Ohio, and festivals in Central Ohio! Food festivals, music festivals, free outdoor fun activities, and more! Lists of the home tours in Columbus, fairs, shopping events, and other fun things to do during the summer. Below is a list of festivals beginning now and running through December 2018. The 2018 Columbus Underground Festival List is presented by the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival, happening on Monday, September 3, 2018.
New festivals this year include: the Italian Heritage Summer Festival in Dublin, a spring/summer version of the Country Living Fair, the first ever Ohio Fairy Gardening Festival being held in Perry, Ohio (worth the drive!), the first Oddities & Curiosities Expo will be held in May, the 2×2 Hip-Hop Festival moves locations and adds Brews over Beats in May. Fore!Fest is coming back this year in May and will be at Bridge Park. A new series of Community Pride events is starting this year. The Lights Fest sets up close to Columbus. Kale & Ale Festival comes to Columbus in June (update, this has been cancelled). The John Glenn Astronomy Park officially opens in June. INKcarceration, a new summer festival combining non-stop live music with tattoos is in July, happening at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. Picktown Palooza replaced the Pickerington Violet Festival. Holler comes back as a festival in August. A wine festival comes to Columbus Commons in August. Frontstage Fest comes to Big Room Bar in August. Huntington Garden in Schiller Park celebrates 25 years. Art for Life returns in September. The New Albany Classic hung up its helmet and will no longer be happening.
Get out your calendar and start filling it in! Just want music festivals? Check out our event calendar section. If you know of a festival that should be included, comment and let me know and it will be added. This should be a great start to help get your weekends full of fun events all summer long. Enjoy!
JULY
- Red White & Boom – July 3
- Doo Dah Parade – July 4
- Summer Reading Club, Main Library and other branches – ongoing
- Paws in the Plaza, Gahanna, first Thursday of the month, July 5 through October 5
- Summer Sizzle Concert Series, Grove City – most Fridays July 6 through August 17
- AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days – July 6, 7, 8
- Pokémon North American International Championships – July 6, 7, 8
- SpringsFest in Yellow Springs – July 7
- 4th & 4th Fest – No Longer Happening
- DAC Sundays at Scioto Summer Concert Series – Sunday evenings, July 8 through July 29
- Merion Village Garden Tour – July 8
- 32nd Annual Music on the Lawn in Grandview – Tuesdays, July 10 through July 31
- Picktown Palooza – July 11, 12, 13, 14
- South Side Family Expo at Barack Recreation Center – July 12
- The Heritage Concert Series, Mayme Moore Park – July 12 through August 16 on Thursdays
- Young Writers Short Play Festival, MadLab Theatre – July 13 through 28
- Downtown Live, Columbus Commons, Thursdays July 12, 19, 26
- North Market Ohio Wine Festival – July 13 and 14
- Italian Heritage Summer Festival, Coffman Park in Dublin – July 13, 14, 15
- INKcarceration Festival – Mansfield – NEW! July 13, 14, 15
- Ohio Brew Week (Athens) – July 13 through 21
- Moonlight Market on Gay Street – July 14
- Summer Jam West – July 14
- Cultural Wall Music Festival, held in Jefferson Park – July 14 and 15
- Westerville Music and Arts Festival – July 14 and 15
- Dino Weekend at the Zoo – July 14 and 15
- Youth Lemonade Day – July 14 and 15
- Franklin County Fair – July 14 through 21
- Powell Street Market – July 15
- Summer Tour of Historic Homes – Olde Towne East – July 15
- Wex Drive-In, Batman (Tim Burton, 1989) – July 19
- Lancaster Festival – July 19 through 28
- PromoWest Fest – Not Happening for 2018
- Sommerfest – July 20
- TrotCon – July 20, 21, 22
- Jazz and Ribs Fest – July 20, 21, 22
- 11th Annual Gardening & Arts Festival, Scioto Gardens, Delaware – July 21
- Art Crawl in German Village – July 21
- Taste of Hungary Festival – July 21
- Making Midwest Fest – July 21 and 22
- Sunlight Market on Gay Street – July 22
- Goods on Goodale – July 22
- WesterFlora Garden Tour – July 22
- Lazy Daze of Summer Festival – probably not happening
- Union County Fair – July 22 through July 28
- Ohio State Fair – July 25 through August 5
- Taste of Powell – July 26
- Taste of Worthington – July 27
- World Bazaar, Westerville – July 27
- Canal Winchester Blues and Ribfest – July 27 and 28
- 2X2 Hip-Hop Festival – July 28
- Grandview Hop – July 28
- Whitehall Food Truck & Fun Fest – July 28
- All Disabilities Fest and Columbus Gospel Fest – July 28
- Somali Cultural Day – July 28
- Ganther’s Place Garden Tour – July 29
Every effort has been made to ensure dates are correct, however: Please note, dates are subject to change.
The Columbus Underground 2018 Columbus Festival List is presented by The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival. The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival hosts 25,000 visitors participating in interactive performances and activities, purchasing art from more than 100 artists working in a wide range of media and enjoying refreshments from a variety of vendors. And it all happens because of our great volunteers! 2018 marks the 52nd Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival as well as the Centennial Celebration for the City of Upper Arlington. Visit uaoh.net for more information.