Ohio does a festival and fair like it's our job (actually for some people it is all they do so it is their job...anyway). From music festivals to culture festivals to old school fairs...we know how to do this shit. This is just a sampling of what we offer. This list is mostly based in Central Ohio/Columbus area.
Asian Festival - May 25th to May 27th - Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus
Celebrating our large Asian populations in a beautiful setting, one of the largest festivals of it's kind in the country.
Nelsonville Music Festival -May 30th to June 2nd - Nelsonville, Ohio
Do you know of any mid-western hillbilly towns hosting Gogol Bordello at their local music fest? Didn't think so.
Columbus Arts Festival - June 7th, 8th, and 9th - Riverfront, Columbus
This is one of the most "highly acclaimed" arts festivals in the country, attracting artists from all over the world every year.
Pride Parade/Pride Weekend - June 21st and 22nd - Goodale Park, Short North area, Columbus
Columbus Pride Parade started out as a small parade beginning at ComFest heading downtown just to remind people that we are here, gay and allies alike. Now the event has grown so large that it had to move to the weekend before ComFest and it hosts it's own festival, a 5K marathon, as well as the Parade we all love. If you didn't already know it...Columbus isn't the backwoods you think it is, we have one of the Top 5 largest homosexual populations in the country in both number and per capita and we like to make NOISE!!
ComFest - June 28th, 29th, and 30th - Goodale Park, Short North area, Columbus
So if you like hippies, local bands, expensive beer, being so packed into a space that you can't move or stop (figure that one out) than Community Festival is the place for you. ComFest has been coming under some fire lately for the increasing costs for booth rentals (therefore, costs passed on to the consumers), costs for refreshments and the general size of the event...although it continues to grow, it also continues to stay in the same area of the same park that clearly cannot handle it anymore.
Jazz and Rib Fest - July 19th, 20th, and 21st - Arena District/Riverfront, Columbus
Again, one of the largest events of its kind in the country, the Jazz and Rib Fest has been around for over 30 years featuring performers and "rib-burners" from all over the country and Canada.
Dublin Irish Fest - August 2nd, 3rd, and 4th - Dublin, Ohio
If I told you I was going to the largest Irish festival in the country you would probably assume that I was headed to Boston or Chicago maybe even New York City, but you'd be wrong. I'm just headed to the Columbus suburb of Dublin. They have hosted both the Tossers and Flogging Molly in past years.
The Ohio State Fair - July 24th through August 4th - Ohio Expo Center, Columbus
The first Ohio State Fair was in 1850, just outside of Cincinnati and moved around from city to city after that for a couple of decades. It's been at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus since 1886, growing into the 3rd largest state fair (used to number one, we's slippin")
Greek Festival - August 30th, 31st, September 1st, and 2nd - The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Columbus
It's not one of the largest in the country but it is a very traditional festival with less commercial influence that a lot of other fests and fairs of it's kind. It has a more authentic feel to it in my opinion. This one is also personal to me but not for reasons you may think. I'm not of Greek descent nor am I of the Orthodox faith (duh) but, the Greek Orthodox Church in the Downtown/Short North area is this amazing building that is also totally closed to anyone not of the faith...and this is the one time of the year outsiders get to see it and my mother was part of the construction of the building back in the 90's. I remember visiting the site before it was consecrated and essentially closed to the public.
Independents' Day - September 15 - Downtown Columbus
All indie, all local, all rad. Part music fest part craft fair in the dead center of the city in a couple of alleys, seriously, it's in the fucking alleys. It is awesome, not overwhelming, friendly, prices aren't outrageous...it's the perfect place for those of us who have given up on ComFest to go...plus it's at that perfect time of year when it's not too hot to enjoy but not to rainy or cold either.
The Columbus Italian Festival - October 11th, 12th, and 13th - Italian Village, Columbus
Not one of the biggest, but it is one of the more traditional, like the Greek Fest. It's been getting more coverage in recent years and is growing though. I hope it doesn't get as big as the Irish Fest...
More info or more festivals...go here
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