Festivals & Events: 2023

From a zucchini festival featuring the hottest R&B act of the 90s to food trucks, demolition derbies and even Dean Martin, the Columbus area offers a myriad of weird and wonderul gatherings, just as long as you know where to look. 

Now, thankfully, you do. Below, we’ve compiled some of our favorite events in the Columbus area, and even a few road trip-worthy candidates to jump-start your plans for the weekend and beyond.

 

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SEPTEMBER 
Greek FestivalSeptember 1-4
Obetz ZucchinifestSeptember 1-4
Canal Winchester Labor Day FestivalSeptember 2-4
Ohio Renaissance FestivalSeptember 2-October 29
Columbus OktoberfestSeptember 8-10
Gahanna Creekside Hops and Vines FestSeptember 16
Glass Pumpkin FestivalSeptember 22-24
Fashion Week ColumbusSeptember 24-30

Road Trip! 
Marion Popcorn FestivalSeptember 8-10
Lithopolis HoneyfestSeptember 8-9
SkunkfestSeptember 9
Ohio Pawpaw FestivalSeptember 15-17
Cleveland Pickle FestSeptember 23

OCTOBER 
(614) Burger & Beer Week presented by Revolution MortgageOctober 2-7
6th Annual Mac and Cheese FestivalOctober 6
Columbus Italian FestOctober 6-8
ScrawlOctober 14-15

SEPTEMBER 
Short North Tour of HomesSeptember 17
Amal Walks Across AmericaSeptember 22
Harvest Blooms at Franklin Park ConservatorySeptember 23-Oct 29
Last Columbus Clippers Home Game of the SeasonSeptember 24
All American Quarter Horse CongressSeptember 26-Oct 22
Jack O’Langern WorldSeptember 29-Oct 29
Wolfstock 10 Year AnniversarySeptember 30
Hitchcocktober Premiere Weekend at Gateway Film CenterSept 30-Oct 1

Road Trip! 
Young’s Jersey Dairy Fall Farm Pumpkin FunSeptember 16 – Oct 29
Delaware County FairSeptember 16-23
Little Brown JugSeptember 21

OCTOBER 
(614) Burger & Beer Week presented by Revolution MortgageOctober 2-7
Barbie™ You can Be Anything™: The Experience at COSIOctober 4-29
Pumpkins Aglow at Franklin Park ConservatoryOctober 11-29
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 MarathonOctober 13-15
Columbus Blue Jackets Opening NightOctober 19
Boo at the ZooWeekends October 7-30
Pete Davidson Live at Southern TheatreOctober 17
Circleville Pumpkin ShowOctober 18-21
The Great Westerville Pumpkin GlowOctober 19-22
The Price is Right Live™October 26
HighballOctober 28
Bonfire & Boos (Adult Halloween Event) at Thurber HouseOctober 28
All American Quarter Horse CongressSeptember 26-Oct 22
Harvest Blooms at Franklin Park ConservatoryNow-Oct 29
Jack O’Langern WorldNow-Oct 29
NOVEMBER 
WildlightsNovember 17-January 7

DECEMBER 
Butch Bandos Fantasy of LightsNovember 17-January 1
SEPTEMBER 
Gamer Rave at Newport Music HallSeptember 1
Drayton Farley at The BasementSeptember 2
Modern English at A&R Music BarSeptember 2
Magic City Hippies at A&R Music BarSeptember 3
Daniel Cesar at KEMBA Live!September 5
Cannons at Newport Music HallSeptember 5
Sons of the East at A&R Music BarSeptember 6
Jordan Davis at KEMBA Live!September 7
The Breeders at KEMBA Live!September 8
Blend and OG VERN at The BasementSeptember 8
The Emo Night Tour at Newport Music HallSeptember 8
Hulvey at The BasementSeptember 9
Poppy & PVRIS at KEMBA Live!September 10
Arcy Drive at The BasementSeptember 11
Noah Kahan at KEMBA Live!September 12
Grieves at The BasementSeptember 12
Owl City at Newport Music HallSeptember 13
The Bones of J.R. Jones at The BasementSeptember 14
Amy Shark at A&R Music BarSeptember 14
CAKE at KEMBA Live!September 15
Atreyu x Memphis May Fire at Newport Music HallSeptember 15
Warpaint at A&R Music BarSeptember 15
Ani DiFranco at KEMBA Live!September 16
Emo Night at A&R Music BarSeptember 16
Lost Past Everest at The BasementSeptember 16
Erin Rae at The BasementSeptember 17
The Milk Carton Kids at A&R Music BarSeptember 17
Ashnikko at KEMBA Live!September 18
Gus Dapperton at Newport Music HallSeptember 18
The Front Bottoms at KEMBA Live!September 19
Quarters of Change at A&R Music BarSeptember 19
Timecop1983 at A&R Music BarSeptember 20
Blue October at KEMBA Live!September 20
moe. at Newport Music HallSeptember 20
Royel Otis US ’23 SOFA KINGS TOUR at A&R Music BarSeptember 21
BoyWithUke with special guest Naethan Apollo at Newport Music HallSeptember 21
Tim Atlas at The BasementSeptember 21
I Prevail at KEMBA Live!September 21
Warren Zeiders at KEMBA Live!September 22
Dean Lewis at Newport Music HallSeptember 22
Ondara: The Rebirth Tour at Newport Music HallSeptember 22
Flogging Molly at KEMBA Live!September 23
Noah Cyrus at Newport Music HallSeptember 23
Bad Omens at KEMBA Live!September 24
Icon for Hire at A&R Music BarSeptember 25
Joy Oladokun at Newport Music HallSeptember 26
Bishop Briggs & MisterWives at KEMBA Live!September 27
The Brian Jonestown Massacre at Newport Music HallSeptember 27
Colony House at Newport Music HallSeptember 28
Matt and Kim at Newport Music HallSeptember 29
The Blitz “Blackout” featuring Black Veil Brides & VV at KEMBA Live!September 29
VINNYONFIRE at The BasementSeptember 30

 

OCTOBER 
Sammie: Love Always Wins Tour at A&R Music BarOctober 1
Sammy Rae & The Friends at Newport Music HallOctober 2
The Lemon Twigs at A&R Music BarOctober 2
Dogstar at NewportOctober 3
Lauren Sanderson at A&R Music BarOctober 3
Mt Joy at KEMBA Live!October 3
Briscoe at A&R Music BarOctober 4
Austin Snell at The BasementOctober 5
Jawny at A&R Music BarOctober 6
Arkells at Newport Music HallOctober 6
Noah Gundersen at A&R Music BarOctober 7
Vacations & Last Dinosaurs at Newport Music HallOctober 8
The National Parks at A&R Music BarOctober 9
Barnes Courtney at The BasementOctober 9
The Brook & The Buff at Newport Music HallOctober 10
Colter Wall at KEMBA Live!October 11
Faze Wave at Newport Music HallOctober 11
Cam Cole at A&R Music BarOctober 12
Feels So Close at Newport Music HallOctober 12
Tom OdellOctober 13
Shawn James with Adrian + Meredith at A&R Music BarOctober 13
The Wonder Years: The Greatest Generation 10th Anniversary Tour at KEMBA Live!October 13
Proxima Parada at The BasementOctober 13
Stephen Sanchez at KEMBA Live!October 14
The Aces at Newport Music HallOctober 14
A Screening of “Being John Malcovich” with John Cusack at KEMBA Live!October 15
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets at A&R Music BarOctober 15
The Brand Camino at KEMBA Live!October 16
Jessie Murph at Newport Music HallOctober 17
Thomas Day – Love Me For Another Day Tour at A&R Music BarOctober 17
TV Gate at Newport Music HallOctober 18
Eddie Zuko at A&R Music BarOctober 18
Eric Nam at KEMBA Live!October 19
KFC Radio at Newport Music HallOctober 19
The Taylor Party: Taylor Swift Night at Newport Music HallOctober 20
Tyler Halverson at A&R Music BarOctober 20
John at The BasementOctober 21
Amyl and The Sniffers at Newport Music HallOctober 22
RAYE at KEMBA Live!October 22
Tennis at Newport Music HallOctober 23
Sothall: World Tour at A&R Music BarOctober 24
Brakence – The Hypochondriac (is still on) Tour at NewportOctober 24
Trousdale at A&R Music BarOctober 25
Nightly at Newport Music HallOctober 26
The Rose: Dawn to Dusk World Tour at KEMBA Live!October 26
Michael Minelli at The BasementOctober 26
Haunted Fest at KEMBA Live!October 27
Samia at A&R Music BarOctober 27
Depths of Wikipedia at Newport Music HallOctober 27
Husbands at The BasementOctober 27
The Eric Andre Explosion at KEMBA Live!October 28
Nessa Barrett at KEMBA Live!October 29
Del Water Gap at Newport Music HallOctober 30
Mike Dimes x Dro Kenji at A&R Music BarOctober 30
Roosevelt at Newport Music HallOctober 31

 

NOVEMBER 
Games we Play at Newport Music HallNovember 1
Ashley Cooke at The BasementNovember 2
Slayyyter at NewportNovember 2
Chris Renzema at Newport Music HallNovember 3
Royal & The Serpent at A&R Music BarNovember 3
Shrek Rave at Newport Music HallNovember 4
SUSTO at A&R Music BarNovember 4
PUSSY RIOT: RIOT DAYS at Newport Music HallNovember 5
Tech N9ne & Hollywood Undead at KEMBA Live!November 9
Luke Grimes at Newport Music HallNovember 9
Beauty School Dropout at A&R Music BarNovember 9
Yvie Oddly Strange Live TourNovember 10
The Wonderlands at The BasementNovember 10
El Camino Acid at A&R Music BarNovember 10
Vir Das: Mind Fool at Kemba Live!November 11
Petey at A&R Music BarNovember 16
Beach Fossils at NewportNovember 16
Under The Rug at The BasementNovember 16
Columbus’ 10th Annual Tribute to The Last Waltz at NewportNovember 17
Des Rocs at The BasementNovember 17
Palehound at A&R Music BarNovember 18
Dark Star Orchestra at Kemba Live!November 19
Doobie at KEMBA Live!November 24
dvsn at Newport Music HallNovember 26
Pierce the Veil at KEMBA Live!November 26
Letterkenny Presents: A Night of Stand-Up at KEMBA Live!November 30

DECEMBER 
CD92.9 Holiday Show at Newport Music HallDecember 1
Alana Springsteen at A&R Music BarDecember 1
The Maine at NewportDecember 2
Emo Nite at A&R Music BarDecember 2
FROM ASHES TO NEW: BLACKOUT TOUR PT. 1 at NewportDecember 3
milk. at A&R Music BarDecember 6
Roy Woods at NewportDecember 7
Pete Correale: Authentic at KEMBA Live!December 8
Latrice Royale at NewportDecember 15
Sugar: The Nu Metal Party at A&R Music BarDecember 16

JANUARY 
The Warped Band at A&R Music BarJanuary 13

FEBRUARY 
Badfish (Tribute to Sublime) at Newport Music HallFebruary 4
Briston Maroney: Ultrapure Tour at Newport Music HallFebruary 15
Caleborate & Mir Fontane at The BasementFebruary 16
Static X & Sevendust at KEMBA Live!February 21
Subtronics TESSERACT Tour 2024 at KEMBA Live!February 23
The Hails at The BasementFebruary 24

MARCH 
Ricky Montgomery at Newport Music HallMarch 3
Two Door Cinema Club at KEMBA Live!March 5