Central Ohio knows how to throw a food festival.
Into peaches, pies, mac and cheese, or the mysterious pawpaw? There’s a weekend celebration for every craving. From small-town parades to massive food truck rallies, these festivals are peak summer/fall energy, with plenty of bites, bands, and local flair to go around.
Consider this your snack-filled roadmap to the season. Just maybe wear stretchy pants. Four of this year’s festivals have already come and gone, so the ones still ahead are listed first. The rest sit below with their 2026 dates, which is the best guide to when they’ll land next year.
| Festival | 2026 dates | Where | Cost |
| Hebron Pie Festival | Saturday, Sept. 12 | Downtown Hebron | Not listed |
| Ohio Pawpaw Festival | Sept. 18–20 | Snow Fork Event Center, Nelsonville | $60 weekend, $20 to $30 per day, kids 12 and under free |
| Mac & Cheese Festival | Friday, Sept. 25, 4 to 7:30 p.m. | The Yard at Easton Town Center | $30 adults, $10 kids 3 to 12, under 3 free |
| Circleville Pumpkin Show | Oct. 21–24 | Downtown Circleville | Free |
| Peach Festival | Aug. 15 (past) | Lynd Fruit Farm, Pataskala | Not listed |
| Columbus Food Truck Festival | Aug. 14–15 (past) | Franklin County Fairgrounds, Hilliard | $5 to $15 |
| Millersport Sweet Corn Festival | Sept. 2–5 (past) | Historic Lions Park, Millersport | Free, $15 parking |
| Obetz Zucchinifest | Sept. 4–7 (past) | Fortress Obetz | Free |
Still to come this season
Hebron Pie Festival
When: Saturday, September 12, 2026. The village lists it from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and a 5K kicks things off at 8 a.m.
Where: Downtown Hebron on West Main Street
About: Pie lovers, rejoice. This small-town celebration features a parade, contests, vendors, and all the homemade pie you can eat. It’s sweet, simple fun hosted by the Hebron Historical Society, and the village has it running from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Details: The festival’s Facebook page posts the vendor list and parade time, usually the week before. In 2025 the parade stepped off at 11 a.m.
Ohio Pawpaw Festival
When: September 18–20, 2026. Friday 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Snow Fork Event Center, 5685 Happy Hollow Road, Nelsonville. This is a new home: after 25 years at Lake Snowden near Albany, the festival moved here for 2026.
About: A three-day celebration of Ohio’s native fruit. Featuring tastings, cook-offs, art contests, and sustainability workshops, this festival is quirky, local, and unforgettable. The grounds stay open until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Tickets: $60 for a weekend pass, $20 for Friday or Sunday only, $30 for Saturday only. Kids 12 and under are free, and parking is free.
Mac & Cheese Festival
When: Friday, September 25, 2026, 4 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Yard at Easton Town Center, 3989 Merchants Row
About: Sample mac and cheese from dozens of local restaurants while supporting cancer research at OSUCCC – James. Your ticket covers the samples. Drinks are sold separately. The whole thing runs a tight three and a half hours, 4 to 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30 for adults (13 and up), $10 for kids 3 to 12, free under 3, and $125 for VIP, all through the official festival page.
Circleville Pumpkin Show
When: October 21–24, 2026, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. It’s always the third Wednesday through Saturday of October.
Where: Downtown Circleville
About: One of Ohio’s most iconic festivals, this fall tradition has parades, contests, and just about every kind of pumpkin food you can dream up, from pies to burgers. Admission is free, and it runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. all four days.
Schedule: The Pumpkin Show site posts the parade lineup and contest times.
Already happened this year
These four ran in August and early September. The 2026 dates are here so you can pencil in the same weekend next year.
Peach Festival
When: The 2026 edition was Saturday, August 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look for a mid-August date next year.
Where: Lynd Fruit Farm market, 9399 Morse Road SW, Pataskala (event calendar)
About: Celebrate summer with live music (Barefoot McCoy & Foster and SugarCreek Bluegrass Band played in 2026), free wagon rides, kids crafts, free samples in the market, and food trucks like Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Lynd Donuts. The whole thing wraps at 4 p.m.
Columbus Food Truck Festival
When: The 2026 festival was August 14–15, Friday 4 to 10 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It lands in mid-August every year.
Where: Franklin County Fairgrounds, 5024 Northwest Parkway, Hilliard (festival site)
About: With 50+ food trucks, local art, craft beer, and live music, this beloved festival delivers a full weekend of flavor and fun. In 2026, tickets ran $5 early bird, $10 in advance or for Saturday daytime, and $15 for Saturday evening, with free parking at the fairgrounds.
Millersport Sweet Corn Festival
When: The 2026 festival ran September 2–5, the Wednesday through Saturday before Labor Day. That’s the usual slot.
Where: Historic Lions Park, 2905 Chautauqua Boulevard, Millersport (festival site)
About: Free admission, $15 parking, and endless buttery corn. Enjoy rides, concerts, tractor pulls, games, a 5K run, and that classic hometown fair energy. The free concerts are the sleeper draw. Diamond Rio and Little River Band headlined in 2026.
Obetz Zucchinifest
When: September 4–7, 2026, over Labor Day weekend. Friday 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Fortress Obetz
About: This free four-day festival features a car and motorcycle show, a Saturday parade, local bands, and big-name country acts. Kip Moore, Easton Corbin, Lonestar, and Little Texas played the 2026 stages. Come for the zucchini, stay for the concerts.
More info
So if you’re in it for the sweet corn or the zucchini…
…or you just want an excuse to eat five kinds of pie in one day, Central Ohio’s food fests are here to serve. Bookmark this list, rally your foodie crew, and don’t forget to show up hungry. The Pumpkin Show closes out the season on October 24.
