August in Columbus opens with the Ohio State Fair in full swing and closes with Caamp headlining the Schottenstein Center. In between, the Crew host three Liga MX clubs in Leagues Cup play and Festival Latino debuts at its new home at Columbus Commons.
In this guide
- August At A Glance
- ⚾ Columbus Clippers
- ⚽ Columbus Crew
- 🎡 Ohio State Fair
- 🍀 Dublin Irish Festival
- 🎼 Picnic with the Pops: OSU Marching Band
- 🖼️ Gallery Hop
- 🚴 Pelotonia Ride Weekend
- 🥍 Premier Lacrosse League
- 🎤 Manilow: The Last Columbus Concert
- 🪗 “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder Tour
- 🎭 Pippin
- 🍸 Columbus Cocktail Festival
- 🎶 Concert for a Cause: Chris Young & Chase Rice
- 🔬 COSI After Dark: Wild, Wild, West Broad
- 🎭 And Then There Were None
- 🍅 Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
- 🚚 Columbus Food Truck Festival
- 🎨 Franklinton Fridays
- 🎶 Scioto Mile Concert: Dumpstaphunk
- 🎻 Zac Brown Band: Love & Fear Tour
- 🎹 Common Ground Concert: Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
- 🖼️ CMA Community Day
- 💃 Festival Latino
- 🎸 Tame Impala: The Deadbeat Tour
- 😂 Nikki Glaser
- 🪕 Caamp
- 🎪 The Grandview Hop
- 🍺 Zoombezi Bay Oktoberfest
- August in Columbus: Quick Answers
We’ve got you covered with free options too: Agatha Christie under the trees in Schiller Park, a funk concert downtown, plus nights out in Franklinton and Grandview.
August At A Glance
| Event | When | Where | Cost |
| Columbus Clippers | Through Aug 2, Aug 11–16 & 18–23 | Huntington Park | Ticketed |
| Columbus Crew | Aug 4, 7, 11, 19 & 29 | ScottsMiracle-Gro Field | Ticketed |
| Ohio State Fair | Through Aug 9 | Ohio Expo Center | $13 at the gate |
| Dublin Irish Festival | Through Aug 2 | Coffman Park, Dublin | Ticketed |
| Picnic with the Pops: OSU Marching Band | July 31–Aug 1 | Columbus Commons | Ticketed |
| Gallery Hop | Aug 1 | Short North | Free |
| Pelotonia Ride Weekend | Aug 1–2 | Downtown & Central Ohio routes | Free to watch |
| Premier Lacrosse League | Aug 1–2 | Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium | Ticketed |
| Manilow: The Last Columbus Concert | Aug 2 | Nationwide Arena | Ticketed |
| “Weird Al” Yankovic | Aug 5 | Celeste Center, Ohio Expo Center | Ticketed |
| Pippin | Aug 6–30 | Garden Theater | Ticketed |
| Columbus Cocktail Festival | Aug 8 | Land-Grant Brewing | Ticketed |
| Concert for a Cause: Chris Young & Chase Rice | Aug 8 | KEMBA Live! | Ticketed |
| COSI After Dark | Aug 13 | COSI | Ticketed, 21+ |
| And Then There Were None | Aug 13–Sept 6 | Schiller Park Amphitheater | Free |
| Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival | Aug 13–15 | Huber Park, Reynoldsburg | See website |
| Columbus Food Truck Festival | Aug 14–15 | Franklin County Fairgrounds, Hilliard | $5–$15 |
| Franklinton Fridays | Aug 14 | Franklinton | Free |
| Scioto Mile Concert: Dumpstaphunk | Aug 14 | Bicentennial Park | Free |
| Zac Brown Band | Aug 14 | Nationwide Arena | Ticketed |
| Common Ground Concert: Bruce Hornsby | Aug 15 | Columbus Commons | Free (ticket required) |
| CMA Community Day | Aug 16 | Columbus Museum of Art | Free |
| Festival Latino | Aug 22–23 | Columbus Commons | Free |
| Tame Impala | Aug 25 | Nationwide Arena | Ticketed |
| Nikki Glaser | Aug 28 | Palace Theatre | Ticketed |
| Caamp | Aug 29 | Schottenstein Center | Ticketed |
| The Grandview Hop | Aug 29 | Grandview Avenue | Free |
| Zoombezi Bay Oktoberfest | Aug 29–30 | Zoombezi Bay | Ticketed |
| FAQ | Quick answers about August in Columbus | ||
⚾ Columbus Clippers
About: The Toledo series wraps up August 2, and then Huntington Park gets two full weeks of baseball: Omaha comes to town August 11–16, followed by St. Paul August 18–23.
Location: Huntington Park
When: Home series through Aug 2, Aug 11–16, and Aug 18–23
More info: Columbus Clippers Schedule
⚽ Columbus Crew
About: Leagues Cup brings three Liga MX clubs to town in a single week: Atlas FC on August 4, Club Pachuca on August 7, and Pumas UNAM on August 11. League play resumes at home against CF Montréal on August 19 and New England on August 29.
Location: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
When: Aug 4, 7, 11, 19, and 29
More info: Columbus Crew Schedule
🎡 Ohio State Fair
About: The fair’s final stretch runs through August 9, with rides, livestock shows, butter sculptures, and deep-fried everything. A bonus this year: Ohio Village is open daily during the fair as a first look at its renovation, included with fair admission.
Location: Ohio Expo Center
When: Through August 9
More info: Ohio State Fair
🍀 Dublin Irish Festival
About: The world’s largest three-day Irish festival closes out its run August 1–2, with seven stages, around 60 acts, and more than 800 performers at Coffman Park.
Location: Coffman Park, Dublin
When: Through August 2
More info: Dublin Irish Festival
🎼 Picnic with the Pops: OSU Marching Band
About: The Best Damn Band In The Land joins the Columbus Symphony to close the Picnic with the Pops season. Fireworks follow the music both nights.
Location: Columbus Commons
When: July 31 & August 1
More info: Columbus Symphony
🖼️ Gallery Hop
About: The Short North’s first-Saturday tradition fills High Street with open galleries, sidewalk vendors, food trucks, and live performances from Goodale to 5th.
Location: Short North Arts District
When: August 1
More info: Gallery Hop
🚴 Pelotonia Ride Weekend
About: Thousands of riders roll out on routes from 24 to 190 miles to fund cancer research at the OSUCCC-James. Cheering from the curb is free.
Location: Downtown Columbus and routes across Central Ohio
When: August 1–2
More info: Pelotonia
🥍 Premier Lacrosse League
About: The touring pro lacrosse league makes its Columbus stop with games both days at Ohio State’s lacrosse stadium.
Location: Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium
When: August 1–2
More info: Tickets
🎤 Manilow: The Last Columbus Concert
About: If “Mandy” means anything to somebody in your life, this is your time to shine.Barry Manilow plays Nationwide Arena on a tour billed as his final Columbus concert.
Location: Nationwide Arena
When: August 2
More info: Tickets
🪗 “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder Tour
About: The parody legend headlines the fair’s concert series.
Location: Celeste Center, Ohio Expo Center
When: August 5
More info: Tickets
🎭 Pippin
About: Short North Stage revives its production of the Stephen Schwartz musical at the Garden Theater, running most of the month.
Location: Garden Theater, Short North
When: August 6–30
More info: Short North Stage
🍸 Columbus Cocktail Festival
About: Land-Grant hosts a day of cocktail tastings at its Franklinton beer garden.
Location: Land-Grant Brewing
When: August 8
More info: Columbus Cocktail Festival
🎶 Concert for a Cause: Chris Young & Chase Rice
About: Country stars Chris Young and Chase Rice co-headline a charity show at KEMBA Live!, and proceeds go to Central Ohio charities.
Location: KEMBA Live!
When: August 8
More info: KEMBA Live!
🔬 COSI After Dark: Wild, Wild, West Broad
About: COSI’s adults-only night takes a western theme for August. The exhibits stay open, there’s a bar, and the building is 21 and up for the night.
Location: COSI
When: August 13
More info: COSI After Dark
🎭 And Then There Were None
About: Actors’ Theatre of Columbus stages the Agatha Christie classic outdoors at the Schiller Park Amphitheater. Admission is free; bring a blanket and get there early for a good spot on the lawn.
Location: Schiller Park Amphitheater, German Village
When: August 13–September 6
More info: Actors’ Theatre of Columbus
🍅 Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
About: Reynoldsburg’s signature festival returns to Huber Park for three days. Expect live music, food vendors, a spaghetti-eating contest, and the annual tomato wars.
Location: Huber Park, Reynoldsburg
When: August 13–15
More info: Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
🚚 Columbus Food Truck Festival
About: The 15th annual festival brings more than 45 food trucks to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, plus live music and a kids zone. Admission runs $5–$15 depending on when you go.
Location: Franklin County Fairgrounds, Hilliard
When: August 14–15
More info: Columbus Food Truck Festival
🎨 Franklinton Fridays
About: The second-Friday art walk opens more than 150 artist studios across Franklinton, anchored by the 400 Market at 400 W. Rich St.
Location: Franklinton
When: August 14 | 5:30–10 p.m.
More info: Franklinton Fridays
🎶 Scioto Mile Concert: Dumpstaphunk
About: New Orleans funk outfit Dumpstaphunk headlines a free riverfront show at Bicentennial Park, with food and drinks available from 6 p.m.
Location: Bicentennial Park
When: August 14 | 7 p.m.
More info: Scioto Mile Concert Series
🎻 Zac Brown Band: Love & Fear Tour
About: Zac Brown Band headlines Nationwide Arena with Old Crow Medicine Show opening.
Location: Nationwide Arena
When: August 14
More info: Tickets
🎹 Common Ground Concert: Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
About: Bruce Hornsby plays a free evening show on the Commons, mixing his catalog with material from his new album Indigo Park. Tickets are free but required to attend.
Location: Columbus Commons
When: August 15 | 8:30 p.m.
More info: Columbus Commons
🖼️ CMA Community Day
About: The Columbus Museum of Art marks the final day of “East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art,” featuring more than 60 works by artists including Ruth Asawa and Bernice Bing. Sunday admission is free all year, so the last chance to see this exhibit will be free.
Location: Columbus Museum of Art
When: August 16
More info: Columbus Museum of Art
💃 Festival Latino
About: Ohio’s largest Latino festival moves to its new home on the Columbus Commons this year, and admission stays free. The music runs from salsa veteran José Alberto “El Canario” to merengue act Oro Sólido, plus salsa lessons and free outdoor screenings of Coco and Encanto.
Location: Columbus Commons
When: August 22–23
More info: Festival Latino
🎸 Tame Impala: The Deadbeat Tour
About: Kevin Parker brings Tame Impala’s psych-pop arena show to Nationwide Arena with Dominic Fike opening.
Location: Nationwide Arena
When: August 25
More info: Tickets
😂 Nikki Glaser
About: One of the biggest names in stand-up right now plays the Palace Theatre for one night.
Location: Palace Theatre
When: August 28
More info: Tickets
🪕 Caamp
About: Upper Arlington’s own Caamp headlines the Schottenstein Center, with Arcy Drive and the Sam Fribush Organ Trio opening.
Location: Schottenstein Center
When: August 29
More info: Tickets
🎪 The Grandview Hop
About: Grandview Avenue closes to traffic for the season’s open-street night market, with more than 200 vendors and food trucks lining the avenue from 1st to 5th.
Location: Grandview Avenue
When: August 29 | 5–9 p.m.
More info: The Grandview Hop
🍺 Zoombezi Bay Oktoberfest
About: The water park closes out summer with German food and live entertainment across the park. Zoombezi Bay shifts to weekends-only after August 17, so the season is nearly done.
Location: Zoombezi Bay
When: August 29–30
More info: Zoombezi Bay
August in Columbus: Quick Answers
What are the biggest events in Columbus in August 2026?
The Ohio State Fair runs through August 9, and Festival Latino takes over the Columbus Commons August 22–23 at its new downtown location. On the concert side, Zac Brown Band (August 14) and Tame Impala (August 25) headline Nationwide Arena, and Caamp closes the month at the Schottenstein Center on August 29.
What can you do for free in Columbus this August?
It’s a busy month for free options. Gallery Hop (August 1), Franklinton Fridays (August 14), Dumpstaphunk on the riverfront (August 14), CMA’s free Sunday on August 16, Festival Latino (August 22–23), and the Grandview Hop (August 29) are all free. Actors’ Theatre performs And Then There Were None free in Schiller Park starting August 13, and the Bruce Hornsby show on the Commons is free with a reserved ticket.
When does the Ohio State Fair end?
The last day is Sunday, August 9. Gate admission is $13 for adults.
Where is Festival Latino in 2026?
Festival Latino has moved to the Columbus Commons downtown. It runs Saturday, August 22 from 12 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, August 23 from 12 to 7 p.m., and admission is free.
Does Ohio State football start in August?
We’re excited too, but not quite yet. The Buckeyes open the season Saturday, September 5 against Ball State at Ohio Stadium.
Is Zoombezi Bay still open in August?
Yes. The park is open daily through August 17, then weekends only through Labor Day weekend, with Oktoberfest closing things out August 29–30.
