September means football is back at Ohio Stadium, Oktoberfest arrives (times two), and the Crew host a U.S. Open Cup semifinal downtown. The month closes with two arena headliners on the same night: The Smashing Pumpkins at the Schottenstein Center and Teddy Swims at Nationwide Arena.
The free calendar is deep too: a soul festival on the riverfront, a penny-farthing race in Plain City, three big art openings on September 18, and the Palace Theatre throwing itself a 100th birthday party.
September At A Glance
| Event | When | Where | Cost |
| Columbus Clippers | Sept 1–6 & 15–20 | Huntington Park | Ticketed |
| Columbus Crew | Sept 5, 12, 16 & 27 | ScottsMiracle-Gro Field | Ticketed |
| Ohio State Football | Sept 5, 19 & 26 | Ohio Stadium | Ticketed |
| Blue Jackets Preseason | Sept 21 & 24 | Nationwide Arena | Ticketed |
| Gallery Hop | Sept 5 | Short North | Free |
| Columbus Greek Festival | Sept 4–7 | Annunciation Cathedral | $10 weekend pass |
| CBUS Soul Fest | Sept 4–5 | Bicentennial Park | Free |
| Matsuricon | Sept 4–6 | Convention Center | Ticketed |
| Labor Day Weekend Festivals | Sept 5–7 | Around central Ohio | Free |
| Kacey Musgraves | Sept 9 | Schottenstein Center | Ticketed |
| Plain City Corn Carnival | Sept 9–12 | Downtown Plain City | Free |
| Cinema Columbus | Sept 10–13 | Gateway Film Center | Ticketed |
| Thomas Rhett | Sept 11 | Schottenstein Center | Ticketed |
| Columbus Oktoberfest | Sept 11–13 | Ohio Expo Center | Free admission |
| Fall Farm Season Opens | Sept 12 onward | Hebron, Ostrander & Pataskala | Varies |
| Columbus Symphony Season Opener | Sept 18 | Ohio Theatre | Ticketed |
| Wexner Center Fall Opening | Sept 18 | Wexner Center | Free with ticket |
| Clare Rojas: Returning | Opens Sept 18 | Columbus Museum of Art | Free on Sundays |
| Arts in the Alley | Sept 18–20 | Grove City | Free |
| German Village Oktoberfest | Sept 19 | German Village | See website |
| Delaware County Fair | Sept 19–26 | Delaware | Ticketed |
| Phoebe Bridgers | Sept 22 | Nationwide Arena | Sold out |
| Sweeney Todd | Sept 24–Oct 18 | Garden Theater | Ticketed |
| Palace 100 Birthday Celebration | Sept 26 | Palace Theatre | Free |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | Sept 30 | Schottenstein Center | Ticketed |
| Teddy Swims | Sept 30 | Nationwide Arena | Ticketed |
| Zoo Lantern Festival | Thu–Sun, through Oct 25 | Columbus Zoo | Ticketed |
| FAQ | Quick answers about September in Columbus | ||
⚾ Columbus Clippers
About: The season ends where it started, at Huntington Park. The Iowa Cubs are in town September 1–6, and the St. Paul Saints close out the year September 15–20. The finale is Sunday, September 20 at 1:05 p.m., the last Clippers baseball until spring.
Location: Huntington Park
When: Home series Sept 1–6 and Sept 15–20
More info: Columbus Clippers Schedule
⚽ Columbus Crew
About: Four opportunities to see the Crew this September. League play brings the Colorado Rapids on September 5 and the New York Red Bulls on September 12, then the Crew host Orlando City in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday, September 16 at 7 p.m., the club’s first semifinal appearance since 2010. Inter Miami (Messi?) visit on September 27 to close the month.
Location: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
When: Sept 5, 12, 16, and 27
More info: Columbus Crew Schedule
🏈 Ohio State Football
About: Football is back in the Horseshoe with three home Saturdays: Ball State on September 5 at 12:30 p.m., Kent State on September 19 at noon, and the Big Ten opener against Illinois on September 26, with kickoff time still to be announced.
Location: Ohio Stadium
When: Sept 5, 19, and 26
More info: Ohio State Football Schedule
🏒 Blue Jackets Preseason
About: Hockey returns to Nationwide Arena as the Blue Jackets open their 25th-anniversary season with preseason home games against Detroit on Monday, September 21 and Pittsburgh on Thursday, September 24, both at 7 p.m.
Location: Nationwide Arena
When: Sept 21 and 24, 7 p.m.
More info: Blue Jackets Preseason Schedule
🖼️ Gallery Hop
About: The Short North’s first-Saturday tradition lands on September 5 this month, with galleries, street performers, and open doors up and down High Street.
Location: Short North Arts District
When: Sept 5
More info: Gallery Hop
🎉 Columbus Greek Festival
About: The 53rd annual festival takes over the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral for all four days of Labor Day weekend: Friday 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday noon to 11 p.m., and Monday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A $10 weekend pass covers the whole run, and kids 12 and under get in free.
Location: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 555 N. High St.
When: Sept 4–7
More info: Columbus Greek Festival
🎶 CBUS Soul Fest
About: Two free days of soul music, food, and culture at Bicentennial Park on the riverfront, presented by Columbus Recreation and Parks.
Location: Bicentennial Park
When: Sept 4–5
More info: CBUS Soul Fest
🎌 Matsuricon
About: Three days of anime, gaming, and Japanese pop culture at the convention center. The con bills itself as the largest non-profit convention in Ohio, and the cosplay spills out onto High Street all weekend.
Location: Greater Columbus Convention Center
When: Sept 4–6
More info: Matsuricon
🎪 Labor Day Weekend Festivals
About: The suburbs stack the holiday weekend with free festivals. Columbus GospelFest marks its 42nd year at the Ohio Expo Center’s Lausche Building on September 5. The Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival brings more than 30 teams playing by 1860s rules to the Westerville Sports Complex September 5–6. The Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival, which bills itself as Ohio’s oldest and largest, runs September 5–7, the same days as the 75th West Jefferson Ox Roast. Bexley Summerfest takes East Main Street on Sunday, September 6, and the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival closes the weekend at Northam Park on Monday, September 7.
Location: Around central Ohio
When: Sept 5–7
More info: GospelFest, Ohio Cup, Canal Winchester, Ox Roast, Bexley Summerfest, UA Arts Festival
🎤 Kacey Musgraves
About: The country star plays the Schottenstein Center on Wednesday, September 9 with Midland opening.
Location: Schottenstein Center
When: Sept 9
More info: Schottenstein Center Events
🌽 Plain City Corn Carnival
About: Plain City’s hometown festival builds through the week to its big Saturday on September 12, with a parade, contests, and concerts downtown. The don’t-miss undercard is Thursday, September 10 at 5 p.m., when the Ohio High Wheel Race sends riders on brakeless, gearless penny-farthings around a downtown loop for a full hour, billed by organizers as the first race of its kind in the Midwest.
Location: Downtown Plain City
When: Sept 9–12; High Wheel Race Sept 10, 5 p.m.
More info: Corn Carnival and Ohio High Wheel Race
🎬 Cinema Columbus
About: The film festival returns September 10–13 with four days of screenings anchored at Gateway Film Center, including a hometown-heavy opening slate of Ohio-made films.
Location: Gateway Film Center and venues across Columbus
When: Sept 10–13
More info: Cinema Columbus
🎸 Thomas Rhett
About: The Soundtrack to Life Tour stops at the Schottenstein Center on Friday, September 11.
Location: Schottenstein Center
When: Sept 11
More info: Schottenstein Center Events
🍺 Columbus Oktoberfest
About: The big one at the Ohio Expo Center runs Friday 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday noon to 8 p.m., with German food, beer, and music. Admission is free; the food and steins are not.
Location: Ohio Expo Center
When: Sept 11–13
More info: Columbus Oktoberfest
🎃 Fall Farm Season Opens
About: Pumpkin season starts mid-month. Pigeon Roost Farm in Hebron opens its fall run September 12 and goes Wednesday through Sunday until Halloween. Leeds Farm in Ostrander opens weekends starting September 19 with its corn maze, hayrides, and pumpkin patch. And Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala is deep in apple season all month, with u-pick on the weekends.
Location: Hebron, Ostrander, and Pataskala
When: Pigeon Roost from Sept 12; Leeds from Sept 19
More info: Pigeon Roost Farm, Leeds Farm, Lynd Fruit Farm
🎻 Columbus Symphony Season Opener
About: The symphony opens its Masterworks season Friday, September 18 at the Ohio Theatre with a program of Rachmaninoff and Bartók.
Location: Ohio Theatre
When: Sept 18
More info: Columbus Symphony
🖼️ Wexner Center Fall Exhibitions Opening
About: The Wex opens its fall exhibitions with a celebration on Friday, September 18 from 4 to 8 p.m. It’s free for everyone with a ticket, and the galleries stay open through the evening.
Location: Wexner Center for the Arts
When: Sept 18, 4–8 p.m.
More info: Wexner Center
🎨 Clare Rojas: Returning
About: The Columbus Museum of Art opens its big fall exhibition on September 18, a survey of painter Clare Rojas that runs into February. Sunday admission at the museum is free all year, so the cheapest way in is a weekend visit.
Location: Columbus Museum of Art
When: Opens Sept 18
More info: Columbus Museum of Art
🎨 Arts in the Alley
About: Grove City’s juried arts festival fills Town Center Park for three days with more than a hundred artists, live entertainment, and a community parade.
Location: Town Center Park, Grove City
When: Sept 18–20
More info: Arts in the Alley
🍻 German Village Oktoberfest
About: The German Village Society throws its own single-evening Oktoberfest at the Meeting Haus with beer, German food, and music in the neighborhood that does German best.
Location: GVS Meeting Haus Platz, 588 S. Third St.
When: Sept 19, 4–10 p.m.
More info: German Village Oktoberfest
🏇 Delaware County Fair
About: A full week of classic county fair in Delaware, with the Little Brown Jug on Thursday, September 24 as the centerpiece: harness racing’s signature event on what the fair bills as the fastest half-mile track in the world.
Location: Delaware County Fairgrounds, 236 Pennsylvania Ave., Delaware
When: Sept 19–26; Little Brown Jug Sept 24
More info: Delaware County Fair
🎤 Phoebe Bridgers
About: Phoebe Bridgers plays Nationwide Arena on Tuesday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m. The show is sold out, so the resale market is the only way in now.
Location: Nationwide Arena
When: Sept 22, 7:30 p.m. (sold out)
More info: Nationwide Arena
🎭 Sweeney Todd
About: Short North Stage opens its season with Sondheim’s demon barber at the Garden Theater, running September 24 through October 18.
Location: Garden Theater, 1187 N. High St.
When: Sept 24–Oct 18
More info: Sweeney Todd
🎂 Palace 100: The Birthday Celebration
About: The Palace Theatre turns 100 this fall, and the biggest public party is Saturday, September 26 from 1 to 5 p.m. The free open house lets visitors step onto the stage for a photo, tour parts of the theatre normally off limits, and poke around a century-old movie palace.
Location: Palace Theatre
When: Sept 26, 1–5 p.m.
More info: CAPA
🎸 The Smashing Pumpkins
About: The Rats In A Cage Tour hits the Schottenstein Center on Wednesday, September 30, one half of the biggest concert night of the month.
Location: Schottenstein Center
When: Sept 30
More info: Schottenstein Center Events
🎤 Teddy Swims
About: The other half of that night: Teddy Swims brings The UGLY Tour to Nationwide Arena the same evening, September 30 at 7 p.m.
Location: Nationwide Arena
When: Sept 30, 7 p.m.
More info: Nationwide Arena
🏮 Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival
About: The Lantern Festival glows Thursday through Sunday evenings all month, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., with more than 70 handcrafted lantern sets including this year’s new dinosaurs. It runs through October 25, but note one exception: the festival is dark on Friday, September 18 for the Zoo’s gala.
Location: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell
When: Thu–Sun evenings through Oct 25 (dark Sept 18)
More info: Lantern Festival
September in Columbus: Quick Answers
What are the biggest events in Columbus in September 2026?
The Columbus Greek Festival anchors Labor Day weekend September 4–7, Columbus Oktoberfest takes the Ohio Expo Center September 11–13, and Ohio State plays three home games. The Crew’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Orlando City on September 16 is the sports date of the month, and September 30 brings The Smashing Pumpkins and Teddy Swims to town on the same night.
What can you do for free in Columbus this September?
A lot. Gallery Hop (September 5), CBUS Soul Fest (September 4–5), GospelFest, the Ohio Cup, and the suburb festivals over Labor Day weekend, the Plain City Corn Carnival and High Wheel Race, admission to Columbus Oktoberfest, the Wexner Center’s fall opening on September 18, Arts in the Alley in Grove City, the Palace Theatre’s birthday party on September 26, and the Columbus Museum of Art every Sunday.
When does Ohio State play at home in September?
Three Saturdays: Ball State on September 5 at 12:30 p.m., Kent State on September 19 at noon, and Illinois on September 26 with kickoff time still to be announced.
Is the Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival still running?
Yes, Thursday through Sunday evenings from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. through October 25. It goes dark one night, Friday, September 18.
When do the pumpkin farms open?
Pigeon Roost Farm opens September 12, Leeds Farm opens weekends starting September 19, and Lynd Fruit Farm’s apple season runs all month.
When is the Clippers’ last home game?
Sunday, September 20 at 1:05 p.m. against St. Paul, the final home game of the season.
