Two free festivals anchor this weekend, and they couldn’t be more different. Hot Times fills Parsons Avenue in Olde Towne East with three days of music, art cars, and a Sunday drum circle, while Oktoberfest brings the steins and polka back to the fairgrounds. Other choices this weekend include a downtown food crawl, honey in Lithopolis, a Crew match under the lights, and Juanes at Mershon to close it out.
Ohio State is in Austin this week, so Saturday night is a watch-party night. Here’s your weekend.
This Weekend At A Glance
| Event | When | Where | Cost |
| Hot Times Festival | Fri from 4pm, Sat from noon, Sun from 11am | 240 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East | Free |
| Columbus Oktoberfest | Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–8pm | Ohio Expo Center | Free admission, $15 parking |
| Lithopolis Honeyfest | Fri & Sat | Lithopolis | Free |
| 934 Fest | Fri & Sat | 934 Gallery, Milo-Grogan | Free |
| Franklinton Fridays | Fri, 6–10pm | Franklinton Arts District | Free |
| Blues and Brews Fest | Fri, 5–8:30pm | Huber Park, Reynoldsburg | Free entry |
| Thomas Rhett | Fri, 7:30pm | Schottenstein Center | Ticketed |
| VIVO Music Festival | Fri 6 & 9pm at Natalie’s, Sun 1pm at the Southern | Natalie’s Grandview; Southern Theatre | Ticketed |
| Cinema Columbus Film Festival | Through Sunday | Gateway Film Center & venues citywide | Ticketed |
| Zoo Lantern Festival | Fri–Sun, 7:30–10:30pm | Columbus Zoo | Ticketed |
| Ohio Open Doors | Through Sept. 20 | Historic sites statewide | Mostly free |
| Plain City Corn Carnival | Main day Saturday | Plain City | Free |
| Taste of Downtown | Sat, 10:30am–4:30pm | Check-in at the CAPA Breezeway, 55 E. State St. | $40 |
| Harvest Fair | Sat, noon–4pm | Columbus Commons | Free |
| Ohio Fire Marshal Festival | Sat, 10am–3pm | State Fire Marshal campus, Reynoldsburg | Free |
| For the Love of Hilliard | Sat, 11am–2pm | Downtown Hilliard | Free |
| PBJ & Jazz | Sat, noon | Topiary Park | Free |
| Bexley Yard grand opening | Saturday | Cassingham & Main, Bexley | Free |
| Delaware County Beer, Bourbon & Wine Festival | Sat, 3–8pm | Boardman Arts Park, Delaware | Ticketed, 21+ |
| Monster Energy SMX Playoffs | Sat, FanFest 8am, gates 3pm | Historic Crew Stadium | Ticketed |
| Ohio State watch party | Sat, 6–9pm | Columbus Commons | Free |
| Crew vs. New York Red Bulls | Sat, 7:30pm | ScottsMiracle-Gro Field | Ticketed |
| Juanes | Sun, 8pm | Mershon Auditorium | Ticketed |
Friday, September 11
🎨 Hot Times Takes Over Parsons Avenue
Hot Times has been Olde Towne East’s end-of-summer party for decades, and it is still free. Three days of live music run on two stages at 240 Parsons Avenue, with art cars, a kids’ area, food vendors, and an artists’ market filling the blocks around them. Friday’s stage starts at 4pm with local bands into the night, Saturday runs from noon through a poetry slam and evening sets, and Sunday opens with a drum circle at 11am and winds through Polynesian dancers, Zumba, and a closing band around 6pm.
Location: 240 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East
When: Fri from 4pm, Sat from noon, Sun from 11am
Cost: Free
More info: Hot Times Festival
🍻 Oktoberfest At The Fairgrounds
Columbus Oktoberfest is back at the Ohio Expo Center with 100,000 square feet of covered space that make the event weatherproof. Admission is free; parking is $15. Schmidt’s runs the show, which means cream puffs, German bands, a marketplace, and a kids’ area. Hours are Friday 5pm to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday noon to 8pm.
Location: Ohio Expo Center
When: Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–8pm
Cost: Free admission, $15 parking
More info: Columbus Oktoberfest
🍯 Honeyfest In Lithopolis
The Lithopolis Honeyfest is the Friday and Saturday after Labor Day every year. A honey contest, vendors, a kids’ Bee Train, and no entry fee. Parking is free with free shuttles into the village.
Location: Downtown Lithopolis
When: Friday & Saturday
Cost: Free
More info: Lithopolis Honeyfest
🎶 934 Fest
The murals-and-music festival at 934 Gallery on Cleveland Avenue returns for two nights of bands, live painting, and art vendors, free to attend.
Location: 934 Gallery, 934 Cleveland Ave.
When: Friday & Saturday
Cost: Free
More info: 934 Gallery
🖼️ Franklinton Fridays
Second Friday of the month means the Franklinton Arts District’s studios and galleries open their doors from 6 to 10pm, free.
Location: Franklinton Arts District
When: Friday, 6–10pm
Cost: Free
More info: Franklinton Arts District
🎸 Blues And Brews In Reynoldsburg
Reynoldsburg’s Blues and Brews Fest puts live blues and local beer in Huber Park from 5 to 8:30pm Friday. Entry is free; the brews are not.
Location: Huber Park, Reynoldsburg
When: Friday, 5–8:30pm
Cost: Free entry
More info: City of Reynoldsburg
🎵 Thomas Rhett At The Schott
Thomas Rhett brings the Soundtrack to Life Tour to the Schottenstein Center Friday at 7:30pm.
Location: Schottenstein Center
When: Friday, 7:30pm
Cost: Ticketed
More info: Schottenstein Center
🎻 VIVO Music Festival
Columbus’s chamber music festival is in its 12th season. Friday brings two sets at Natalie’s Grandview: Beer and Beethoven at 6pm, then Different Trains at 9pm with a world premiere by Ohio composer Gregory Rowland Evans. The season closes Sunday at 1pm at the Southern Theatre with Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
Location: Natalie’s Grandview (Fri); Southern Theatre (Sun)
When: Fri 6pm & 9pm; Sun 1pm
Cost: Ticketed
More info: VIVO Music Festival
🍿 Cinema Columbus Film Festival
Cinema Columbus moved from spring to fall this year. The fifth festival runs through Sunday at Gateway Film Center and venues around the city.
Location: Gateway Film Center and venues citywide
When: Through Sunday
Cost: Ticketed
More info: Cinema Columbus
🏮 Lanterns At The Zoo
The Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival lights up after the zoo closes, 7:30 to 10:30pm Friday through Sunday, with dinosaur lanterns new this year, a dragon dance, and Korean drum performances. Festival tickets do not include daytime zoo admission.
Location: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
When: Fri–Sun, 7:30–10:30pm
Cost: Ticketed
More info: Columbus Zoo
🏛️ Ohio Open Doors
Every other year, Ohio’s historic buildings open up for tours and programs you can’t get the rest of the time. Ohio Open Doors runs September 10 through 20 with roughly 300 host sites statewide, many of them in central Ohio; use the event finder on the Ohio History Connection’s page to pick a weekend stop.
Location: Historic sites statewide
When: Through September 20
Cost: Most events free
More info: Ohio History Connection
Saturday, September 12
🍴 Taste Of Downtown
The Downtown Residents Association’s self-guided crawl is back for year two. One $40 ticket gets you a sample, a sip, or an activity at 30-plus downtown restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries between 10:30am and 4:30pm. Pick up your lanyard and map at the CAPA Breezeway on East State Street, then walk or hop on a COTA bus between stops.
Location: Check-in at the CAPA Breezeway, 55 E. State St.
When: Saturday, 10:30am–4:30pm
Cost: $40
More info: Downtown Residents Association of Columbus
🍂 Harvest Fair At The Commons
Columbus Commons hosts a free Harvest Fair from noon to 4pm Saturday, a family afternoon of fall activities on the lawn.
Location: Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St.
When: Saturday, noon–4pm
Cost: Free
More info: Columbus Commons
🚒 Ohio Fire Marshal Festival
The State Fire Marshal opens its Reynoldsburg campus Saturday from 10am to 3pm for touch-a-truck, MedFlight landings, and safety activities for kids. Free.
Location: Ohio State Fire Marshal campus, Reynoldsburg
When: Saturday, 10am–3pm
Cost: Free
More info: Ohio Department of Commerce
❤️ For The Love Of Hilliard
The successor to Old Hilliardfest fills downtown Hilliard from 11am to 2pm with vendors, music, and family activities.
Location: Downtown Hilliard
When: Saturday, 11am–2pm
Cost: Free
More info: Destination Hilliard
🎷 PBJ & Jazz At Topiary Park
Jazz Arts Group’s free family series lands at Topiary Park Saturday at noon with Jerry Powell. Bring a blanket.
Location: Topiary Park, Downtown
When: Saturday, noon
Cost: Free
More info: Jazz Arts Group
🐕 Bexley Yard Grand Opening
The owners of The Lion open Bexley Yard Saturday, a dog-friendly outdoor gathering space with drinks at the southwest corner of Cassingham and Main, right behind the bar. The grand opening brings live music and kids’ activities.
Location: Cassingham Rd. & E. Main St., Bexley
When: Saturday
Cost: Free
More info: The Lion
🌽 Plain City Corn Carnival
Plain City revived its Corn Carnival for America’s 250th, a one-time comeback, and Saturday is the main festival day in the village.
Location: Downtown Plain City
When: Saturday (main day)
Cost: Free
More info: Village of Plain City
🥃 Beer, Bourbon & Wine In Delaware
Delaware County’s Beer, Bourbon & Wine Festival runs 3 to 8pm Saturday at Boardman Arts Park, in its sixth year. 21 and over.
Location: Boardman Arts Park, Delaware
When: Saturday, 3–8pm
Cost: Ticketed, 21+
More info: Festival tickets
🏁 Supercross Playoffs At Historic Crew Stadium
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs come to Historic Crew Stadium Saturday. FanFest opens at 8am and the gate drops at 3pm.
Location: Historic Crew Stadium
When: Saturday, FanFest 8am, racing from 3pm
Cost: Ticketed
More info: Historic Crew Stadium
🏈 Ohio State At Texas: Watch It At The Commons
Ohio State plays at Texas Saturday night, so there’s no game at the Shoe. Columbus Commons hosts a free watch party on the big screen.
Location: Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St.
When: Saturday, 6–9pm
Cost: Free
More info: Columbus Commons
⚽ The Crew Host The Red Bulls
The Crew take on New York Red Bulls Saturday at 7:30pm at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
Location: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Astor Park
When: Saturday, 7:30pm
Cost: Ticketed
More info: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
Sunday, September 13
🎵 Juanes At Mershon
Colombian rock star Juanes plays Mershon Auditorium Sunday at 8pm on his North American tour.
Location: Mershon Auditorium
When: Sunday, 8pm
Cost: Ticketed
More info: Live Nation
Sunday is also the last day for Hot Times, Oktoberfest, Cinema Columbus, and the weekend’s lantern nights at the zoo, and VIVO closes its season at the Southern at 1pm.
For everything after this weekend, the September guide has you covered.
Have fun, Columbus!
