The Columbus Arts Festival returns to the downtown riverfront June 12-14! It’s three days packed full of visual art, live music, theater and dance, fashion, local food and drink, and hands-on activities for everyone, young and old. Here are eight reasons to visit the Festival this year!
1. More Than 230 Local and National Artists
Browse through hundreds of artists’ work, lined up along the riverfront and over the Main and Rich Street bridges, featuring painting to photography, sculpture to jewelry, ceramics to wood-working, and much more. Artists come from across the country for the Festival, and more than 50 artists come directly from Ohio.
2. Free Concerts & Performances
The Festival features four stages of Columbus-based live music, dance, theatre and spoken word throughout the weekend. See favorite bands rock under the railway overpass at the Rich Street Stage, like headliners Snarls on Friday or Serene Dion on Saturday. Catch local poets and storytellers at the Cultural Arts Center Stage on Saturday and Sunday. Watch central Ohio-based bands plus dance and theater companies perform on the Genoa Park Stage and Bicentennial Park Stage. On Friday, June 12, catch Doc Robinson closing out the Bicentennial Park Stage, while Austen & The Syd Experience finishes out Saturday night. At the same time, Karate Coyote headlines the Genoa Park Stage. Sunday, June 14, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra brings its big band sound to Bicentennial Park for a jazz brunch at 12 p.m.
Photo by David Heasley
3. Hands-On Activities for Kids and Families
At the all-ages Kids Hands-On Activity Village, volunteers from local cultural organizations help Festival-goers experience painting, silk-screening, printmaking, set decorating and more fun activities. Plus, with the Children’s and Teen Art Gallery nearby, younger ones can purchase their own art at the kid-sized — and kid-priced — gallery.
4. A Fashion Show
Fashion as Art, a runway show featuring Columbus designers and models, returns to the Genoa Park Stage on Friday, June 12 at 8 p.m. Four local designers will showcase multiple looks, accompanied by music from DJ Moxy Martinez.
5. The Big Local Arts Village
The Festival-favorite Big Local Arts Village sits at the Franklinton entrance, where more than 70 Columbus-based artists and creatives showcase and sell their work. Watch live metalworking, Japanese calligraphy, woodturning, and stained glass demonstrations, too.
6. Boozy Slushies and Beers
Columbus’ award-winning High Bank Distillery has crafted a pair of boozy slushies using their award-winning whiskey and vodka – blended with Columbus’ own Simple Times Mixers! They’re perfect for cooling off while strolling the festival grounds. And thanks to Rhinegeist, Festival guests can relax in the shade of the beer garden, close to the Big Local Arts Village, with a refreshing Ohio-made brew. In addition to their beer, ciders and hard teas, Rhinegeist is also bringing a selection of non-alcoholic brews!
7. More Than 40 Food Trucks & Carts
You won’t leave hungry from the Arts Festival! From fried chicken, burgers, and barbecue to a wide range of international fare, plus vegetarian and vegan eats, the Festival features something for everyone. Be sure to cool off with a lemon shake-up or scoop of Graeter’s ice cream!
8. Plenty of Photo Ops
With rows of artist booths, exciting performances, public art, stunning bridges and the scenic riverfront, the entire Columbus Arts Festival is one big photo op! For the best photo at the Fest, head to the giant selfie frame on the west side of the Scioto near the Rich Street Bridge to snap a photo with the city’s skyline as a backdrop.
Learn more and plan your visit at ColumbusArtsFestival.org, and follow Columbus Arts Festival on Facebook or @columbusartsfest on Instagram.
