Your guide to summer fun in Ohio:
Columbus Summer Fun
These Columbus places are perfect to bring the whole family!
Jonathan Quilter | The Columbus Dispatch
Sprouts Night Out
Station Park, Center and Main streets, Hilliard
Date: 4 to 6:30 p.m., June 9 and Aug. 18
Perfect for families with young children. Enjoy live music, children’s activities, food trucks and more.
Admission: Free
The splash pad at Hilliard Station Park on Thursday, June 7, 2018. [Jonathan Quilter/Dispatch]
Celebration at the Station
Station Park, Center and Main streets, Hilliard
Date: 6 to 10 p.m. Thursdays, June 6 through Aug. 8 (no concert July 4)
The concert series features a diverse schedule of live bands and food trucks.
Admission: Free
Kyle Robertson | The Columbus Dispatch
Hilliard Farm Market
Hilliard United Methodist Church, 5445 Scioto Darby Rd.
Date: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, May 28 through Sept. 10
The market provides a vibrant community gathering space and options for local, healthy, fresh foods.
Admission: Free
Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival
Downtown Canal Winchester
Date: Aug. 31 through Sept. 2
Celebrating its 99th year, Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival will feature free daily festival admission and a free Sunday car show. Family-friendly activities include food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, rides, games, entertainment, and the annual Labor Day Parade. A beer tent is available for guests over 21.
Admission: free
Canal Winchester Blues and Ribfest
Downtown Canal Winchester
Date: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. July 26, and noon to 11 p.m. July 27
The street celebration features live blues music, world-class ribs, a variety of quality non-rib food options, children’s activities, fan-cooled dining areas, and a beer and wine garden.
Admission: free
(2018) Sony Pictues
Movies in the Park
Stradley Park, 36 S. High St., Canal Winchester
Date: July 12 and Aug. 9, dusk
Bring a blanket and snacks to the park for family-friendly movies under the stars. On July 12, treat your inner superhero to the animated hit “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and on Aug. 9 enjoy the new animated adventure “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”
Admission: free
The Gas Pump Jockeys
Music in the Park
Stradley Park, 36 S. High St., Canal Winchester
Date: June 21 and July 19, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Summer concerts offer live entertainment and family-friendly activities. The June 21 concert will feature Jack Fox & the County Line Band, historic tractors & farm equipment and farmers’ market vendors. The July 19 concert will host a classic car cruise-in with music by The Gas Pump Jockeys.
Admission: free
(Dispatch photo by Shari Lewis)
Canal Winchester Farmers’ Market
Downtown Canal Winchester
Date: Saturdays through Sept. 28, 9 a.m. – noon
Open-air farmers’ market offers fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, home-baked goods, and more while offering a moment to slow down and savor the sights, sounds, and tastes of an old-fashioned marketplace.
Admission: free
Adam Cairns | The Columbus Dispatch
ComFest
Goodale Park, 120 W. Goodale St., Columbus (Franklin)
Date: June 28-30
The country’s largest independent, volunteer-run festival is so popular that it’s hard to describe it as counterculture. But it certainly is non-corporate, with a free-and-easy vibe and a mission to “promote community unity, tolerance and equity.” The street festival began in 1972 and features alternative politics, local music, arts and crafts, food and drink.
Admission: free
Adam Cairns | The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Fair
Ohio Expo Center, Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue, Columbus (Franklin)
Date: July 24 to Aug. 4
One of the largest state fairs in the country, the Ohio State Fair features 360 acres of exhibit halls, animal barns, rides, food and more entertainment than you can shake a corndog-on-a-stick at. This summer’s featured entertainers include Hank Williams Jr. (July 27), Toby Keith (July 29) and REO Speedwagon (July 31).
Admission: $10, or $8 for those 60 and $8 for children 5 to 12. Rides and most concerts have an additional fee.