The Best of Columbus: Free Concerts, Festivals, Movies and More

By
Maureen Ingham
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Summer in Columbus is so much fun! There are tons of concerts, festivals, outdoor movies and special events happening and so many of them are free! Take a look at our list of free events and I bet you could find something going on nearly every day of the week! Weather and other factors often result in changes to events, so be sure to check the links directly to confirm anything listed is accurate before heading to an event. Enjoy!

Ongoing Free Summer Events

  • Lolli-Pops! Summer Children’s Concerts on Powell Village Green – Select Mondays, 10:30 AM. – 11:30 AM. – interactive concerts on the lawn on June 3, 2024 with July and August dates to be determined!
  • Music on the Lawn at Grandview Heights Public Library – Tuesdays in July and August this year due to construction in 2024, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – concert on the lawn with a food truck on-site!
  • Movies by Moonlight at Easton – once a month on Fridays – enjoy a movie on the Town Square! The theme this year is 1999 Movie Rewind.
  • Grove City Outdoor Movie Series– Moving to Town Center Park in 2024. First movie is June 26, showing Super Mario Bros!
  • Sounds of Summer Family Concert Series at Alum Creek Park North Amphitheater, Sundays beginning June 9!
  • Easton Groove is at The Yard at Easton – Thursdays, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM –Eat, drink, move and groove every Thursday from 6-9 PM at The Yard! From funk to acoustic, Americana to rock, enjoy free live music performed by local artists all summer long. Grab a drink on a patio overlooking The Yard, or pop out your favorite lawn chair in front of the stage!
  • Celebration at the Station at Hilliard’s Station Park- Thursdays, concerts begin at 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. and this is a DORA event. Begins June 6, 2024!
  • Summer Sizzle Movie Series: Enjoy the charm of historic Town Center set to music Friday evenings as open-air concerts fill the warm summer air.
    • When: Friday evenings, 7-8:30 p.m.
    • Where: Town Center Park, 3359 Park St.
  • Beauty and The Beast in the Park at Schiller Park- Thursdays-Sundays at 8:00 PM – free performances of different shows throughout the summer.
  • Music and Art in the Park at Stradley Place in Canal Winchester- Third Friday of the month June and July enjoy a free summer concert featuring art demonstrations and activities along with the music.

free summer event at Columbus Commons

  • Commons for Kids at Columbus Commons – Fridays, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM – inflatables, story time, games, activities, free carousel rides and much more! Begins June 7- August 9. Free carousel rides everyday this summer!
  • First Fridays in Delaware– First Friday of the month in Downtown Delaware, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM – There’s a themed event, free children’s activities and businesses stay open later.
  • 4th Fridays in Westerville – The fourth Friday in Uptown Westerville from May– October 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM- The businesses stay open later, 100+ street vendors, live entertainment, children’s activities and more.
  • Bexley Main Event on Capital University’s Main Lawn – Select Fridays, 6:30 PM – kids’ crafts and activities precede a family-friendly movie! Begins June 21, 2024.
  • Midweek at the Creekside in Gahanna-Enjoy live music on the Creekside Plaza from 6-8 PM every Wednesday. Grab a CORA cup and your friends for a relaxing evening in the Creekside District. Begins June 5!
  • Upper Arlington Movies in the Park at Thompson Park – Select Fridays June – August. Bring a blanket and enjoy a movie under the stars. June 14 is the first showing with Wonka!
  • Music in the Village in Shawnee Hills- every Thursday night from June 13- August 8, 2024 (tentative dates). The band starts playing at 6:30 PM and will continue until 8:30 PM. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Also, be sure to check with the local restaurants that offer boxed dinner specials and after concert promotions. The DORA district includes the park and all alcoholic beverages must be in specially marked containers. Food trucks will be available in 2024 too!

topiary park

  • DIY Class with Kids at Home Depot– The first Saturday of the Month. FREE 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. June 1, July 6 and August 3.
  • Grandview Hop – Last Saturday of the Month, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM – sidewalk merchants, live performances and more! The dates for 2022 include Saturday, June 29th; Saturday, July 27th; Saturday, August 24th; and Saturday, September 28th from 5-9 pm.
  • Gallery Hop – First Saturday of the month, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM – galleries and shops stay open late, sidewalk performances, special events, and more! Dates for 2023 include June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2, December 7 (Holiday Hop).
  • PBJ & Jazz Concerts in Topiary Park – Select Saturdays, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – story hour, concert and crafts in Topiary Park.goodalepark
  • Goodale Park Music Series – Sundays at 12:30 PM – live music, food trucks, and family-friendly fun during July and August 2024.
  • Sounds of Summer Concert Series at Alum Creek Park North Amphitheater – Sundays, 6:30 PM – various concerts in the amphitheater in the park!
  • DAC Sundays at Scioto – Select Sundays, 7:00 PM – various musical tastes are represented in this series of concerts in the Scioto Park Amphitheater!
  • Powell Street Market – Two Sundays per year, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM – enjoy vendors and crafters, food trucks and pony rides! May 5, 2024 and September 7, 2024 is the next one!
  • Concerts on the Green in Worthington – Sundays at 7:00 PM – family-friendly concerts on the village green!
  • Summer Concert Series in Pickerington – Sundays at 7:00 PM – family-friendly concerts in Sycamore Park! Begins June 23, 2024.
  • Summer Concerts in Grove City– Fridays from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Grove City’s Center Park now through September 1. 3359 Park Street.
  • Free Concerts at Columbus Commons – several free concerts this summer at Columbus Commons! Gavin Degraw and Colbie Caillet in 2024!
  • Farmers’ Markets – click on the link for a list of local farmers’ markets listed by day!
  • Touch-a-Truck Events – there are several touch-a-truck events happening this summer.
  • Columbus Metropolitan Library Events – our library branches are amazing and host a TON of free events beyond just story time throughout the summer. Use the link to search for the events by date and/or location. Popular events include: The Turtle Lady, magic shows, dance and sing with Miss Marlene, and more!

One-Time Free Events and Festivals:

  • Columbus Arts Festival – June 7-9, 2024 – shop local artists, hear live music, participate in hands-on art projects, visit the Children’s Gallery, and much more!
  • Worthington Arts Festival – June 15-16, 2024 – The famous art show returns with live music as well. Drawing about 25,000 visitors annually, the Worthington Arts Festival has been ranked as one of the top 200 arts festivals in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. On Village Green this year due to high school construction!
  • Powell Festival – June 21 & 22, 2024 –This family-friendly, free event offers two days of live music, children’s activities, local shopping, food trucks, and a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).
  • Red, White & Boom – July 3, 2024 – Columbus’ 4th of July celebration including a parade, children’s park and, of course, fireworks!
  • Summer Jam Westgate – July 13, 2024 – live music, artists, food trucks and children’s activities!
  • Jazz & Rib Fest – July 19-21, 2024 – three stages of jazz music, tasty ribs for sale and activities for kids sponsored by Columbus Crew, Columbus Blue Jackets, and OSU!
  • All Ohio Balloon Festival- August 8-10, 2024 –This festival is held in Marysville with over 30 hot air balloons, sky jumpers, helicopters, live music and food and drinks.
  • Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival- September 1, 2024- September 2, 2024 –Three days of music, Columbus Zoo animals, and the food is always a popular attraction at this local tradition!
  • Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival– September 2, 2024, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM – This is a big event with an estimated 25,000 people in attendance. There are a range of interactive performances and activities, artists selling their work, and a variety of vendors with refreshments available to purchase.
For a more detailed list of movies under the stars, click the link. Also, be sure to check out our Fairs and Festivals post too. We will continue to add events as they come up, so check back!
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Maureen Ingham
Maureen Ingham
Maureen Ingham has enjoyed living in the great city of Columbus for nearly 13 years! Originally from Canton, Ohio, Maureen attended Ohio University and will always be a bobcat at heart! After completing her education degree in Athens, she made her way to The Ohio State University to obtain a Masters degree in Special Education. She fell in love with Columbus then and convinced her now husband to join her in this awesome city! She taught 5th grade for 6 years, before deciding to stay home to raise two beautiful girls. Their family has recently moved to Worthington with their two girls and are excited to plant their roots here! Their first daughter, Maeve is 6 and her sister, Reese will soon be 5 years old. They welcomed a son, Miles in March 2020. Maureen has been with The Columbus Moms Blog since the beginning and now enjoys working on editing and events for the blog. She also works as a Postpartum Doula with her sister at a company called Together Wee Grow. They provide night nursing services, as well as daytime support to local families and babies in Columbus. It is a wonderful job to work along her sister and help families with their precious little ones in a vulnerable time period. In between the night shifts, sweeping up crumbs, exploring Columbus, and getting kids to where they need to be, Maureen enjoys working out, trying new recipes and restaurants, traveling, spending time with family, being crafty and trying to help others whenever she can! Maureen has many Columbus favorites. Her go-to restaurant is Third and Hollywood, she enjoys a sweet treat at Sassafrass Bakery or Fox in the Snow, a slice of pizza at Dewey's Pizza and a warm cup of joe at Highline Coffee. A perfect Saturday involves an outdoor activity with her family and trying a new restaurant when they can! She is excited to be a part of an excellent team here at Columbus Moms blog and hopes to be able to inspire mothers that small acts of kindness go a long way in raising their kids and the city they live in!

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1 COMMENT

  1. Don’t forget the Art Affair in Urbana, Ohio on July 15. Let me know if you need additional information. Thanks!!!

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