Columbus Arts Festival

934 Fest is this weekend at 934 Gallery, with loads of murals, live music, food, and more fun.

934 Fest 2024 | Columbus Makes Art 934 Fest is September 13, 7-11PM & 14, 2024! Save the date for 2 nights and a full day of music, murals, and fun.As always, the Fest is free and open to all. Beverage and merch sales and donations support the nonprofit gallery’s operations

Applications for the 2025 Columbus Arts Festival are now OPEN! Artists, performers, and food vendors are invited to apply.

✅ Artists (including Emerging Artists): https://www.columbusartsfestival.org/apply/visual-artists/

✅ Performers (music, dance, theatre, poetry, storytelling): https://www.columbusartsfestival.org/apply/performing-artists/

✅ Food: https://www.columbusartsfestival.org/apply/food-vendors/

It's a big day in the Short North Arts District today, as it celebrates 40 years of Gallery Hop!

Hops on High: A Gallery Hop 40th Anniversary Celebration | Columbus Makes Art The Short North Arts District’s September Gallery Hop will celebrate 40 years of the legacy event with special Hops on High programming on Saturday, September 7. From 12-8 p.m., High Street (between E. 2nd and Russel) will transform into the largest pedestrian-only experience in Central Ohio and c...

This Saturday and Sunday Scrawl returns to Franklinton!

Scrawl 2024 | Columbus Makes Art Columbus’ longest running mural festival returns for its 18th year with immersive mobile mural experiences from the city’s best visual artists. In addition to witnessing murals galore, guests will explore the Franklinton Arts District; support works of local creative vendors; enjoy DJ sets, live...

This Monday is Upper Arlington's annual Labor Day Arts Festival in Northram Park!

Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival | Columbus Makes Art Since 1966, Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival has celebrated and shared the arts with the community. Each year, more than 15,000 visitors flock to UA on Labor Day. Visitors immerse themselves in hands-on art activities, live music as part of the UA Performance Series, and the opportunity to ex...

The second-annual International Festa-val returns this Saturday to the Franklin County Fairgrounds, with global cuisine, fashion, music, art activities, and more!

2nd Annual International Festa-val | Columbus Makes Art Family-friendly International Festa-val celebrating the diversity and rich culture that make up Central Ohio. Grab your event passport and take a trip around the world in just one afternoon! Enjoy the international Tasting Room, Cultural Fashion Show, Main Stage performances showcasing traditions fr...

Columbus GospelFest celebrates its 40th anniversary in Genoa Park this Saturday, with music, food, family activities, and more!

Columbus GospelFest 2024 - 40th Anniversary | Columbus Makes Art The Columbus GospelFest started 39 years ago impacting our Central Ohio and the surrounding communities. This program provides an opportunity to hear positive, & faith based music and encouraging artistic expression by utilizing a platform that showcases various types of Music, Art forms & activitie...

Mark your calendars: applications for the 2025 Columbus Arts Festival open Monday, September 9!

This includes:
✅ Visual artists (including Emerging Festival Artists)

✅ Performers (dance, theatre, music, spoken word)

✅ Food vendors

(Note that applications for the Big Local Arts Village will open in the spring!)

Today we held our annual volunteer committee appreciation party at Wild Goose Creative! It's a small way to thank our committee members for the amazing work they put into the festival. We're grateful to both the new members and the long-timers.

Every year the Festival team confers the Gwen Scott Award for an exemplary volunteer; it's named for a long-serving volunteer who passed away in 2016. This year it was awarded to Shy McClendon, who leads the Cuisine Connection committee, and has volunteered at the Festival for more than 20 years!

We also offered special thanks to some "retiring" committee chairs: Katherine Matthews from the Word Is Art Acoustic Lounge stage, Lynette Santoro-Au from the Emerging Festival Artist program, and Andrew Protopapas from the Dance & Theatre stages.

Finally, shoutout to Suge's Smokehouse Enterprises, LLC. for the incredible catering spread!

The 2024 Columbus Women&Girls' Fest takes place at the MPACC Box Park this Sunday, with workshops, live entertainment, food, activities, vendors, and more.

2024 Columbus Women&Girls'Fest | Columbus Makes Art Join in the celebration of women and girls and gender-expansive youth in our community! Food, vendors, entertainment, books, games, activities, arts, face painting, bounce house, educational workshop, and more!  STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES. edforfreedom.org!

The CBUS Soul Fest brings music, food, and more to Genoa Park this Saturday!

CBUS Soul Fest | Columbus Makes Art Celebrate Columbus’ vibrant Black culture during CBUS Soul Fest, presented by Columbus Recreation and Parks. Featuring live music, great food and lots of soul, this free event promises an unforgettable experience for all.

We're very proud to be named one of Sunshine Artist Magazine's 200 best arts festivals across the country!

More festival fun this weekend in Columbus! Make plans for the Olde Towne East Jazz Festival this Friday-Sunday.

Olde Towne East Jazz Festival Community Event | Columbus Makes Art August 16-18th, 2024. Friday:6-10pm-Jazz Cypher & open Mic w/Food giveaway sponsored by Mid Ohio Food Collective.  Saturday: 10am-2pm Free Jazz Master Classes & 12-5pm Children's dedicated day w/activities & Back-to-school supplies. Sunday 11am-2pm OTE Jazz & Jokes Brunch.  Performance start @ 2pm...

Thanks to Columbus College of Art & Design - CCAD for including the Columbus Arts Festival in its list of 7 Things To Do in Columbus, Ohio If You're a Creative!

7 things to do in Columbus, Ohio if you’re a creative - CCAD Art things to do in Columbus, Ohio are plentiful—as are cultural and culinary events and opportunities.

This fall, the Columbus Arts Festival team is hosting three info meetings for Columbus-area artists. The free sessions will highlight the application process, the Emerging Festival Artist program, and other opportunities!

* Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Wild Goose Creative: https://www.facebook.com/events/418133150568760

* Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 934 Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/events/811813907817628

* Wednesday, Nov. 20 at The Maroon: https://www.facebook.com/events/1568202400565009

Festival Latino returns this Saturday and Sunday, August 10-11, to the Genoa Park downtown!

Festival Latino | Columbus Makes Art ¡Festival Latino! is a free, family-friendly event celebrating family and community with two days of children’s activities, music, food, fashion, art, and dance from the heart of Latin America. Get full info at www.festivallatino.net.

The Columbus African Festival brings music, dance, food, and more to Genoa Park downtown this Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28!

Columbus African Festival 2024 | Columbus Makes Art Come join us as we bring Africa to Columbus for a 2-day festival extravaganza! Experience the pulsating rhythms of traditional African music and dance, savor authentic cuisine, and discover unique treasures from talented artisans. This unforgettable celebration offers captivating performances and en...

Get ready! Jazz & Rib Fest brings great barbecue and live music to the riverfront this weekend!

Jazz & Rib Fest | Columbus Makes Art Jazz & Rib Fest, presented by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, is a highly anticipated summertime tradition offering both jazz and rib connoisseurs the finest in music and barbecue. Admission is free! All food vendors will be open from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and fro...

This weekend, July 12-13, the Columbus Book Festival returns to the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch, featuring dozens of authors, exhibitors, entertainment, and more.

2024 Columbus Book Festival | Columbus Makes Art The Columbus Book Festival is a two-day event that celebrates a community of book lovers. Inside Main Library, over 150 featured authors will talk about their newly released books in lively panel discussions in the library’s seven meeting rooms.  Outside, the Festival Marketplace in Topiary Park ...

The festival fun continues this weekend!

On Saturday, July 13, head to Westgate Park for Summer Jam West: https://www.columbusmakesart.com/event/50511-summer-jam-west

And this Friday and Saturday, July 12-13, the Columbus Food Truck Festival returns to downtown Columbus along the riverfront: https://www.columbusmakesart.com/event/56117-the-columbus-food-truck-festival-downtown-2024

Summer Jam West | Columbus Makes Art Summer Jam West is a free, community arts festival held annually in Westgate Park. We commit to bringing music and permanent public art to the Hilltop.Our festival is family-friendly with activities for all ages, including local musicians, food trucks, art and craft vendors, live artist demonstratio...

Thanks to the readers of CityScene Magazine for voting us the Best Festival in Columbus!

Best of the 'Bus 2024 2024 Reader's Poll Winners.

The Festival fun continues in Columbus! Who's planning to go to Community Festival (aka ComFest) in Goodale Park this weekend?

ComFest | Columbus Makes Art ComFest is a large, free, non-corporate, volunteer-driven, music and arts annual festival currently held the last full weekend in June at Goodale Park.

The Patron Party is traditionally held the opening night of the Columbus Arts Festival, as way to celebrate the Festival's arrival. This year the party returned to the Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center. Guests got to enjoy music from Krate Digga, a delicious spread from Bleu & Fig, samples of High Bank Distillery spirits, all while exploring the Cultural Arts Center’s multi-level galleries and getting a preview of the Fashion as Art designers’ work.

Missed out on the part this year? Tickets to the party are included in VIP Patron Packages. We’re grateful to Edwards Companies for their support of the VIP experience at the Festival!

The Kid’s Hands-On Activities Village is always a popular spot at the Columbus Arts Festival, and this year was no exception! Sponsored by Battelle, the village features more than 20 local organizations leading kids in all sorts of activities: coloring projects, building instructions, painting theatre sets, tap dancing, you name it!

And on Saturday and Sunday, the Kid’s and Teens’ Galleries, supported by PNC, allow kids to play art collector. The Festival’s exhibiting artists all donate a small piece, which are priced at $5 apiece. Even the entrance to the gallery is pint-sized: no adults allowed!