Things to do this summer in Columbus: What's happening, what's canceled and what's changed
As venue and event spaces have begun to open their doors, a sense of hope has permeated through the city's entertainment circles.
As the summer festival and event season is fast approaching, we thought a roundup on the status of what is happening, what's going virtual or has been modified, and what is cancelled was in order.
More family activities:Here's a list of ideas for families in the Columbus area
Here's the status of some popular summertime events, based on information available now.
What's happening (in some fashion)
Juneteenth Community Festival
The Juneteenth Community Festival will be held outdoors from 5 to 9 p.m. June 19, at the Phenix Banquet Center, 2101 Noe Bixby Road.
Organizer Yemi Ogungbadero said there will be dancers, live music, food vendors and others stretched across the organization's outdoor space.
For more information, visit phenixeventvenuecolumbusoh.com.
2020 celebrations:Juneteenth inspires hope through art, activity, community and reflection
Lancaster Festival
The Lancaster Festival Board of Directors announced last week that a string of outdoor performances by The Band Perry, Byron Stripling Band, legendary guitarist Don Felder and others will take place July 24-29 at the Wendel Concert Stage on the Ohio University Lancaster Campus.
Along with the festival's musical performances, an Art Walk, which is hosted in partnership with Destination Downtown Lancaster, is set for on July 23.
For a full list of performances and other information, visit lancasterfestival.org/.
Concert announcement:Lancaster Festival announces 2021 lineup, which will be all outdoors
Dublin Irish Festival
In an announcement made earlier this week, there will not be a full Dublin Irish Festival in Coffman Park this summer. Instead, "Dublin Irish Days" will celebrate the traditions of the festival through a number of citywide events and activities Aug. 5-8.
Dublin plans:Dublin Irish Festival, other events planned for summer season
The first event will be the Dublin Irish Festival 5K and Dub Crawl on Aug. 5 in downtown Dublin. From there, live concerts featuring Irish musicians and other programs will take place to celebrate Irish lore.
All activities are subject to change based on the state’s health guidelines at the time of each event. For further details and updates, visit dublinirishfestival.org.
Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
Jennifer Clemens, special events coordinator for the City of Reynoldsburg, said this year's Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival will take place Aug. 12-14 at Huber Park, 1640 Davidson Drive.
Clemens said COVID-19 safety regulations are still being mapped out for the festival, but the organization will communicate with other event organizers across central Ohio to better gauge how guidelines will be enforced.
For those looking to attend, visit reytomatofest.com for further updates.
Reynoldsburg fun:From the flatbreads to the pastries, Tyler's Pizzeria and Bakery in Reynoldsburg delivers
Kesha, The Band CAMINO coming to Wonderbus Music Fest
The two-day festival is returning Aug. 28-29 on the lawn at CAS, 540 Olentangy River Road.
On Aug. 28, WonderBus will present some of music's top hitmakers including Kesha, AJR, The Band CAMINO and more. On Aug. 29, Wilco will make their only Ohio appearance in 2021 and their only appearance in a five-state region including Ohio's border states: Michigan; Indiana; West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Joining Wilco will be Grouplove; Black Pumas and other artists.
Due to the evolving guidance from the State of Ohio regarding capacity, there will be a reduced number of tickets available on a first come, first served basis, according to press materials. As guidance becomes more clear between now and August, the event hopes to add more tickets.
For more information and for tickets, visit wonderbusfest.com or seetickets.us.
2019 review:WonderBus Music and Arts Festival: Impressive start for new event
Breakaway Festival
The Breakaway Music Festival will make its way back to Columbus on Sept. 3-4 at the Historic Crew Stadium.
At this time, the lineup of performers for the electronic, hip-hop and pop-music event are still being finalized. Tickets for the festival, as well as the other two events in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Charlotte, North Carolina, can be found at https://breakawayfestival.com/
2019 review:Bassnectar brings electric end to liberating music fest
Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival
Visit Gahanna, in collaboration with the City of Gahanna, will host the Annual Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival Sept. 17-19.
This year’s festival, to take place in Gahanna's Creekside District, is being planned in September, as opposed to June, to ensure safety protocols are established and allow more time for vaccinations to be distributed.
Additional information will be announced later in the spring and shared on www.creeksidebluesandjazz.com.
What Ohio events are going virtual?
Asian Festival
Asian Festival Chairman Greg Thirtyacre III said the annual event, scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, will be held virtually this year due to COVID-19. Streaming for the event will start May 29 and continue on May 30.
Thirtyacre said the organization plans to have eight hours of streaming each day, with a 15-minute break every four hours. The event will be streamed on the Asian Festival website, YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.
Links to access the streaming content will be shared on the festival's Instagram and website next month.
Thirtyacre said the organization will also do a one-hour "takeover" for "Good Day Marketplace Special: Asian Festival" that will air on WSYX-TV (Channel 6) from noon to 1 p.m. May 29, and on WTTE-TV (Channel 28) from 11 a.m. to noon May 30.
For more information, go to asian-festival.org/.
About the festival:Community square gives visitors a taste of countries, culture at Asian Festival
ComFest
For the second year in a row, ComFest will take place virtually on June 25-27, based on guidance from local and state health officials.
Like last year's event, there will be live performances and an expanded virtual street fair for vendors to sell their items online. For more information on this year's event, visit comfest.com/virtual.
History of Comfest:The ‘party with a purpose’: A look back at ComFest
What Ohio events are canceled or not open to public?
Columbus Arts Festival
The Greater Columbus Arts Council has canceled the 2021 Columbus Arts Festival.
GCAC President Tom Katzenmeyer previously told the Dispatch that as vaccines continue to be distributed, the arts council expects a return to the traditional arts festival.
Next year's event will move to a new location and is scheduled to take place June 10-12, 2022, in the Arena District. For additional information, go to columbusartsfestival.org/.
Photos:Columbus Arts Festival throughout the years
Jazz & Rib Fest
Based on guidance from Columbus Public Health and the Ohio Department of Health, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department has announced that this year's Jazz & Rib Fest is canceled.
Instead, the event will take place on July 22-24, 2022. For more information, visit hotribscooljazz.org/.
Photos: 2019 Jazz & Ribs Fest
Ohio State Fair
The Ohio Expositions Commission announced last week that the 2021 Ohio State Fair will not be open to the public. Instead, the annual event, located at the Ohio Expo Center, will focus on agricultural and educational competitions for exhibitors, their families and guests.
2021 fair:Ohio State Fair will not be open to the public this summer
This year's fair, which was scheduled for July 28 to Aug. 8, will be limited to exhibitors and family members for youth and senior livestock competitions, along with educational project judging for non-livestock competitions, such as 4-H.
Offerings associated with the Ohio State Fair — such as rides, concerts, entertainers, live music, food vendors and other features — are expected to return in 2022.
Pride parade
The traditional Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade will not take place this year due to the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like other Columbus organizations forced to cancel or move their events to virtual platforms, the 40-year-old organization will present a virtual Pride March that will broadcast on June 19.
During the month, Stonewall will partner with local venues and organizations to bring a mix of both live and virtual events to the Columbus and central Ohio area.
For more information on the organization, visit https://stonewallcolumbus.org.
Worthington Arts Festival
The 2021 Worthington Arts Festival, set for June 19-20 at the McConnell Arts Center, 777 Evening St., has been canceled.
However, Erin Blue, executive director of the McConnell Arts Center, said the organization will be hosting three outdoor events on the lawn this summer. The dates and programs are still being finalized, but the series is scheduled to begin on June 19.
Visit www.mcconnellarts.org for updates in the coming weeks.
Nelsonville Music Festival
The Nelsonville Music Festival, a four-day musical event at the Historic Village of Robbins Crossing at Hocking College, will not be happening this year.
Chloe Musick, marketing and public relations director at the Stuart's Opera House, which organizes the event, said the group will announce another event soon. For updates, visit https://nelsonvillefest.org/.
Rhythm on the River
At this time, Sophia Fifner, spokeswoman for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, said the Rhythm on the River will not take place due to the ongoing pandemic.
"Based on guidance from Columbus Public Health and the Ohio Department of Health, our department will not host these events in 2021," Fifner wrote in an email.
African American Cultural Festival
Along with major festivals such as the Jazz & Rib Fest and Rhythm on the River, Fifner said the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department has decided to cancel this year's African American Cultural Festival.
These Ohio events are still undecided
Franklin County Fair
The Franklin County Agricultural Society board is planning a fair, but the scale is yet to be determined, said spokeswoman Stephanie Rauschenbach.
In a statement made March 11, President Gary Fellure said the organization will work with health officials around the area to determine how the event will be set up.
"We were pleased to hear the Governor’s remarks regarding the safe return of county fairs this summer," Fellure said in a written statement. "We look forward to more detail on the type of guidelines that will be in place but are committed to working with local and state officials, as well as our partners and vendors, to provide a memorable and safe fair experience for our guests."
For those interested in attending the county fair, visit the organization's website at https://www.fcfair.org/ for updates.
Red, White & Boom
According to Red, White & BOOM! organizers, it's still unclear whether the annual celebration will happen this year.
In a written statement made out by the board of directors in February, the organization will release details on the event as they continue monitoring COVID-19 cases and the roll out of vaccines.
"Every event has a unique planning time frame, and we are still within that time frame to produce a 2021 event," the board said. "We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic developments and vaccination rollout. We are working closely with city and county officials to determine the procedures and precautions needed to produce a safe and responsible event for the central Ohio community."
Upper Arlington Arts Labor Day Festival
Jodi Osborne, arts manager for the City of Upper Arlington, said a decision has not been made about how the Upper Arlington Arts Labor Day Festival will look this year.
Although organizers are still mapping out this year's event, scheduled for Sept. 6 at Upper Arlington's Northam Park, 2070 Northam Road she said an "alternative version" of the festival could be an option.
Similar to the one in 2020, the organization may have artists set up display-and-activity booths to allow visitors to view the artwork from a distance. But if a traditional festival takes place, masks and social distancing will be required. A final decision will be made sometime next month, Osborne said.
For more information and updates on the program, visit https://upperarlingtonoh.gov/parks-recreation/cultural-arts/labor-day-arts-festival/ or go to the organization's Facebook page.
Greek Festival
While other events have either been modified or canceled, the 2021 Greek Festival, scheduled for Sept. 3-6, 555 N High St., is still up in the air.
John Bizios, a spokesperson for the event and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which organizes the event, said the group is still deciding how or if the festival will take shape.
"We are still weighing our options regarding whether we can safely hold our event," he said. "We continue to work closely with city and county public health officials as well as our friends (at) the Columbus Park and Recreations Department to help us make a determination as to the feasibility of holding the festival."
At this time, Bizios said he's doubtful a traditional Greek Festival will happen due to health and safety concerns, but no formal decision has been made. Organizers will continue examining potential alternatives to the festival to appease long-time patrons.
For more information, visit columbusgreekfestival.com/.