By Tori Hunt

Bored? It’s out of the question as the summer festival season gets officially underway in Greater Columbus! There is fun in store almost every weekend with this range of diverse festivals. Mark your calendars...

Waterfire Columbus
May through October
Downtown Riverfront, Genoa Park
The Scioto River will radiate with the luminosity of wood-fueled bonfires burning on the water, celebrating the outdoor urban environment and fostering art in public places.
www.waterfireonthemile.com, 614-299-9221

Asian Festival
May 24, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and May 25, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E. Broad St.
This two-day event features activities from 12 Asian countries, including Japan and the Philippines, and will include cultural display booths, world-class entertainment, martial arts, authentic oriental cuisine, games and free health and wellness screenings.
www.asian-festival.org, 614-457-1311 or 800-214-TREE

Riverfest
May 31, noon to 5 p.m.
Downtown Riverfront, Genoa Park
An afternoon spent celebrating the importance of Ohio’s rivers and waterways includes pontoon boat and canoe rides, rock-climbing, stage shows, roaming performers, recycled arts and crafts, and children’s nature story-telling.
www.riverfestcolumbus.org, 614-233-4168

Columbus Arts Festival
June 6-7, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., and June 8, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Discovery District, near the Columbus Museum of Art and the Columbus College of Art and Design
The 47th annual festival will be held in its new home of the Discovery District. A staple summer event, this favorite city festival draws huge crowds and combines some 250 artists and craftspeople with hands-on art activities, live music, and food from the finest restaurants in Columbus.
www.gcac.org/fest, 614-224-2606

Festival Latino
June 20-21, 5-11 p.m.
Downtown Riverfront, Genoa Park
Experience one big fiesta when Hispanic/Latino culture comes to life with performers from around the globe and the best of Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. Salsa dance, stroll through a marketplace of handmade jewelry and pottery, and kick back to the beats of reggae, mambo and funk.
www.festivallatino.net, 614-645-7995

Gahanna’s Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival
June 20, 5-11 p.m., June 21, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and June 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Creekside Park, along Mill St. & Granville St., Gahanna
Toot your horn at this showcase of central Ohio blues and jazz music, marking its 10th anniversary with outstanding musicians and artisans, family-oriented games and great food.
www.visitgahanna.org, 614-478-0878 or 614-418-9114

Worthington Art Festival
June 21, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and June 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Historic Downtown Worthington, at the intersection of Routes 23 and 161
This juried show features the work of 150 artists in a variety of mediums, including watercolor, clay, oil, metal, glass, fiber and photography. Enjoy decorative artwork, a farmers market, and the shops and eateries of Olde Worthington.
www.owba.net, 614-891-6293

Origins Game Fair
June 25-29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Greater Columbus Convention Center and Hyatt Regency, 350 and 400 N. High St.
The game convention allows you to explore an exhibit hall of all the games and miniatures you could ever imagine, participate in a tournament, or engage in casual play. See game demos, fantasy artwork, role-playing, seminars and an auction.
www.originsgames.com, 614-255-4500

Comfest
June 27, noon-11 p.m., June 28, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and June 29, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Goodale Park, corner of Goodale Blvd. and Park St.
This street party-turned-urban art and music festival promotes peace, unity and social justice with three days of blissful music, food, art and interaction. It is the largest of its kind in the United States.
www.comfest.com  

Powell Festival
June 27, 5-11 p.m., and June 28, noon-11 p.m.
Village Green Park, 47 Hall St., Powell
A summertime soiree ushers in the Fourth of July holiday with heaps of fun in historic downtown Powell, including concerts, delicious food vendors, a patriotic fireworks display, and inflatables and other kids attractions.
www.cityofpowell.us, 614-885-5380

Pride Festival
June 28, parade at 1 p.m., and festival until 7 p.m.
Marconi Blvd., between Broad St. and Gay St.
More than 100,000 people will attend the Midwest’s largest gay pride event and watch the parade, art shows, Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus and a myriad of other entertainers.
www.columbuspride.org, 614-299-7764

German Village Haus and Garten Tour
June 29, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Throughout German Village
The public is invited to walk City Park Avenue and encounter the innovative design and award-winning restorations presented by the German Village Society. As part of this year’s theme, “Park Places: Historic Spaces”, guests can shop for home and garden accessories, take in gardening demonstrations and view the Central Ohio Watercolor Society painting their marvelous masterpieces.
www.germanvillage.org, 614-221-8888

Red, White and Boom!
July 3, festivities 10 a.m.-10 p.m., and fireworks at 10 p.m.
Downtown Riverfront
The largest fireworks spectacle in the Midwest brings an explosion of fun to Columbus each Independence Day. A daylong celebration including an Ohio Air National Guard flyover, parade, local bands, face painting and food vendors closes at dusk with fireworks being set off from a new location at the Veterans Memorial.
www.redwhiteandboom.org, 614-299-9221 or 614-421-BOOM

North Market Food and Ohio Wine Festival
July 11, preview party, 7-10 p.m., July 12, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and July 13, 1-6 p.m.
North Market, 59 Spruce St.
Ohio is home to 96 wineries, producing wine from a variety of grapes grown along the banks of Lake Erie and the Ohio River. North Market hosts 15 of these wineries for a weekend, offering tastings of select vintage wines coupled with food from local chefs. Live music, cooking demonstrations, and a Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair round out the festival.
www.northmarket.com, 614-463-9664

Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest
July 25-26, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and July 27, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Downtown Riverfront
Music in the Air presents a tradition in downtown Columbus, pairing popular jazz artists with rib burners from across the country. The 29th annual festival makes for a hot summer experience and mouth-watering feast.
www.hotribscooljazz.org, 614-645-7995

Ohio State Fair
July 30-Aug. 10
Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave.
The whole family will feel an abundance of excitement at the fairgrounds, with youth agricultural competitions, big-name entertainment, carnival and helicopter rides, a petting zoo, farm animal delivery room, hypnotists, magicians, fair food and much more!
www.ohiostatefair.com, 614-644-3247 or 888-646-3976

Dublin Irish Festival
Aug. 1, 4 p.m.-midnight, Aug. 2, 11 a.m.-midnight, and Aug. 3, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Coffman Park, 5600 Post Rd., Dublin
One of the biggest Irish festivals in the country brings warm hospitality to all who revel in the emerald glory of over 60 musical acts, a step dance troupe, authentic cuisine, cultural pursuits such as Celtic sports, storytelling and folklore, and even a Gaelic mass. This event is the place to go for an unforgettable time, and it’s happening right in Dublin.
www.dublinirishfestival.org, 614-410-4545 or 800-245-8387