Your guide to Columbus' fall festival season
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Pay no attention to that 89-degree forecast, Columbus.
What's happening: Labor Day has passed, football season has kicked off and pumpkin spice lattes are flowing, which means fall has — at least unofficially — begun.
- Need more proof? The area's first round of fall-themed festivals kicks off this weekend.
Why it matters: What's better than coming together with fellow Central Ohioans to bond over your love of honey, booze, blues, or whatever we happen to be celebrating that particular day?
Reality check: Yes, we know fall technically doesn't start until Sept. 23.
State of play: Starting now through mid-October, there's at least one local celebration happening every weekend.
The list, in chronological order:
🍯 Lithopolis Honeyfest: Sept. 8-9. Downtown. Free!
🇩🇪 Columbus Oktoberfest: Sept. 8-10. Ohio State Fairgrounds. Free!
🖼️ 934 Fest: Sept. 8-9. 934 Gallery, 934 Cleveland Ave. Free!
🎨 FestiFair Arts & Crafts Festival: Sept. 9. Uptown Marysville. Free!
🎸 Hot Licks Blues Festival: Sept. 9. Downtown Granville. Free!
🍂 Scarecrow Festival: Sept. 15-17, Washington Court House. Free!
🎤 Grove City Arts in the Alley Festival: Sept. 15-17, Historic Town Center. Free!
🇷🇸 Columbus Serbian Festival: Sept. 15-16. St. Stephen of Dechani Serbian Orthodox Church, 1840 N. Cassady Ave. $5. Kids under 18 free!
🍺 Creekside Hops & Vines Festival: Sept. 16, Creekside Gahanna. $70-75. Includes 16 sample tickets, dinner and desserts.
🍁 Hilliard Fall Festival: Sept. 17, Hilliard Municipal Park. Free!
🏳️🌈 Columbus Community Pride Festival: Sept. 23, Mayme Moore Park. Free!
☕ Columbus Coffee Festival: Sept. 23-24, Ohio Village. $20-75.
🍖 Liberty Fall Fest: Sept. 23, Liberty Park. Free!
🐶 Fall Festival and Bark in the Park: Sept. 30. Downtown Lancaster. Free!
🥃 Central Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival: Sept. 30. Henmick Farm & Brewery, 4380 Old N. State Road, Delaware. $40, includes eight sample tickets.
🖌️ Market Day: Sept. 30. Old Worthington. Free!
🧀 Mac and Cheese Festival: Oct. 6, Easton. $10-25.
🌮 Columbus Taco Fest: Oct. 7-8, Goodale Park. $5-7.
🇮🇹 Columbus Italian Festival: Oct. 7-9, streets near St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 720 Hamlet St. $10. Kids under 13 free!
🌈 Newark Pride Festival: Oct. 7, Canal Market District. Free!
💀 El Día de los Muertos: Oct. 7, Greenlawn Cemetery, 1000 Greenlawn Ave. Free!
🤠 Oakland Nurseries Fall Festivals: Oct. 7-8. Columbus, Delaware, Dublin and New Albany garden centers. Free!
🍺 Columbus Fall Brew Fest: Oct. 13, Huntington Park. $50-65.
✍️ Scrawl: Oct. 13-15, Franklinton Arts District. Free!
🍎 Apple Butter Day: Oct. 14. Free!
🎃 Circleville Pumpkin Show: Oct. 18-21. Downtown. Free!
📬 Want to add your festival to the list? Email [email protected].