September 2026 Festivals in Columbus & Central Ohio: Full Guide

Don’t put the lawn chairs away yet. September in Central Ohio is basically a second summer, just with better beer, more pie, and a whole lot of festivals. From Labor Day weekend and Oktoberfests to Honeyfest, fall festivals, and a literal Mac and Cheese Festival, there’s something happening pretty much every weekend this month.

Whether you’re ready to fully embrace fall or still hanging onto summer, here’s your week-by-week guide to September festivals and events around Columbus and Central Ohio.

Quick note: Event dates, times, locations, and details can change, so always double-check the event’s official website or social media before heading out. I do my best to keep this list accurate and updated, but things happen!

My Picks: I’m Not Missing These!

With 40+ festivals on the calendar, here are a handful worth building your weekend around:

• Columbus Greek Festival (9/4-9/7): a Columbus tradition, with Greek food, dancing, and church tours in the heart of the city.
• Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival (multiple dates throughout September): glowing lantern displays light up the zoo grounds all month long; runs several different weekends, so there are plenty of chances to catch it.
• Lithopolis Honeyfest (9/11-9/12): a small-town favorite celebrating all things honey and bees, with local vendors and family activities.
• Schmidt’s Columbus Oktoberfest (9/11-9/13): free admission at the Ohio Expo Center — 100,000 sq ft of covered space, so it’s weatherproof too. Worth noting it’s a separate event from the German Village/Germania Oktoberfests the following weekend.
• Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival (9/25): exactly what it sounds like, and yes, it benefits a good cause (The James cancer research).

Labor Day Weekend (9/2 – 9/7)

Kick things off with a bang: this is one of the busiest festival weekends of the year.

• 9/2–9/5 – Sweet Corn Festival – Millersport
• 9/3–9/6 – Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival – Powell
• 9/4 – 9/7 – Obetz Zucchinifest — Fortress Obetz
• 9/4–9/6 – St. Michael Festival – Worthington
• 9/4–9/7 – Columbus Greek Festival – Columbus
• 9/5 – Columbus GospelFest – Columbus
• 9/5–9/6 – Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival – Westerville
• 9/5–9/7 – Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival – Canal Winchester
• 9/5–9/7 – West Jefferson Ox Roast Festival – West Jefferson
• 9/6 – Bexley Summerfest – Bexley
• 9/7 – Labor Day Lions Club Fish Fry and Parade – Pickerington
• 9/7 – Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival – Upper Arlington

Week of 9/8

Honey, beer, and everything in between.

• 9/10–9/13 – Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival – Powell
• 9/11-9/13 – Columbus Oktoberfest – Ohio Expo Center / Ohio State Fair Grounds
• 9/11–9/12 – 934 Fest – Columbus
• 9/11–9/12 – Fall at the Round Barn – Lancaster
• 9/11–9/12 – Lithopolis Honeyfest – Lithopolis
• 9/11–9/13 – Hot Times Festival – Columbus
• 9/11–9/13 – Macedonian Ethnic Festival – Reynoldsburg
• 9/12 – Harvest Fair – Columbus Commons
• 9/12 – Delaware County Beer, Bourbon and Wine Festival – Delaware
• 9/12 – Japan FestOH! – Dublin
• 9/12 – Hebron Pie Festival – Hebron
• 9/12 – For the Love of Hilliard – Hilliard
• 9/12 – Plain City Corn Carnival – Plain City

Week of 9/15: Oktoberfest Season Is in Full Swing

Oktoberfest season is officially in full swing, with German celebrations, cultural festivals, live music, and fall favorites happening all across Central Ohio this weekend.

• 9/17–9/20 – Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival – Powell
• 9/18 – Saint Mary School German Village Oktoberfest – Columbus (German Village, 700 S. Third Street), starts 5 PM
• 9/18–9/19 – Columbus Serbian Festival – Columbus
• 9/18–9/19 – Pickerington Oktoberfest – Pickerington
• 9/18–9/20 – Germania Oktoberfest – Columbus
• 9/18–9/20 – Olde Towne East Jazz Festival – Columbus
• 9/18–9/20 – Arts in the Alley – Grove City
• 9/18–9/20 – Hartford Apple Festival – Hartford Township
• 9/19 – Smoke and Fire Festival – Bexley
• 9/19 – Northland Unity Festival – Columbus
• 9/19 – 9/26 – Delaware County Fair – Delaware

Pro tip: Saint Mary School’s German Village Oktoberfest and Germania Oktoberfest are both happening the same weekend — a pretty solid excuse to make it a two-stop Oktoberfest night.

Week of 9/22: Closing Out the Month

• 9/22 – Grandview Fall Festival – Columbus
• 9/24–9/27 – Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival – Powell
• 9/25 – Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival – Columbus
• 9/26 – Festival for Good (at the Grandview Hop) – Columbus
• 9/26 – Moon Festival and Kung-Fu Tai-Chi Day – Dublin
• 9/26–9/27 – Frontier Spirit 1799 – Lancaster
• 9/27 – Orange Township Founders Festival – Lewis Center

The Bottom Line

September might technically mean summer is winding down, but Central Ohio clearly didn’t get the memo. Between Oktoberfests, fall festivals, apple everything, live music, local food, and lantern-lit nights at the zoo, there’s a lot packed into the next few weekends.

So save this list, send it to the friend who’s always asking “what are we doing this weekend?” and start making some plans.

And as always, if there’s a festival or event we missed, drop it in the comments so we can add it to the list!