Top summer events, festivals and shows in central Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- This summer is packed with central Ohio's favorite festivals, including the Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival, the Columbus Arts Festival and Red, White and BOOM!, along with numerous star-studded concerts in the city's biggest venues.

View all the events, festivals and shows in Columbus this summer below.

Buckeye Country Superfest

Ohio Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on May 27

• George Strait is headlining the show at Ohio Stadium with Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Warren Zeiders.

Water Lantern Festival

Franklin Park at 6 p.m. on June 3

• The family-friendly festival includes the opportunity for attendees to build their own floating lantern.

Columbus Chicken and Beer Festival

Dodge Park on June 3

• The fifth Chicken and Beer Festival features local breweries, food trucks, live music, more than 50 artisans and more.

Columbus Summer Wine Festival

McFerson Commons Park from 2 to 7 p.m. on June 10

• Wine enthusiasts can expect to taste some of the very best established and up-and-coming wine brands. 

Paramore

Schottenstein Center at 7 p.m. on June 10

• The group is performing in Columbus with special guest Bloc Party.

Columbus Arts Festival

Downtown riverfront from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on June 9, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on June 10 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 11

• The 61st festival is featuring more than 225 visual artists, three stages of performances and dozens of food vendors. 

Brooks and Dunn | Reboot 2023 Tour

Nationwide Arena at 7 p.m. on June 16

• The Grammy award-winning duo is performing in Columbus as part of its “Reboot 2023” tour with special guest Scotty McCreery. 

Stonewall Columbus Pride

Goodale Park from 4 to 10 p.m. on June 16 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 17

• Stonewall’s annual Pride Festival and March serve as the organization’s largest annual fundraiser that secures the needed funds to support Stonewall’s community programs and annual operations.
• The first Columbus Pride in 1982 was just around 200 people; today the festival welcomes more than 700,000 visitors to central Ohio region.

Picnic with the Pops: Ne-Yo Symphony with Soul

Columbus Commons at 8 p.m. on June 17

• R&B singer and Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo joins the symphony for his “Symphony with Soul” concert featuring all his hits performed with his band and dancers for one night at the Columbus Commons.

Juneteenth Ohio Festival

Genoa Park on June 17-18

• Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to inform the state’s residents that slavery had been abolished – 2 1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

ComFest

Goodale Park on June 23-25

• ComFest, a volunteer-organized festival honoring community and activism, is returning to Goodale Park with arts and crafts, community organizations, local vendors and more.

Drake | It's All A Blue Tour

Schottenstein Center at 7 p.m. on July 1

• Four-time Grammy award winning and multi-platinum selling artist Drake announced 12 new dates and locations across the country for his 2023 “It’s All A Blur” tour.

Red, White and BOOM!

Battelle Riverfront Park, Bicentennial Park and McFerson Commons Park from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 3

• The largest Independence Day celebration in the Midwest, attracting more than 400,000 people annually to downtown Columbus. 

Martina McBride

Columbus Commons at 7 p.m. on July 9

• McBride is performing with special guest Harper Grace. Food trucks and bars will open.

NF | Hope Tour

Schottenstein Center at 7 p.m. on July 12

• The Michigan rapper is kicking off his global tour in Columbus featuring special guest rapper Cordae.

Big Time Rush

Schottenstein Center at 7 p.m. on July 15

• The pop boy band is performing in Columbus with specials guests Jax and Max.

Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest

Scioto Mile from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 21 and 22, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 23

• The Summertime tradition offers rib connoisseurs a chance to sample ribs, brisket, pulled pork and more at 20 barbeque vendors, including After Hours BBQ, Chicago Barbeque Company, Fat Boy Q, Texas Outlaw BBQ. An additional 17 food truck vendors will also offer a variety of menu choices.

Ohio State Fair

Ohio Expo Center and State Fair from July 26 to Aug. 6.

• The fair is returning in late July with more than a dozen acts performing, including KDZ BOP, Clint Black, Yung Gravy, Ludacris and Styx.

Columbus Food and Wine Festival

Downtown Columbus on July 28-29

• Visit the 5th annual Columbus Food and Wine Festival to get a taste of local restaurants and bars. 

Dublin Irish Festival

Coffman Park on Aug. 4-6

• Since 1988, the first weekend in August has been reserved for what the festival calls the “world’s largest three-day Irish celebration.” The festival will feature a number of concerts, Irish dance, shopping and more.

Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks | Two Icons, One Night

Ohio Stadium at 7 p.m. on Aug. 5

• The pair are performing at Ohio Stadium, marking the “Two Icons, One Night” tour’s only appearance in Ohio. This is the first time the two have toured together.

Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard | The World Tour

Ohio Stadium at 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 8

• Ohio Stadium will host a hair-banging concert when Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard and special guest Alice Cooper perform in Columbus.

Morgan Wallen | One Night At A Time World Tour

Ohio Stadium at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 12

• Wallen is playing Ohio Stadium including special guests Hardy, Parker McCollum, Ernest and Bailey Zimmerman.

The Chicks

Nationwide Arena at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 16

• The trio is performing in Columbus with special guest Ben Harper.

Columbus Food Truck Festival

Franklin County Fairgrounds on Aug. 19-20

• The 12th annual festival is featuring musical act The Liner Notes and The Winnie Cooper Project.

Boyz II Men

Columbus Commons at 8 p.m. Aug. 25

• Boyz II Men is performing for free with special guests the Harmonic Soul Band. 

Barry Manilow

Nationwide Arena at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25

• Multi-platinum singer Barry Manilow is performing in Columbus.

Breakaway Music Festival

Historic Crew Stadium on Aug. 25-26

• This year's festival includes Flume, Zedd, Porter Robinson, Chris Lake and more.

WonderBus Music and Arts Festival

The Lawn at CAS on Aug. 25-27

• This year, Grammy, ALMA, BMI and Billboard Music Award-winning Pitbull will kick off the festivities. Demi Lovato and local sensation CAAMP will highlight Saturday and Sunday’s set lists, which will total 30 acts through the weekend.

Columbus Fiery Foods Festival

Genoa Park on Aug. 26-27

• Attendees can hop from vendor to vendor, sampling everything from barbecue and salsa to hot sauce and sweet treats. The festival will also be home to a market with crafters and artisans along with live entertainment and food trucks. 

Odesza | The Last Goodbye 2023 Tour

Schottenstein Center at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 30

• The Grammy-nominated music groups is performing in Columbus as part of its 19-stop “The Last Goodbye 2023 Tour.” The tour marks the second leg of “The Last Goodbye Tour,” which kicked off in 2022.

Columbus Greek Festival

 Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Sept. 1-4

• Festival-goers will get an authentic taste of Greece, with hand-made food and pastries, live dance and music, cathedral tours and more. 

Columbus Oktoberfest

Ohio Expo Center from Sept. 8-10

• Dozens of vendors line the expo center with German favorites like brats, cream puffs and, of course, beer. Throughout the weekend, attendees can watch people compete in a variety of games like the stone throw and keg hold.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Nationwide Arena at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 21

• Springsteen is performing in Columbus at Nationwide Arena after the original concert date in March was postponed.

Columbus Community Pride

Mayme Moore Park on Sept. 23

• The festival us led by Black, indigenous, queer and trans members of the community, and offers an alternative to mainstream Pride celebrations.

Columbus Coffee Festival

Ohio Village on Sept. 23-24

• The festival provides a way to connect local coffee roasters with coffee fans from all over central Ohio and beyond. 

Public pools opening

• Public pools are opening throughout the next few weeks in central Ohio.

Summer farmers markets

• Central Ohio is home to numerous farmers markets throughout the summer, offering locally grown produce, art, clothing and more.

For more events, view NBC4’s community calendar.