The Birthday Fairy Project recognizes the birthdays of gun violence victims, reminding us daily of those we've lost.

Two free festivals anchor this weekend, and they couldn’t be more different. Hot Times fills Parsons Avenue in Olde Towne East with three days of music, art cars, and a Sunday drum circle, while Oktoberfest brings the steins and polka back to the fairgrounds. Other choices this weekend include a downtown food crawl, honey in Lithopolis, a Crew match under the lights, and Juanes at Mershon to close it out. Ohio State is in Austin this week, so Saturday night is a watch-party night. Here’s your weekend. ## This Weekend At A Glance Event| When| Where| Cost ---|---|---|--- Hot Times Festival| Fri from 4pm, Sat from noon, Sun from 11am| 240 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East| Free Columbus Oktoberfest| Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–8pm| Ohio Expo Center| Free admission, $15 parking Lithopolis Honeyfest| Fri & Sat| Lithopolis| Free 934 Fest| Fri & Sat| 934 Gallery, Milo-Grogan| Free Franklinton Fridays| Fri, 6–10pm| Franklinton Arts District| Free Blues and Brews Fest| Fri, 5–8:30pm| Huber Park, Reynoldsburg| Free entry Thomas Rhett| Fri, 7:30pm| Schottenstein Center| Ticketed VIVO Music Festival| Fri 6 & 9pm at Natalie’s, Sun 1pm at the Southern| Natalie’s Grandview; Southern Theatre| Ticketed Cinema Columbus Film Festival| Through Sunday| Gateway Film Center & venues citywide| Ticketed Zoo Lantern Festival| Fri–Sun, 7:30–10:30pm| Columbus Zoo| Ticketed Ohio Open Doors| Through Sept. 20| Historic sites statewide| Mostly free Plain City Corn Carnival| Main day Saturday| Plain City| Free Taste of Downtown| Sat, 10:30am–4:30pm| Check-in at the CAPA Breezeway, 55 E. State St.| $40 Harvest Fair| Sat, noon–4pm| Columbus Commons| Free Ohio Fire Marshal Festival| Sat, 10am–3pm| State Fire Marshal campus, Reynoldsburg| Free For the Love of Hilliard| Sat, 11am–2pm| Downtown Hilliard| Free PBJ & Jazz| Sat, noon| Topiary Park| Free Bexley Yard grand opening| Saturday| Cassingham & Main, Bexley| Free Delaware County Beer, Bourbon & Wine Festival| Sat, 3–8pm| Boardman Arts Park, Delaware| Ticketed, 21+ Monster Energy SMX Playoffs| Sat, FanFest 8am, gates 3pm| Historic Crew Stadium| Ticketed Ohio State watch party| Sat, 6–9pm| Columbus Commons| Free Crew vs. New York Red Bulls| Sat, 7:30pm| ScottsMiracle-Gro Field| Ticketed Juanes| Sun, 8pm| Mershon Auditorium| Ticketed ## Friday, September 11 ### 🎨 Hot Times Takes Over Parsons Avenue Hot Times has been Olde Towne East’s end-of-summer party for decades, and it is still free. Three days of live music run on two stages at 240 Parsons Avenue, with art cars, a kids’ area, food vendors, and an artists’ market filling the blocks around them. Friday’s stage starts at 4pm with local bands into the night, Saturday runs from noon through a poetry slam and evening sets, and Sunday opens with a drum circle at 11am and winds through Polynesian dancers, Zumba, and a closing band around 6pm. **Location:** 240 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East **When:** Fri from 4pm, Sat from noon, Sun from 11am **Cost:** Free **More info:** Hot Times Festival ### 🍻 Oktoberfest At The Fairgrounds Columbus Oktoberfest is back at the Ohio Expo Center with 100,000 square feet of covered space that make the event weatherproof. Admission is free; parking is $15. Schmidt’s runs the show, which means cream puffs, German bands, a marketplace, and a kids’ area. Hours are Friday 5pm to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday noon to 8pm. **Location:** Ohio Expo Center **When:** Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–8pm **Cost:** Free admission, $15 parking **More info:** Columbus Oktoberfest ### 🍯 Honeyfest In Lithopolis The Lithopolis Honeyfest is the Friday and Saturday after Labor Day every year. A honey contest, vendors, a kids’ Bee Train, and no entry fee. Parking is free with free shuttles into the village. **Location:** Downtown Lithopolis **When:** Friday & Saturday **Cost:** Free **More info:** Lithopolis Honeyfest ### 🎶 934 Fest The murals-and-music festival at 934 Gallery on Cleveland Avenue returns for two nights of bands, live painting, and art vendors, free to attend. **Location:** 934 Gallery, 934 Cleveland Ave. **When:** Friday & Saturday **Cost:** Free **More info:** 934 Gallery ### 🖼️ Franklinton Fridays Second Friday of the month means the Franklinton Arts District’s studios and galleries open their doors from 6 to 10pm, free. **Location:** Franklinton Arts District **When:** Friday, 6–10pm **Cost:** Free **More info:** Franklinton Arts District ### 🎸 Blues And Brews In Reynoldsburg Reynoldsburg’s Blues and Brews Fest puts live blues and local beer in Huber Park from 5 to 8:30pm Friday. Entry is free; the brews are not. **Location:** Huber Park, Reynoldsburg **When:** Friday, 5–8:30pm **Cost:** Free entry **More info:** City of Reynoldsburg ### 🎵 Thomas Rhett At The Schott Thomas Rhett brings the Soundtrack to Life Tour to the Schottenstein Center Friday at 7:30pm. **Location:** Schottenstein Center **When:** Friday, 7:30pm **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** Schottenstein Center ### 🎻 VIVO Music Festival Columbus’s chamber music festival is in its 12th season. Friday brings two sets at Natalie’s Grandview: Beer and Beethoven at 6pm, then Different Trains at 9pm with a world premiere by Ohio composer Gregory Rowland Evans. The season closes Sunday at 1pm at the Southern Theatre with Copland’s Appalachian Spring. **Location:** Natalie’s Grandview (Fri); Southern Theatre (Sun) **When:** Fri 6pm & 9pm; Sun 1pm **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** VIVO Music Festival ### 🍿 Cinema Columbus Film Festival Cinema Columbus moved from spring to fall this year. The fifth festival runs through Sunday at Gateway Film Center and venues around the city. **Location:** Gateway Film Center and venues citywide **When:** Through Sunday **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** Cinema Columbus ### 🏮 Lanterns At The Zoo The Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival lights up after the zoo closes, 7:30 to 10:30pm Friday through Sunday, with dinosaur lanterns new this year, a dragon dance, and Korean drum performances. Festival tickets do not include daytime zoo admission. **Location:** Columbus Zoo and Aquarium **When:** Fri–Sun, 7:30–10:30pm **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** Columbus Zoo ### 🏛️ Ohio Open Doors Every other year, Ohio’s historic buildings open up for tours and programs you can’t get the rest of the time. Ohio Open Doors runs September 10 through 20 with roughly 300 host sites statewide, many of them in central Ohio; use the event finder on the Ohio History Connection’s page to pick a weekend stop. **Location:** Historic sites statewide **When:** Through September 20 **Cost:** Most events free **More info:** Ohio History Connection ## Saturday, September 12 ### 🍴 Taste Of Downtown The Downtown Residents Association’s self-guided crawl is back for year two. One $40 ticket gets you a sample, a sip, or an activity at 30-plus downtown restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries between 10:30am and 4:30pm. Pick up your lanyard and map at the CAPA Breezeway on East State Street, then walk or hop on a COTA bus between stops. **Location:** Check-in at the CAPA Breezeway, 55 E. State St. **When:** Saturday, 10:30am–4:30pm **Cost:** $40 **More info:** Downtown Residents Association of Columbus ### 🍂 Harvest Fair At The Commons Columbus Commons hosts a free Harvest Fair from noon to 4pm Saturday, a family afternoon of fall activities on the lawn. **Location:** Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St. **When:** Saturday, noon–4pm **Cost:** Free **More info:** Columbus Commons ### 🚒 Ohio Fire Marshal Festival The State Fire Marshal opens its Reynoldsburg campus Saturday from 10am to 3pm for touch-a-truck, MedFlight landings, and safety activities for kids. Free. **Location:** Ohio State Fire Marshal campus, Reynoldsburg **When:** Saturday, 10am–3pm **Cost:** Free **More info:** Ohio Department of Commerce ### ❤️ For The Love Of Hilliard The successor to Old Hilliardfest fills downtown Hilliard from 11am to 2pm with vendors, music, and family activities. **Location:** Downtown Hilliard **When:** Saturday, 11am–2pm **Cost:** Free **More info:** Destination Hilliard ### 🎷 PBJ & Jazz At Topiary Park Jazz Arts Group’s free family series lands at Topiary Park Saturday at noon with Jerry Powell. Bring a blanket. **Location:** Topiary Park, Downtown **When:** Saturday, noon **Cost:** Free **More info:** Jazz Arts Group ### 🐕 Bexley Yard Grand Opening The owners of The Lion open Bexley Yard Saturday, a dog-friendly outdoor gathering space with drinks at the southwest corner of Cassingham and Main, right behind the bar. The grand opening brings live music and kids’ activities. **Location:** Cassingham Rd. & E. Main St., Bexley **When:** Saturday **Cost:** Free **More info:** The Lion ### 🌽 Plain City Corn Carnival Plain City revived its Corn Carnival for America’s 250th, a one-time comeback, and Saturday is the main festival day in the village. **Location:** Downtown Plain City **When:** Saturday (main day) **Cost:** Free **More info:** Village of Plain City ### 🥃 Beer, Bourbon & Wine In Delaware Delaware County’s Beer, Bourbon & Wine Festival runs 3 to 8pm Saturday at Boardman Arts Park, in its sixth year. 21 and over. **Location:** Boardman Arts Park, Delaware **When:** Saturday, 3–8pm **Cost:** Ticketed, 21+ **More info:** Festival tickets ### 🏁 Supercross Playoffs At Historic Crew Stadium The Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs come to Historic Crew Stadium Saturday. FanFest opens at 8am and the gate drops at 3pm. **Location:** Historic Crew Stadium **When:** Saturday, FanFest 8am, racing from 3pm **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** Historic Crew Stadium ### 🏈 Ohio State At Texas: Watch It At The Commons Ohio State plays at Texas Saturday night, so there’s no game at the Shoe. Columbus Commons hosts a free watch party on the big screen. **Location:** Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St. **When:** Saturday, 6–9pm **Cost:** Free **More info:** Columbus Commons ### ⚽ The Crew Host The Red Bulls The Crew take on New York Red Bulls Saturday at 7:30pm at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. **Location:** ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Astor Park **When:** Saturday, 7:30pm **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** ScottsMiracle-Gro Field ## Sunday, September 13 ### 🎵 Juanes At Mershon Colombian rock star Juanes plays Mershon Auditorium Sunday at 8pm on his North American tour. **Location:** Mershon Auditorium **When:** Sunday, 8pm **Cost:** Ticketed **More info:** Live Nation Sunday is also the last day for Hot Times, Oktoberfest, Cinema Columbus, and the weekend’s lantern nights at the zoo, and VIVO closes its season at the Southern at 1pm. For everything after this weekend, the September guide has you covered. Have fun, Columbus!

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After 100 years of business, the family behind Law and Benson Olde Country Store is closing its doors for good.

Shows in Charlotte, Fort Mill, and Lithopolis.

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