outdoor venues
[think outside columbus]

There’s always a reason to get outside and enjoy the city while the sun still shines

   Move beyond your yard and enjoy the city in the summer without setting foot indoors. Out door restaurant patios are an obvious way to take advantage of a breezy sunny day, and Columbus has a wealth of great patios, but what else is out there for the more creative, the more adventurous or the more cerebral? Mark your calendar; you’ll have something to do every weekend!

• Lifestyles Community Pavilion – Arena District - Nominated for "Best New Major Concert Venue" by Pollstar Magazine in 2001, the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion draws huge acts to this intimate, outdoor space. A Vertere stage, or reversion stage, serves both indoor and outdoor event goers. There is seating in front of the stage, or you can bring a blanket and sit in the grass amphitheater. No matter where you sit, you will have a great view.
• Music in the Air - Downtown - For 34 years, Music in the Air, a program of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, brings together the finest in local, national and international artists in music and dance each summer. These free outdoor concerts can be enjoyed from June to Sept. in the city parks. In June Festival Latino hits downtown. In July, the Jazz & Rib Fest pairs innovative jazz artists with mouth watering ribs to draw in huge crowds each.
• Picnic with the Pops – North of Downtown - Every summer the Columbus Symphony Orchestra puts together a diverse, outdoor concert series featuring guest solo artists, theme concerts and fireworks displays. Great for family picnics or even first dates, concerts start at 8 p.m. If this is too late for younger children, the CSO also offers Popcorn Pops, complete with pre-concert activities geared specifically toward families with young children.
• Red, White & Boom - Downtown - Possibly the biggest event in Columbus, Red, White and Boom! takes place throughout downtown with the main celebration set along the riverfront on the west side of downtown. BOOMCentral opens 10 a.m. with live broadcasts all day long. As the day progresses, other events open including the Kaufmann’s Children’s Park, Taste of Boom in the Arena District and a parade at 6 p.m. The festivities culminate in one of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest.
• Shakespeare in the Park – German Village, Schiller Park - Yes, there are large crowds around, but you can make this evening anything you want it to be. Many of the bard’s fans stop off at one of the delis in German Village to grab a bottle of wine and picnic food to enhance an already romantic night under the stars with William Shakespeare. The Actors’ Theatre Company  will be performing Midsummer Nights' Dream, Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged), Love's Labors Lost and Twelfth Night.
• Short North Gallery Hop – Short North - No matter what time of year it is, the first Saturday of every month, the Short North revs up for another exciting gallery hop. This year the Short North celebrated its 250^th hop. Going strong since 1985, each month brings new faces to the Short North to see vibrant art exhibits, hear music, eat, shop and mingle.

• Comfest Community Festival – Short North, Goodale Park - This year, comfest asks, “Are you ready for three days of peace, love and understanding?” Followed by the reasons why we desperately need these three days in a world at war. This popular annual event holds a very clear philosophy that people should strive to conduct their lives in harmony with the environment, and live and work for the collective good of all people, not just for personal gain. Truly a community festival, Comfest features artists, musicians, crafts people and other booths educating the public about a wide array of worthy causes and programs.
• Doo Dah Parade – Victorian Village, Short North - A great alternative to the typical July 4 celebrations, the Doo Dah Parade calls on you to “Celebrate Liberty and Lunacy.” On July 4 (with a rain date of July 3) the Doo Dah Parade takes anyone who wants to show up and participate, just be there by noon. Who knows, you might be lucky enough to be on the route set down by the organizers as follows: Straggle out Park Street, slope across Buttles, shoot down Dennison, sneak across Collins, scale Neil Avenue, swing East onto 2nd Avenue, and then slide down High Street and stop at the last unlit arch. Read the latest article about the Doo Dah Parade here.
• Pride Holiday – Goodale Park, Downtown - This event, organized and presented by Stonewall Columbus, attracts more and more visitors and participants each year. Starting in Goodale Park at 1 p.m. the parade makes its way through downtown ending at Bicentennial Park, where the Pride Festival will be in full swing. Past performers have included Lisa Lisa from the Cult Jam, Namoli Brennet, Eric Himan, Trina Hamlin and Blues Diva Gaye Adegbalola with Roddy Barnes.
• Pocket Parks – Short North - This plan, created by community leaders in the Short North, illuminates “streetscapes” and promotes public art, green space and historical journeys using the city as a canvas. A simple stroll will become an encounter with urban art and history. Three Pocket Parks located at Millay, Poplar and Greenwood have already been completed.

• Festival Latino - Downtown - Put on your dancing shoes and join 300,000 other people who head downtown to enjoy Salsa, Banda, mariachi and Andean folk music at the largest celebration of Latin American culture in Ohio.
• Greek Festival  - Short North - Wind up summer at the annual Columbus Greek Festival on Labor Day weekend at the beautiful Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Celebrate Greek culture with authentic food and drink, music, dancing and shopping. Don’t miss a chance to take a tour of the historic cathedral, one of the most interesting pieces of architecture located between the Short North and Downtown.
• India Festival - Downtown - Okay, so it’s not outside, but it is part of Columbus’ string of international festivals. Held in Sept. at Veteran’s Memorial Hall in downtown Columbus, this event features an India bazaar, fashion show, exotic dances, the pageantry of the Indian costumes and delicious food.
• The Asian Festival is held each Memorial Day weekend.

   And you don’t need a festival to enjoy the beautiful parks, riverfront, sidewalk cafés or artsy enclaves of Columbus. Even window shopping can consume an entire day. Put the dog on a leash, put a picnic basket together and let the city entertain you.

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