What Should We Do This Weekend? Columbus, Ohio, October 11-13, 2019
Looking for things to do in Columbus, Ohio this Weekend? Here are over 95 family-friendly events happening in Columbus, and Central Ohio this weekend!
October is a fun month for family-friendly activities! In the middle of this post I have a listing of the Fall Festival Weekends that happen around Columbus. You can also get a jump start by checking out my list of Family-Friendly Halloween Events in Columbus!
Family Friendly Events in Columbus, Ohio This Weekend:
FRIDAY:
8:00 AM – Fairfield County Fair – Activities include exhibits, rides, animals, contest, demolition derbies, bull riding, tractor pull and more!
8:00 AM – Haunted Greenhouse at DeMonye’s Greenhouse – enjoy an indoor straw maze, games, bouncy houses, a haunted house, corn bin and much more! Each kid gets a treat bag, pumpkin, juice and popcorn! $8.95 for kids and $2.50 for adults.
8:00 AM – Haunted Maze at Hoover Gardens – the haunted maze is open during the all business hours at Hoover Gardens!
9:00 AM – Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows in Fairfield County – visit over 180 scarecrows from October 1 – October 31 on the Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows!
9:00 AM – 49th Annual Bob Evans Farm Festival at Bob Evans Farms – this festival features family fun, arts and crafts, contests, live music and entertainment and food! $5/person, kids 5 and under are free.
9:45 AM – Drop In Music Class at Coffee Connections of Hilliard – drop in for a music class with WeJoySing, ages 1-23 months, $5/child, $3 for siblings.
10:00 AM – 2019 Big Book Sale at Main Library – buy used books from the Columbus Library with books starting at $1/each. Clearance sale is Sunday from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
10:00 AM – Harvest Blooms at Franklin Park Conservatory – view thousands of pumpkins and other autumnal decorations in the Conservatory’s largest fall display yet!
10:00 AM – Toddler Open Gym at Thompson Recreation Center – drop in for a free Open Gym time at the rec center!
10:15 AM – Miss Marlene at Hoot Studio – enjoy music and instruments with Miss Marlene. $15/child, $10 for siblings. Price includes play time in the play area until noon.
10:30 AM – Drop In Music Class at Coffee Connections of Hilliard – drop in for a music class with WeJoySing, ages 2-4, $5/child, $3 for siblings.
3:30 PM – Open Gaming at Bexley Public Library – kids ages 8-18 can play video games on the big screen, board games, PC games, card games and more! No registration required.
4:00 PM – Sensory Art & Exploration at Hoot Studio – this is a 45 minute class for 2-5 year olds with sensory stations, imaginative play, art and more lead by a play coach. Parents can take a break in the cafe during the class!
5:00 PM – Boo at the Zoo at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – come in costume to meet your favorite characters, visit different, decorated regions of the zoo and collect candy along the way!
5:00 PM – Columbus Italian Festival – this festival celebrates Italian heritage and features a parade (Sunday at 1:00 PM), Italian cultural events, rides, competitions, cooking demonstrations, activities for kids and more! Admission is $5, kids under 12 are free with an adult admission.
6:00 PM – Franklinton Fridays at 400 West Rich – explore the Franklinton Arts District and participating studios!
6:30 PM – For Families: Lantern Stroll at Highbanks Metro Park – take a 1 mile hike while carrying lanterns. Ages 5 and up.
6:30 PM – Family Night Hikes | Owls at Ohio Wildlife Center – take a night hike to search for nocturnal animals, enjoy a campfire and meet some of the animal ambassadors. $7/person. Ages 5 and up.
7:00 PM – Ghosts of Gahanna Walking Tours with Ohio Herb Center – take a walk through Olde Gahanna to learn about the spooky history of the town! $7/person or $20/family.
7:30 PM – Haunted Wagon Rides at Young’s Dairy – this is a family-friendly, but scary, wagon ride with scary stories, monsters and gobblins. $13 for ages 5 and up. 4 and under are $5.
(Continue Scrolling for the rest of the weekend’s events)
Fall Festivals Happening On the Weekends in Columbus and Central Ohio
I will be including this information each weekend through Fall Festival Season. More will be added as they open in October. Please click each link for exact times and details!
- Also check: A Complete List of Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals in Central Ohio for more apple and pumpkin farms!
Pumpkin Picking and Hayrides at Kuhlweins Farm Market & Deli – Fall Fun at Kuhlweins Market and Deli includes a hayride, animal zoo, corn maze and pumpkin picking! Inflatables, pony rides, balloon twisting and face painting on the weekends!
Great Pumpkin Fun Center at Pigeon Roost – Pigeon Roost features a pumpkin patch, farm animals and The Great Pumpkin Fun Center with giant slides, mazes, a fort, play areas, and tons more! Weekends include wagon rides, face painting, crafters and concessions!
Fall Fun Days at Circle S Farms – This farm is one of the few open during the week! Fall Fun Days feature hayrides, pumpkin picking, farm market, petting zoo, corn and sunflower mazes, bale cave and more!
Corn Maze at Lynd Fruit Farm – At Lynd Fruit Farm you can pick your own apples and pumpkins and enjoy the farm market on its own or also head over to the giant corn maze where there is also a barrel train, fun zone, bounce house, wagons rides and more!
The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek – The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek features a huge corn maze plus a cow train, barnyard bouncer, petting zoo, kiddie maze, ball zone, slides, laser tag, pedal carts, kids fun barn, tether ball and more! Hayrides are also available!
Family Fun at Miller’s Country Gardens – Saturdays and Sundays include hayrides to pick your own pumpkins, barrel rides, play area, straw tunnel and animals!
Fall Farm Fun at Leeds Farm – Leeds Farm is open six weekends only through October 28 with hayrides, farm animals, farm pond, pumpkins and gourds! Back 40 Barn Pass admission includes Pumpkin Jumps, John Deere combine slide, mountain slides, and mini zip lines, rolling tubes, straw forts, pig races, pedal carts, the biggest corn box in Ohio, and more! Read: 16 Things to do at Leeds Farm!
Fall Fun Festival at Dill’s Greenhouse – Fall festivals are happening on the weekends, September 28 – October 27. Hayrides, corn maze, fire pit and hotdogs and s’mores for roasting (bring your own or purchase there), straw maze, sand box, pumpkins, games and activities!
Fall Festival at Hidden Creek Farms – Festival weekends offer hayrides, pumpkin picking, pumpkin painting, fall decorations, food, pony rides, slide, kids play barn, corn pit, farm animals, straw maze, and more!
Freeman’s Farm Fall Festival at Freeman’s Farm – The Fall Festival weekends at Freeman’s Farm include hayrides, kettle corn, campfire foods, scarecrow making, a petting zoo and apple butter making! Admission is free, but there is a charge for some activities. Read: 3 Can’t-Miss Pumpkin Patches near Columbus including our visit to Freeman’s Farm!
Fall Festival Weekends at Orchard and Company – Fall Festival weekends include apple picking, fishing, hay rides, corn pit, farm animals, barrel train rides, pedal car track, tire climb, zip line, gem mining and more! Read about our Plain City Apple Picking Adventures!
Fall Festival at the Farm at Wanut Creek – the farm is open Monday through Saturday. Weekend activities include apple butter cooking, candle carving, basket weaving, spinning and weaving and more in addition to these activities going on all week: corn box, pumpkin slingshot, straw castle, kids maze, scavenger hunt and more! Read about our visit to The Farm at Walnut Creek!
Fall Fun at Lehner’s at Lehner’s Pumpkin Farm – fall fun at Lehner’s Pumpkin Farm begins this weekend and includes over 30 rides and attractions including a corn maze, giant LEGOS, a play barn, mini golf, pumpkins and more!
Pumpkin Picking at Sharp Farm – This farm includes a petting zoo, corn maze, and a U-Pick pumpkin patch!
Family Fun at Young’s Jersey Dairy – Young’s Dairy offers pumpkin picking, Cowvin’s Corny Playground, a hayride to pick your own pumpkin, haunted wagon rides, kiddie corral, fast slide, batting cages, mini golf and more!
SATURDAY
8:00 AM – Fairfield County Fair – Activities include exhibits, rides, animals, contest, demolition derbies, bull riding, tractor pull and more!
8:00 AM – Haunted Maze at Hoover Gardens – the haunted maze is open during the all business hours at Hoover Gardens!
8:00 AM – Prairie Harvest Festival 2019 at the Prairie Township Fire Department Station 241 – this festival features a 5K, food trucks, contests, kickball and corn hole tournaments, “Prairie’s Got Talent”, live entertainment, vendor booths and more!
8:00 AM – Kiddie Consignment Sale at Grace Polaris Church – shop for gently used baby and kids clothing, maternity clothes, baby items, toys and more!
9:00 AM – Haunted Greenhouse at DeMonye’s Greenhouse – enjoy an indoor straw maze, games, bouncy houses, a haunted house, corn bin and much more! Each kid gets a treat bag, pumpkin, juice and popcorn! $8.95 for kids and $2.50 for adults.
9:00 AM – Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows in Fairfield County – visit over 180 scarecrows from October 1 – October 31 on the Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows!
9:00 AM – 2019 Fall Festival at Glenwood United Methodist Church – this festival features fun, food and games!
9:00 AM – St. Cecilia Craft Show at St. Cecilia Catholic Church – this fall craft show will feature handmade items, raffles, baked goods and food for sale!
9:00 AM – West Gate Lodge Community Breakfast at West Gate Lodge No.623 F&AM – enjoy a large breakfast benefitting Special Olympics! Adults are $6 and kids are $3.
9:00 AM – Healthy Community Day at The Ohio State University Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute – this event will offer free health screenings and consultations, food and cooking demonstrations, giveaways and raffles, entertainment, family portraits and more.
9:00 AM – 49th Annual Bob Evans Farm Festival at Bob Evans Farms – this festival features family fun, arts and crafts, contests, live music and entertainment and food! $5/person, kids 5 and under are free.
9:00 AM – Yellow Springs Street Fair October 2019 – head to Yellow Springs for over 250 craft and food vendors, live music, street performers, a beer garden and more.
10:00 AM – Open Play Date at KSM Sports and Fitness – this event will feature a costume party! There will be a special superhero guest in attendance! Tickets available online.
10:00 AM – KidsLinked.com’s 2019 Olentangy TreatFest! – this event will feature trick or treating, a run/walk, costume contests, jump sessions with Sky Zone, video games, character appearances, face painting, food trucks and lots more!
10:00 AM – Groveport Apple Butter Day at Heritage Park – this annual event celebrates Groveport’s pioneer heritage with apple butter, homemade crafts, demonstrations, entertainment, vendors, fishing, story telling and more!
10:00 AM – Boo at the Zoo at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – come in costume to meet your favorite characters, visit different, decorated regions of the zoo and collect candy along the way!
10:00 AM – Pumpkin Painting Saturdays & Sundays at Hoover Gardens & Gift Center – for $3 kids can paint a pumpkin masterpiece at the pumpkin painting station!
10:00 AM – 2019 Big Book Sale at Main Library – buy used books from the Columbus Library with books starting at $1/each. Clearance sale is Sunday from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
10:00 AM – Harvest Blooms at Franklin Park Conservatory – view thousands of pumpkins and other autumnal decorations in the Conservatory’s largest fall display yet!
10:00 AM – Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at Easton Town Center – visit the Hello Kity Cafe Truck in the Town Square for treats and merchandise while supplies last.
11:00 AM – Sunny 95 Touch-A-Truck at Easterseals – this is a free event where kids can get up close to construction vehicles, first responder vehicles, military trucks and more! There will also be a treat truck!
11:00 AM – October Grown-Up & Me: // Paper Pumpkin Mosaic at Art with Anna – make a messy art project together! Ages 3 and up with an adult.
12:00 PM – Harvest Moon Festival at Infirmary Mound Park – head out to Granville for a festival including pumpkin painting, games, touch a tractor, horse drawn carriage rides and more!
12:00 PM – Columbus Italian Festival – this festival celebrates Italian heritage and features a parade (Sunday at 1:00 PM), Italian cultural events, rides, competitions, cooking demonstrations, activities for kids and more! Admission is $5, kids under 12 are free with an adult admission.
12:00 PM – KindFest 2019 at Ill Mannered Brewing Company – this festival will help support families who are in need of Thanksgiving meals! There will be activities for families and more!
12:00 PM – Making Apple Cider on the Farm at Sharp Farms – there will be apple cider making demonstrations on the hour, pumpkins, a petting zoo, play area and corn maze!
1:00 PM – Meet an African Penguin at Pickerington Public Library – visit with a penguin from Newport Aquarium! Learn about penguins and their geography, diet and more!
- Related: Two Fun Libraries for Columbus Kids
1:00 PM – Family Fall Fest in Historic Dublin – this event will feature games, vendors, face painting, crafts, character visits and more!
2:00 PM – Walk the Creek at Blendon Woods Metro Park – take a walk through the creek!
2:00 PM – CRC Oktoberfest Fundraiser at Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center – help raise money for CRC with live music, activities for kids, giant Jenga, corn hole, food, beer and more!
2:00 PM – Go Nuts! at Glacier Ridge Metro Park – learn about nuts and seeds on a short hike. Kids can make a buckeye necklace to take home!
2:00 PM – Creature Feature: Reptiles and Amphibians at Highbanks Metro Park – meet the education animals and learn how they are cared for. Ages 3 and up.
3:00 PM – Who Lives Here? at Blacklick Woods Metro Park – take a 1 mile hike to look for animal homes.
5:00 PM – Harvest Festival & Trunk-or-Treat at Sunbury United Methodist Church – this festival includes a trunk or treat, live music, crafts, family pictures, food, bon fire, a pumpkin patch, hayrides and more!
5:30 PM – All Hallows’ Eve at Ohio Village – this annual event features 1890’s style fun, a retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, entertainment, fortune telling, crafts, games and more!
7:30 PM – Haunted Wagon Rides at Young’s Dairy – this is a family-friendly, but scary, wagon ride with scary stories, monsters and gobblins. $13 for ages 5 and up. 4 and under are $5.
SUNDAY
8:00 AM – Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows in Fairfield County – visit over 180 scarecrows from October 1 – October 31 on the Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows!
9:00 AM – 49th Annual Bob Evans Farm Festival at Bob Evans Farms – this festival features family fun, arts and crafts, contests, live music and entertainment and food! $5/person, kids 5 and under are free.
9:00 AM – Kids Yoga & Storytime at Cover to Cover Bookstore – join GoYoga for games, storytelling and physical activities. $10/child, ages 5-8.
10:00 AM – Boo at the Zoo at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – come in costume to meet your favorite characters, visit different, decorated regions of the zoo and collect candy along the way!
10:00 AM – Harvest Blooms at Franklin Park Conservatory – view thousands of pumpkins and other autumnal decorations in the Conservatory’s largest fall display yet!
10:00 AM – Pumpkin Painting Saturdays & Sundays at Hoover Gardens & Gift Center – for $3 kids can paint a pumpkin masterpiece at the pumpkin painting station!
11:00 AM – German Village Makers Market – enjoy an outdoor market with over 60 local artists, growers, bakers and food trucks!
12:00 PM – Giant Pumpkin Carving 2019 at The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek – Gus the Squashcarver will be carving a giant pumpkin at the farm today!
12:00 PM – 2nd Sundays at Ohio Wildlife Center – visit the Ohio Wildlife Center, meet the animal ambassadors and take part in an animal enrichment activity.
12:00 PM – Columbus Italian Festival – this festival celebrates Italian heritage and features a parade (Sunday at 1:00 PM), Italian cultural events, rides, competitions, cooking demonstrations, activities for kids and more! Admission is $5, kids under 12 are free with an adult admission.
12:00 PM – Miller’s Country Gardens Fall Festival at Miller’s Country Gardens – this free festival features hayrides a play area for kids, an animal barn, concessions, barrel rides and more!
1:00 PM – First Moonwalk Day at The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek – celebrate the 50th anniversary of the First Moonwalk with education programs, balloon sculptures, face painting and more!
1:00 PM – 2019 Big Book Sale at Main Library – buy used books from the Columbus Library with books starting at $1/each. Clearance sale is Sunday from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
2:00 PM – Columbus Zoo at Franklin Park Conservatory – meet animal ambassadors from the Columbus Zoo! Included in admission and membership.
2:00 PM – Firemaking at Blendon Woods Metro Park – learn different ways to make a fire!
2:00 PM – Darby Creek Fall Cycle – visit the living stream to learn about the fall leaf cycle.
6:30 PM – Movie Night on Ohio Ave (Halloween Themed) at Ohio Avenue Pocket Park – watch an outdoor movie in the park!
*Please be aware, information is gathered from multiple community sources. Times, dates and locations are subject to change. There may be a fee to participate in a featured activity. Please call ahead or check links to confirm activities. Enjoy what you do today!*
