Over 35 family-friendly events happening in Columbus, Ohio this weekend!
FRIDAY
10:00 AM – Forest Fridays at Sunbury Urban Farm – join a nature counselor for this weekly forest playtime. Enjoy a nature activity and a play time in the woods. Recommended for ages 2-5.
10:00 AM – Summer Book Sale at Upper Arlington Public Library – shop thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and more for $.25 to $2 each! The sale goes on through August 26th!
10:00 AM – The K12 Public School at Home Tour at COSI – this interactive mobile exhibit will offer an up-close look at education options available to students nationwide. There will be hands on activities, robots, augmented reality and more!
10:30 AM – Read it, Make it, Eat it-Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see? at PARTY Like It’s Your Birthday – enjoy a story, crafts and snack based on the Brown Bear theme! $15/child.
10:30 AM – KidX Summer Series at Polaris Fashion Place – enjoy free activities outside by the fountains at Polaris! This week they are doing a Touch A Truck preview! There will be a preview of some of the trucks that will be at the Touch a Truck event on Saturday! The dates are wrong in their Facebook event, but I have confirmed that the preview is 8/17 and Touch a Truck is 8/18.
11:00 AM – From Book to Film at Gateway Film Center – watch a movie based on a book for free with your library card! This week’s movie is Wizard of Oz and there are showings at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM every day! See this and more in: 35 Free Things to do with Your Kids this Summer in Columbus!
11:00 AM – The Columbus Food Truck Festival at The Scioto Mile – the Food Truck Festival happens on Friday and Saturday from 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM and is free for all! The festival includes live music, craft vendors and over 60 food trucks! Plus don’t miss the Columbus Duck Race benefitting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
12:00 PM – Columbus Zoo Animals at Experience Columbus – come visit with animals from the Columbus Zoo at the Experience Columbus location in the Arena District. This is a free event.
5:00 PM – Learn More at Open House! at The Simplr STEAM Playground – check out the Open House at the SIMPLR STEAM playground from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM to learn about their Makerspace for kids! You can also drop your child off for one free hour. (Grades K-8).
6:00 PM – MusicBASH: The Richard Lynch Band at Slate Run Metro Park and Living Historical Farm – enjoy a night of country music at Slate Run Metro Park!
6:00 PM – Board Game Night! at Third Way Cafe – for a $3 cover charge you can play board games until 9:00 PM. Coffee is available and you can BYOB and food.
6:00 PM – Our Lady of Perpetual Help Community Festival at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grove City – this festival happens Friday and Saturday from 6:00 PM – midnight and includes rides, games, a silent auction, live entertainment, food and more! There is also a kids tent with games and activities!
7:00 PM – Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr. at Lincoln Theatre – CATCO is Kids takes your favorite movie to the stage! Check the link for several performance times throughout the weekend!
8:00 PM – Movie Series – Lego Batman at Sharon Woods Metro Park – watch The LEGO Batman Movie at dark! Bring your own seating!
8:30 PM – Movies in the Park – Star Wars the Last Jedi at Westgate Park – watch the movie Star Wars the Last Jedi at the park. Refreshments will be available for purchase! Bring your own blanket or chair!
Thank you to Branstool Orchards for sponsoring this post.
Read about our visit to Branstool Orchards here!
Pick your own peaches at Branstool Orchards from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday! Dogs on leashes are welcome and there are picnic tables in the orchard for families that want to bring a picnic! Peaches should be available until the third week of September featuring nine varieties! We also have 32 varieties of apples left in the 2018 season!
Our farm market is stocked with fresh and local produce as well as many gourmet food items. If you don’t want to pick your own apples and peaches, we have plenty in the market to choose from as well! New this year we have organic milk and yogurt as well as local pasture raised eggs and single serve velvet ice cream!
Check our website for info on CSA subscriptions, farmers markets we attend and approximate ripening dates!
SATURDAY
8:00 AM – Hefty Hike at Blendon Woods Metropolitan Park – this 6 mile hike is recommended for ages 10 and older! Pack your own lunch!
8:00 AM – Harlem Township Days – celebrate Harlem Township with vendors, rides, live entertainment, fireworks and more! This festival happens Saturday and Sunday! On Saturday there will be free activities for kids including a bounce house, velcro wall, llamas and more from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM! On Sunday there will be a pancake breakfast, non denominational services and a kid’s tractor pull!
8:00 AM – KidsLinked.com’s 6th Annual Powell KidsFest at Adventure Park – enjoy a family friendly festival including a Free Fun Zone with a video game truck, contests, balloon artists, scavenger hunt and more!
9:00 AM – Lynd PEACH FEST ’18 at Lynd Fruit Farm – enjoy free wagon rides, kids crafts, games and more! There will be live music, food trucks, peach pie and more!
9:00 AM – Waffle Bar! at Coffee Connections of Hilliard, LLC – for $5 you can get a waffle with unlimited toppings plus juice and drip coffee! Coffee Connections has a fun play area for kids, see more here!
10:00 AM – All Aboard for Railroad Fun at Sandel Legacy Trail – check out the model trains at the Sandel Legacy Trail House and meet local model railroaders! This open house also takes place Sunday at 12:00 PM.
10:00 AM – Touch a Truck in New Albany – kids can get up close to fire engines, snow plows, street sweepers and more plus meet firefighters, police officers and public service department personnel!
10:00 AM – WAG! Fest 2018 – this is a free, family-friendly festival focused on dogs! There is a doggie beach, activities, vendors, educational advice, product samples and more!
10:00 AM – Touch-A-Truck at Polaris Fashion Place – get up close to fire trucks, dump trucks, classic trucks and more! Mr. Sunny from Sunny 95 will be there with cold treats!
10:00 AM – Fairy Garden Building at Scioto Grove Metro Park – kids can build a fairy garden with things they find in the woods. Bring your own container.
11:00 AM – Columbus Duck Race at Genoa Park – enjoy children’s activities, entertainment and watch thousands of ducks race to the finish line along the Scioto mile! A purchase of a racer duck benefits The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital plus you may win prizes including up to $5000! Family activities begin at 11:00 AM, Duck Drop happens at approximately 6:00 PM.
12:00 PM – Weinland Park Festival at Weinland Park Elementary School – this neighborhood festival includes free food, a bounce house, hamster balls, face painting, games, raffles and more!
1:00 PM – Open Barn Days 2018 at Sunrise Sanctuary – open barn days offer the opportunity to visit the animals at Sunrise Sanctuary which have been previously abused or neglected. Tickets can be purchased online and space is limited.
6:00 PM – RULE (3)’s 9th Birthday Party at Rule 3 – celebrate Rule 3’s 9th birthday with live music, bounce houses, corn hole, photo booth, characters, prizes games and more!
6:30 PM – Music Under the Paper Moon at Gallant Farm Park – visit the farm, get your photo taken under a paper moon, enjoy refreshments, games and live music!
SUNDAY
10:00 AM – Pick Your Own Peaches at Branstool Orchards – this weekend, peach options include the ever popular contender Peaches, and you can pick your own apples, including Tsugaru and Zestar! apples. On Sunday, J-POPS gourmet Popsicles will be set up from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
11:00 AM – 5 Years of BIBIBOP – celebrate 5 years of BIBIBOP at the original location in Grandview between and 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM for $5 bowls and Plinko!
11:00 AM – Family Funday August Edition at The Draft Room – enjoy free crafts for kids and beer specials for the grown ups! Plus Broke Johnny Food Trck will be on site for brunch!
1:00 PM – The Muddy Miler at Gahanna Pool – this free adventure includes a muddy obstacle course where you WILL get dirty! This is free for the whole family and no preregistration is required! Arrive between 12:30 and 3:00 PM to be released in heats. First come first served.
1:30 PM – Cheap Skates at Chiller Ice Rinks – Sundays from 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM admission is $5 for all and kids 4 and under are free! Skate rental is $3 for those over 4. All locations.
6:00 PM – Free Movie Night: Toy Story at Columbus Commons – enjoy free bounce houses, slides, face painting, carousel rides and more at Columbus Commons then watch Toy Story at 7:00 PM!
8:00 PM – Sunset Bison Walk at Battelle Darby Nature Center – take a one mile walk to see the bison at sunset!
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*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!*
ICYMI: Free Splash Pads and Fountains in Columbus, Ohio