Looking for things to do in Columbus, Ohio this Weekend? Here are over 40 family-friendly events happening in Columbus, and Central Ohio this weekend AND Veterans Day!
As we head into November and the upcoming holidays, take a look at our 10 of Our Favorite Columbus Christmas Traditions to start marking your calendar for holiday fun!
Family Friendly Events in Columbus, Ohio This Weekend and Veterans Day:
FRIDAY:
10:00 AM – Toddler Open Gym at Thompson Recreation Center – drop in for a free Open Gym time at the rec center!
12:00 PM – Central Ohio Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Columbus – this parade will feature school bands, local military units, military vehicles, community groups, floats, Santa and more! The Marines will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.
6:00 PM – Youth Paint Night at Creative Clinic Center – all ages can paint a 12×12 canvas! $20/painter. Tickets are available online!
6:00 PM – Franklinton Fridays at 400 West Rich – visit artist studios and local vendors as they stay open late on the 2nd Friday of each month!
6:30 PM – Dinosaurs After Hou-ROARS at Delaware County District Library – COSI will be on site presenting a program where kids can dig for dinosaur bones, create fossils and take a picture with a dinosaur!
- Related: Two Fun Libraries for Columbus Kids
7:00 PM – Christmas Extravaganza! A Pop Up Shop in Pickerington at THE GROVE – shop this large consignment sale combined with craft and boutique vendors! Santa will make an appearance on Saturday! Check the link for times and admission fees.
7:00 PM – Disney’s Frozen JR. at Columbus Children’s Theatre – this is a regional premier of Disney’s Frozen Jr featuring the songs your kids love plus new songs! This is a 1 act musical that lasts 1 hour with no intermission. Appropriate for all ages.
A BIG thank you to WonderLight’s Christmas in Ohio for sponsoring this post!
Santa’s not the only one coming to town!! “WonderLight’s Christmas in Ohio”, a drive-through Christmas light show, will be coming to National Trail Raceway in Hebron this holiday season!
This family-friendly event will feature a 2-mile car ride through more than a million LED lights, all synchronized to music! Giant Christmas trees, floating snowflakes, shooting stars, dancing candy canes, and (a favorite of children of all ages) three enchanting tunnels of light will illuminate the night! Guests will be able to watch the lights dance around them to traditional and newer, rocking Christmas music from the warmth of their own vehicle.
This dazzling Christmas display will be offered rain or shine every evening, including holidays, from November 15 to January 5! The cost of admission is affordable at $7 per person and children 3 years old and under are FREE! You can also purchase a “Carload Pass” for vehicles with up to seven passengers for just $30!
Learn more at www.christmasinohio.com!
SATURDAY:
9:00 AM – It’s a Wonderful Window Contest in Old Worthington – visit the retailers of Old Worthington to view the holiday-themed store windows that will be on display through the new year!
9:00 AM – Jigsaw Puzzle Exchange at Old Worthington Library – bring up to 5 jigsaw puzzles (for any age) to exchange for a new (to you) puzzle!
9:00 AM – Inclusion Saturdays! at Get Air Pickerington – private hours are available on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month for children with special needs to play!
9:00 AM – Christmas Extravaganza! A Pop Up Shop in Pickerington at THE GROVE – shop this large consignment sale combined with craft and boutique vendors! Santa will make an appearance on Saturday! Check the link for times and admission fees.
9:00 AM – Grove City High School Band Fall Bazaar at Grove City High School – this large vendor event will feature over 175 vendors! Lunch and dinner are available each day. Adults are $3 to enter, Kids are $2.
10:00 AM – Veterans Day at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus – LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus is offering free admission to all veterans and active duty personnel this weekend and Monday! Friends and family of military personnel can receive reduced admission at $10 per guest. Tickets must be purchased at the door with a valid military ID.
10:00 AM – Cheshire Holiday Market at Cheshire Elementary School – this holiday market will feature over 50 handcrafted vendors, a choir performance, food trucks, and a Scholastic Book Fair! Admission is a free-will donation to the Cheshire Elementary School PTO.
10:00 AM – Princess Party With Elsa at peapod play cafe – enjoy a Princess Party with Elsa that includes art, playtime, lunch and more! Tickets available online.
10:00 AM – Bringing Baby Home: Setting You and Your Family Up for Success at Smoky Row Children’s Center – this is a free 1-hour presentation highlighting an upcoming workshop: Bringing Baby Home: Setting You and Your Family Up for Success. Ideal for individuals who are pregnant or have children 0-5 years old.
10:00 AM – Preschool Storytime! at Grange Insurance Audubon Center – enjoy a nature themed story time at the Nature Center!
10:00 AM – Disney’s Frozen JR. at Columbus Children’s Theatre – this is a regional premier of Disney’s Frozen Jr featuring the songs your kids love plus new songs! This is a 1 act musical that lasts 1 hour with no intermission. Appropriate for all ages.
10:00 AM – Cheap Skate – $0.99 Cents Admission at Skate Zone 71 – admission to Skate Zone 71 is $.99 on Saturday from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. They will feature Radio Disney and Top 40. Skate Rental not included. Fisher Price Skates are available.
10:45 AM – Kid-Fun-Club at Worthington Farmers Market – drop your child off at Paulettes Palace and Production during the Worthington Indoor Farmer’s Market for an hour of singing, dancing, crafts, story time and more! There will be visits from your favorite characters. You must register in advance.
11:00 AM – Wild Saturday at Green Haven Living – join Ohio Wildlife Center in the shop with some of their resident animals! A portion of the sales will be donated to Ohio Wildlife Center.
11:00 AM – Annie KIDS with CATCO is Kids – watch a kid-friendly production of Annie based on the comic strip and musical at Shedd Theatre.
11:00 AM – November Grown-Up & Me // Cornucopia at Art with Anna – kids ages 3 and up can create messy art with an adult. $15/couple, $5 for additional artists. This week’s theme is Cornucopia.
11:30 AM – Free MEALS for KIDS! at Hilltop YMCA – free meals will be available for kids until 12:30 PM.
1:00 PM – Read with the Horses at Stockhands Horses For Healing – this is a free event that will feature reading with horses!
1:00 PM – Disney’s Frozen JR. at Columbus Children’s Theatre – this is a regional premier of Disney’s Frozen Jr featuring the songs your kids love plus new songs! This is a 1 act musical that lasts 1 hour with no intermission. Appropriate for all ages.
1:00 PM – Firewood Warms You Twice at Slate Run Metro Park and Living Historical Farm – learn about varieties of wood and try out a two-man saw or a shingle splitter on the farm.
2:00 PM – Native American Soup at Blendon Woods Metro Park – learn about ingredients that Native Americans used info preparation and try some hot soup.
2:00 PM – Nature School: Trees at Blacklick Woods Metro Park – learn how to identify common trees from Ohio.
2:30 PM – Annie KIDS with CATCO is Kids – watch a kid-friendly production of Annie based on the comic strip and musical at Shedd Theatre.
4:00 PM – Disney’s Frozen JR. at Columbus Children’s Theatre – this is a regional premier of Disney’s Frozen Jr featuring the songs your kids love plus new songs! This is a 1 act musical that lasts 1 hour with no intermission. Appropriate for all ages.
SUNDAY
9:00 AM – Toddler Time! at Get Air Pickerington – kids under 46 inches are welcome to jump during these special hours (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM).
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 – Veterans Day at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus – LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus is offering free admission to all veterans and active duty personnel this weekend and Monday! Friends and family of military personnel can receive reduced admission at $10 per guest. Tickets must be purchased at the door with a valid military ID.
10:00 AM – Grove City High School Band Fall Bazaar at Grove City High School – this large vendor event will feature over 175 vendors! Lunch and dinner are available each day. Adults are $3 to enter, Kids are $2.
11:00 AM – Eleventh Candle Co. World Record Event at Polaris, Ohio – Eleventh Candle Company will be pouring candles to break the world record for most candles hand-poured in a 24 hour period! You can be a part of this record breaking day at the Polaris location or select a virtual ticket and have your candled delivered! Use the code “whatshouldwedotoday” to get $5 off your ticket!
12:00 PM – 2nd Sundays at Ohio Wildlife Center – – Ohio Wildlife Center is only open to the public on a few select days each month. You can visit the center and the animal ambassadors and take part in an animal enrichment activity at 1:00 PM. $5/person, kids 5 and under are free.
1:00 PM – Annie KIDS with CATCO is Kids – watch a kid-friendly production of Annie based on the comic strip and musical at Shedd Theatre.
2:00 PM – Woodpecker Wonders at Blendon Woods Metro Park – take a 1.5 mile hike to look for woodpeckers!
- Related: Exploring Blendon Woods Metro Park
2:00 PM – Columbus Zoo at the Franklin Park Conservatory – animal ambassadors from the Columbus Zoo will visit the Conservatory this Sunday! Free with admission or membership.
2:30 PM – Annie KIDS with CATCO is Kids – watch a kid-friendly production of Annie based on the comic strip and musical at Shedd Theatre.
2:30 PM – Disney’s Frozen JR. at Columbus Children’s Theatre – this is a regional premier of Disney’s Frozen Jr featuring the songs your kids love plus new songs! This is a 1 act musical that lasts 1 hour with no intermission. Appropriate for all ages.
MONDAY, VETERAN’S DAY:
Free Admission for Military Personnel at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – military personnel, past and present, and their immediate family members can receive free admission to the Zoo today. Present your military ID or other proof of service. Everyone who comes to the zoo on Monday will receive one free ticket to come back for Wildlights between November 15th and January 5th!
10:00 AM – Veterans Day at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus – LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus is offering free admission to all veterans and active duty personnel this weekend and Monday! Friends and family of military personnel can receive reduced admission at $10 per guest. Tickets must be purchased at the door with a valid military ID.
Veterans Day BOGO at Piada Italian Street Food – – all Piada locations are offering a BOGO free entree on November 11th to veterans and active duty service members.
*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!*