Downtown Columbus

BAM Thursdays
2025-08-14 17:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E Broad St, Columbus, OH, United States
Kick off your weekend early with BAM Thursdays (Bar, Art, and Music) at the Columbus Museum of Art.
Every Thursday, May 29 through September 25, enjoy live music, great art, delicious bites, creative experiences, and fresh libations in the Patricia M. Jurgensen Sculpture Garden.
Whether you’re winding down after work, meeting up with friends, or planning a spontaneous night out, BAM is your go-to summer evening. Explore the galleries after hours with free general admission from 5:00–10:00 PM, and extended museum hours until 10:00 PM every Thursday. Limited indoor seating is available at Schokko Café.
See the full schedule of artists and DJs

Local & Live Good Market Series
2025-08-14 18:00 | Columbus Commons, 160 S High St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Join The Good Market at the Columbus Commons during the Local & Live concert series. The market will take place alongside incredible music, food trucks, and awesome vibes.

Zoo Trippin', Paul Valdiviez & The Devious Boys, and The High Definitions
2025-08-14 18:00 | Columbus Commons, 160 S High St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Enjoy a night of unforgettable music with Zoo Trippin’, Paul Valdiviez & The Devious Boys, and The High Definitions.

Artist Walkthrough — Fragmented-Recaptured
2025-08-14 18:00 - 20:00 | OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W Town St, Columbus, OH, United States
Join curator Sahar Tarighi for a walkthrough of her current group exhibition.
Fragmented–Recaptured brings together seven Kurdish artists in North America whose practices emerge from the enduring impacts of displacement, state violence, and systemic fragmentation. These artists engage with the lasting traces of collective trauma shaped by socio-political borders that have historically divided Kurdistan, alongside the ongoing marginalization and systemic assimilation of the Kurds across Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
The exhibition presents a diasporic dialogue that explores the deep scars etched into Kurdish existence—whether carried in the body, inscribed upon the land, or woven into language, memory, and cultural forms. Some artists explore the body as a site where displacement, violence, and resistance are physically and emotionally registered. Others reflect on the land as a repository of memory or confront the erasure of cultural symbols and histories as further consequences of systemic oppression.
Together, their practices open space to consider how the trauma of fragmentation has shaped Kurdish lives across generations, geographies, and mediums. These works address the reverberations of genocide, inherited pain, forced migration, and cultural silencing, holding space for layered experiences, survival, and the ongoing pursuit of healing.
Fragmented–Recaptured traces the layers of loss, survival, and resilience, inviting viewers to reflect on how shared struggles and enduring longings can cultivate new forms of solidarity. Through art, the exhibition honors Kurdish complexity—where wounds, histories, bodies, lands, and futures remain inseparably intertwined.
Participating Artists: Xeçe Khadija Baker, Pedram Baldari, Nuveen Barwari, Huner Emin, Yoosef Mohamadi, Sener Ozmen, Sahar Tarighi

Adult Writers’ Studio Memoir Intensive (August 2025)
2025-08-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-08-16 09:30 - 11:30 | Thurber House, 77 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Adult Writers’ Studio is a welcoming and creative community of writers 18+ who gather to share and discuss their writing, participate in generative exercises, provide/receive feedback about each other’s work, engage in topical discussions, and support each other through peer motivation and kind, constructive criticism.
Led by writer and facilitator Marty Ross-Dolen, the AWS Memoir Intensive is designed for serious memoir, personal essay, and other creative nonfiction writers. Peer feedback groups will be intentionally curated based on writing level so participants can exchange feedback and receive support that best aligns with their needs.

Register here

COSI After Dark: The Science of Ice Cream
2025-08-14 19:00 - 22:00 | COSI, 333 W Broad St, Columbus, OH, United States
Getcha Ice Cream!! Getcha sweet cold ice cream!! Come to COSI After Dark: The Science of Ice Cream and enjoy ice creams from all different companies located in Columbus! What’s better than Ice Cream? Not a fan of ice cream on a hot summer day? That’s ok too! There will be lots of other fun activities like racing in a giant hamster ball and petting some cute goats at the petting zoo in our Big Science Park. This will be the most fun you’ve had in years! Grab your friends and grab a scoop (and a sip) at COSI After Dark.

Get tickets

CBUS Soul Fest
2025-08-15 16:00 - 22:00, 2025-08-16 16:00 - 22:00 | Bicentennial Park, 233 S Civic Center Dr, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
CBUS Soul Fest is taking place in Downtown Columbus and features live music from a great lineup of musicians and some fantastic local food and beverages. Admission is free, and the festival is open to all.

Golden Hour Paddle
2025-08-15 17:00 | Bicentennial Park, 233 S Civic Center Dr, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Paddle down the Scioto River with a 50% off discount on a one-hour watercraft rental every Friday in August. Spots are limited, so book ahead to secure your kayak! Walk-ins accepted but not guaranteed. https://windroseoutdoor.com/

FREE Street Beats
2025-08-15 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-16 18:00 - 20:00 | The Patio at the Scioto Mile Fountain, 229 Civic Center Dr, Columbus, 43215, United States
Live music will warmly welcome you every Friday and Saturday in the summertime, setting the perfect backdrop for a night out! Whether you’re grabbing dinner nearby or just soaking in the summer vibes, Street Beats brings the soundtrack to your weekend thanks to dozens of talented Columbus artists.

FREE Street Beats
2025-08-15 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-16 18:00 - 20:00 | UnderCurrent, 1 E Gay St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States

Golden Hour Paddle
2025-08-15 18:30 | Bicentennial Park, 233 S Civic Center Dr, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Paddle down the Scioto River with a $15 discount on a one-hour watercraft rental every Friday in August. Spots are limited, so book ahead to secure your kayak! Walk-ins accepted but not guaranteed. https://windroseoutdoor.com/

Downtown Girls Nite with Accent Wines
2025-08-15 18:30 - 20:30 | Evolverie, 107 N High St, Columbus, 43215, United States
Enjoy a good time with just the girls @ this private wine-tasting and private shopping event with Evolverie + Accent
Sit-down & relax while a sommelier from Accent will present & educate with a lot of fun sprinkled in.

Last day to purchase tickets is at noon on Monday, August 11

CAPA Summer Movie Series: Cartoon Capers
2025-08-16 10:00 | Ohio Theatre, 39 E State St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
The CAPA Summer Movie Series is back! The 56th series features classic films and cult favorites will run June 13 – August 24 at the historic Ohio Theatre.
See more here!

Lobster Roll Saturdays at Charmy's Market
2025-08-16 11:00 - 15:00 | Charmy’s Market, 95 N. Grant Ave, Columbus, 43215
What’s on the menu:
Lobster Rolls from Charmy’s Market, located at 95 N. Grant Ave in Downtown Columbus, are a local favorite and the perfect weekend, summer treat!
Charmy’s Lobster Roll Combo: tender Maine lobster meat with our light dressing and a buttery bun, one (1) 16 oz Charmy’s lemonade, one (1) blueberry or cherry Der Dutchman Hand Pie (your choice), and one (1) small bag of kettle-style chips. All products are also available to purchase Ala carte.
How to pre-order:
Lobster roll orders will be ready for pickup starting Saturday, August 2, 2025. Then, again on the following Saturdays: August 9, 16, 23, and 30. To make sure an order is ready on the Saturday you want to pick it up, place an ORDER AND PAY at www.charmysmarket.com no later than 11 AM the Thursday BEFORE you want to pick it up. For example, to pick up an order on August 2, orders need to be placed by 11AM Thursday, July 31. All orders placed after 11AM on Thursdays will be ready for pickup a week from Saturday, except orders placed after 11AM on August 28. We may have a few extra lobster rolls and hand pies if you come in on a Saturday in August without pre-ordering.
All orders must be picked up in-store at Charmy’s Market on the Saturday pre-orders are for between 11AM and 3PM. Customers may eat at Charmy’s Market on one of the shaded patios or at one of our indoor seating areas. We will have beer and wine available to purchase on site with a valid ID. Or you may take your lobster roll to go.

Off-Road Map-Making with Curator Mona Gazala
2025-08-16 13:00 - 15:30 | OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W Town St, Columbus, OH, United States
This drop-in workshop is open to all ages and skill levels, and it will include a casual curator’s walk-through of the exhibition, Cartography.
What if your body was a map? What if your family and your circles of influence were continents? What if a map was a dream of the future, or a political statement? What can maps describe beyond the physical world? Curator Mona Gazala will facilitate this open studio by sharing examples of maps that defy traditional forms and definitions. She will give 3–4 map activity prompts for those who would like one…but you are more than welcome to blaze your own trail!
There will be a wide assortment of art supplies available. Participants are also welcome to bring their own printed family photos, clippings, maps, journals, or other materials to work into their designs.

Off-Road Map-Making with Curator Mona Gazala
2025-08-16 13:00 - 15:30 | OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W Town St, Columbus, OH, United States
This drop-in workshop is open to all ages and skill levels, and it will include a casual curator’s walk-through of the exhibition, Cartography.
What if your body was a map? What if your family and your circles of influence were continents? What if a map was a dream of the future, or a political statement? What can maps describe beyond the physical world? Curator Mona Gazala will facilitate this open studio by sharing examples of maps that defy traditional forms and definitions. She will give 3–4 map activity prompts for those who would like one…but you are more than welcome to blaze your own trail!
There will be a wide assortment of art supplies available. Participants are also welcome to bring their own printed family photos, clippings, maps, journals, or other materials to work into their designs.
This event is part of Cartography, an exhibition at Urban Arts Space on view from July 22–August 16. The artists in this exhibition, whether Palestinian, Kashmiri, or Afro-Caribbean, embark on similar missions to map out their personal relationships with ancestral and migratory lands. Their art gives voice to stories of imperialism, racism, and occupation, while also exploring new vistas of identity, connection and resilience.
Participating Artists: Hala Abubaker, Michael Hambouz, Ray Perez, Numair Qadri, Tabeena Wani, and Mona Gazala

CAPA Summer Movie Series: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
2025-08-16 19:30, 2025-08-17 14:00 - 17:00 | Ohio Theatre, 39 E State St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States

FREE Fountain Fitness Classes: Contemporary Dance
2025-08-17 09:30 - 10:15, 2025-08-17 10:30 - 11:15 | Bicentennial Park, 233 S Civic Center Dr, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Hit the (fountain) floor this summer with Free Dance + Fitness Classes at the Scioto Mile Fountain! Get moving and cool off post-workout with a refreshing splash in the Fountain. With lessons designed for all skill levels, everyone is welcome. Advance registration is recommended here but not required. Plus, unwind after Thursday evening classes as the stunning Fountain Night Light Show illuminates the night sky.

Full Schedule:
Thursdays thru August 28
no classes July 3, July 17, or August 14
6:30 pm – 7:15 pm Full body workout with Lindsey from 614 Fit Club
7:30 pm – 8:15 pm Yoga with Rachel from 614 Fit Club

Sundays thru August 24*
excluding June 29, July 27, and August 31 (see section below)
*June 15 classes will be 9:30 am full body workout and 10:30 am yoga by Lindsey.
9:30 am – 10:15 am Contemporary Dance with Myles Lawson
10:30 am – 11:15 am Contemporary Dance with Myles Lawson

Last Sunday of the month
(June 29, July 27, and August 31)
9:30 am – 10:15 am Baby Dance Club with Russell
10:30 am – 11:15 am Dance Aerobics with Fili

LCD Soundsystem
2025-08-17 18:00 - 20:00 | KEMBA Live!, 405 Neil Avenue, Columbus, 43215, United States
Jam out to LCD Soundsystem at KEMBA Live!

Opening Ceremony for Columbus Navy Week
2025-08-18 17:00 - 18:00 | National Veterans Memorial and Museum, 300 W Broad Street, Columbus, OH, 43215
Columbus Navy Week will bring 50 to 60 sailors to the city to engage with the community through a dynamic schedule of performances, educational outreach and community service projects.

FREE Music Mondays
2025-08-18 18:00 - 20:00 | High Water Alley, 88 High Water Alley, Columbus, 43215, United States
Start your week of fun off right by jamming with free music in High Water Alley. You can “Stump the Band” with unlimited music requests to the Chuck Starr Band starting on June 16 or channel your inner rockstar with Live Band Karaoke featuring Dirty Money starting on June 23 (activities alternate by week).

Free Play at the Commons
2025-08-19 11:00 - 16:00 | Columbus Commons, 160 S High St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Come Downtown and take a free spin on the Carousel, play under the parachute, build with our Imagination Playground big blue blocks, kick a soccer ball, or make your own fun. Plus, additional programming will be available on select dates.

Free Fitness at the Commons
2025-08-19 17:30 - 18:20 | Columbus Commons, 160 S High St, Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Whether you’re getting your heart pumping with cardio or finding your center with yoga, the North Lawn of the Commons is the place to take your workout classes outside – and it’s all free!

May – September
Tuesdays- HIIT
5:30 & 6:30 pm
Wednesday- Yoga
5:30 & 6:30 pm

Columbus Clippers Game
2025-08-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Ln, Columbus, OH, United States
Cheer on the home team at Huntington Park with the Columbus Clippers.
