If you think festival season wraps up at Labor Day, you need skooled. One of the coolest festivals takes place this coming weekend—September 17 and 18. Independents’ Day got its start Downtown on Gay Street, and when these independent souls needed room to spread out, East Franklinton became their next home. Independents’ Day rocks for two days now, and there’s something for everyone.



The party begins at noon on Saturday, September 18, and it won’t wrap up until Sunday at 8 p.m. so you you’ve got plenty of time to get to there for all the festivities.

You may know that the festival came about as a celebration of all things independent. That translates to local food, music, drink, art and crafts. That’s still all true, but there is so much more now. Like, did you know that the Six in the City project creates a place for your six-word memoir about what the city means to you?

Maybe film or podcasts are your gig. Independents’ Day provides an opportunity to experience the world of the independent film throughout the festival, or stop by the Podcast Tent to be part of the conversation about our city, music, books and more.

Don’t forget to check out the Ashtanga yoga, Artist Wrestling League, the Iron Pixel design challenge, Columbus Invitational Arts Competition, live graffiti art, skateboarding or the green thumb workshops. Man, we haven’t even talked about the kID Moon Ranch, food and drink options, the music lineup or all the cool stuff to buy at the Craftin’ Outlaws and Columbus Handmade, Small Business Bazar, Columbus Comics Market, Big Local Art Tent or the Printmakers Tent.

Whew, good thing the festival is two days.