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Family-Friendly Events This Weekend in Columbus, Ohio: September 25-27, 2026
Looking for something fun to do **this weekend** in Columbus? Try out one of these family-friendly **Columbus and Ohio** –**based** events and activities! ## Family-Friendly Things to do in Columbus, Ohio This Weekend: These events are in chronological order. Ongoing events are listed first. If an event happens multiple times during a weekend, it will be listed in the order of its first occurrence, so make sure to read through the whole list! Have a great weekend! Local farms are gearing up for Fall Festivals and activities! Start your planning by checking out these posts: * 6 Farms Where You Can Pick Your Own Apples * A Complete List of Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals Near Central Ohio * Get Lost in One of these Corn Mazes in Central Ohio * The Best Places to See Fall Colors in Columbus, Ohio and Beyond * Halloween Events and Trick-or-Treat Times in Columbus ### 1. Attend a Fall Festival at a Pumpkin Local Farm During the months of September and October, many Central Ohio farms open up for U-Pick Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festival Weekends that include hay rides, pumpkin picking, bonfires, kettle corn and more! Some of the larger scale farms include zip lines, mini golf, barrel rolling, huge slides, corn mazes, and petting zoos! Click the link above for a list of local farms for more information. ### 2. Caroline’s Flower Fields at Timbuk Farms Caroline’s Flower Fields are open daily through October 4th. Festival tickets are $12.50 per person and kids under 2 are free. Bouquet pricing is in addition to the festival ticket. On the weekends, you can also enjoy live music, food trucks and more! There is also a play area for kids that includes swings, a play structure, hay bales, a jump pad (oh, and baby goats)! Hours are: Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 6 pm and Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm. ### 3. Help Families Staying at Ronald McDonald House with Seeds of Caring In this empathy-building Seeds of Caring project, kids 4-12 can show care for hospitalized kids and their families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio. A guided discussion helps kids imagine the day of a parent who has a child in the hospital. Then helping hands will assemble Refresh & Recharge Packs filled with helpful shower supplies, including travel-size shampoo, conditioner, body wash or soap, lotion, and a message of caring. Register today and participate any time, anywhere through Oct. 23. * * * Sponsored At Five Star Home Services, we deliver expert HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services across Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, driven by our F.A.S.T. Promise: Fast Service, Accountable Always, Service with Purpose (we give 10% back to local charities), and Transparent Pricing. With over 50 years of trusted service, we make home repairs simple, stress-free, and reliable—because you deserve five-star service, every time. **Don’t forget to use my code whatshouldwedotoday_cbus25 for $25 off a service call**! * * * ### 4. Lantern Festival at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Wander through over 70 LED Asian lanterns at the Columbus Zoo. This event takes place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM, beginning August 20th through October 25th. This year will feature dinosaur lanterns! Tickets are available online. ### 5. Delaware County Fair The Delaware County Fair takes place September 19-26, 2026 and features harness racing, motor sports events, live entertainment, rides, displays, animal shows, crafts and activities and much more. Gates open at 8:00 AM each day. Check out this list of 8 fun things to do in Delaware, Ohio! ### 6. Dolly Day at Whetstone Library Celebrate Dolly Parton at the Whetstone Branch of CML on Friday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. There will be crafts, photo ops, a STEAM activity and information about The Imagination Library. ### 7. Tots on Trails at Blacklick Woods Take a slow, half-mile hike with your toddler at Blacklick Woods Metro Park on Friday at 10:00 AM. Meet at the Nature Center. ### 8. Storybook Ball at Old Worthington Library Dress as your favorite storybook character and enjoy a costume parade, read-aloud adventures, character meet and greets and more on Friday from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM throughout the Old Worthington Library. ### 9. The Longest Community Doodle at Urban Art Space Join in this free, interactive art-making event at Urban Art Space on Friday from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Visitors will be prompted to create a collective work of art on a space entirely wrapped in paper. All ages are welcome to attend. ### 10. Fourth Friday in Westerville Enjoy live music, street performers, family activities, local art, food and drink and more on Friday from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM in Uptown Westerville. This month’s theme is Autumn Festival. 13 Things to do in Westerville ### 11. Battle of the Books at the Riffe Center Battle of the Books is a live performance by Columbus Children’s Theatre where books leap off the page and two students battle in the Mount Vernon Battle of the Books. The show takes place at the Riffe Center and is recommended for ages 12 and up. The show takes place September 25 – October 18, 2026 with several performance times available over the weekend beginning on Friday at 7:00 PM. ### 12. The International Book Fair of Columbus, Ohio Celebrate Latine authors at the Main Library on Saturday from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM. There will be a vendor fair and Spanish-language programming including author talks, a dance performance, a Story Circle in the Children’s Area and more. ### 13. Applefest at Lawrence Orchards Applefest takes place on Saturday from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Lawrence Orchards. The day will feature food trucks, homemade ice cream, a coffee truck and an old-fashioned festival. Check out this list of pick-your-own apple orchards! ### 14. Harvest Blooms at Franklin Park Conservatory Harvest Blooms starts on Saturday at 10:00 AM at Franklin Park Conservatory. Featuring thousands of pumpkins, chrysanthemums and cabbages. The grounds are filled with autumnal horticultural displays including the famous pumpkin houses. This display will be available through November 1, 2026. ### 15. Vendor and Market Day at Lehner Pumpkin Farm Shop from local artisans, crafters and vendors on Saturday from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Lehner’s Pumpkin Farm. The market is included in admission. From 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, there will be a concert by saxophonist Tim Tolber. ### 16. Ohio Heritage Days at Malabar Farm This festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Celebrate Ohio’s cultural heritage with traditional crafts and demonstrations, living history camps, horse-drawn wagon rides, self-guided tours of the Big House, food vendors, live music, and more. There will be a Barn Dance on Saturday from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM. All events are free. Read more about Malabar Farm! ### 17. Palace 100: The Birthday Celebration Drop in anytime between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM on Saturday to celebrate 100 years of the Palace Theatre. There will be self-led tours, a family-friendly scavenger hunt, pop-up performances, a birthday treat, prizes and more. ### 18. Hilliard Historical Village & Museum Open Hours Visit the Hilliard Historical Village & Museum for free on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Take a guided tour of the authentic buildings from the 1800’s and explore the museum and interactive model train. Browse this list of more things to do in Hilliard! ### 19. Saturday Afternoon with Author Michelle Herman at Cover to Cover Join author Michelle Herman in celebration of her new, middle grade novel _All the Time in the World_ at Cover to Cover on Saturday at 1:00 PM. ### Sign Up for Our Newsletter! Get my list of family-friendly events for the coming weekend delivered straight to your email box each Wednesday night! Email Please wait... Subscribe #### Thank you for signing up! ### 20. Apples: Their History and Uses at Slate Run Farm Stop in to the Farmhouse at Slate Run Farm between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM on Saturday to sample heirloom apples, press cider and stir apple butter over an open fire. ### 21. Apple Cidering at Whetstone Library Learn about the history of apples and cider making during an educational program by Bring the Farm to You at the Whetstone Branch of CML on Saturday from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. ### 22. Welcome to Fall Event at Highbanks Metro Park Highbank’s biggest event of the year features hayrides, inflatables, campfires, archery, outdoor activities and more. The event takes place on Saturday from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM and at 7:45 PM they will show the movie Zootopia 2. ### 23. Grandview Hop On Saturday from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM, head to Grandview Ave for live music, local shopping, art, food trucks and fun activities for kids! Check out this list of restaurants in Grandview! ### 24. Outdoor Movie at Highbanks Metro Park Watch the movie Zootopia 2 at Highbanks Metro Park on Saturday at 7:45 PM. This movie will be shown after the Welcome to Fall Event (see above). Bring a blanket or chairs to sit on. Popcorn will be available while supplies last. ### 25. The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Columbus Children’s Theatre Join CCT for their SandBox Series featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The show is a 30-minute interactive performance for kids ages 5 and under. There will be pre-show activities including hands-on crafts, sensory exploration, coloring pages and more. There are 5 showtimes on Sunday beginning at 9:00 AM. ### 26. Sunday Activities at Olentangy Caverns Sunday will be filled with activities at Olentangy Caverns. In addition to their Fall Activity Area (available from 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM.), there will be a 500 lb Pumpkin Carving event from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM, a coffee truck from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, free balloon twisting from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM and a Pirate Magic Show at 3:30 PM. Check out 10 Family-Friendly Things to do at Olentangy Caverns! ### 27. Paul Revere Living Statue (and more) at Lynd Fruit Farm On Sunday at Lynd Fruit Farm, there will be a full day of events including Cowboy Church at 10:00 AM, Farm Animal Petting Zoo from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM and a Paul Revere Living Statue from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM as part of the Ohio-America 250 program. ### 28. Paw Paw Slime at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Make pawpaw-themed slime at Battelle Darby Creek Nature Center on Sunday at 12:00 PM. Best for ages 6 and up. ### 29. Open Farm Days at Harrison Farm Visit the farm on Sunday from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM to meet the animals and shop the farm store. ### 30. Worthington Harvest Festival The Harvest Festival takes place in Old Worthington and features games, food specials, live music, games and entertainment on Sunday from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. There will also be a farm-themed petting zoo and a mini horse. ### 31. Ohio’s Prehistoric Predators at Main Library Dale Gnidovec, Curator of the Orton Geological Museum, will give a presentation about prehistoric predators in Ohio and you will be able to view fossils from the museum on Sunday from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM at Main Library. Follow Us on Social Media! * Instagram * Facebook * Pinterest * YouTube _**Share this post with your friends!**_ Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more fun things to do in Columbus, Ohio! _*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. Inclusion of an event on this list is not considered an endorsement. Please use your best judgement when attending public events and consult your doctor if you have questions regarding the safety level of a public event. Read my_disclaimer _here.__Enjoy what you do today!*_
