Every Ohio Fall 2015 Festival Worth Going to, Now in One Calendar
As of today, our favorite season is over -- no, we don’t mean the Indians’ season (that ends next week, and actually ranks somewhere between winter, and the new season of Nashville) -- but it’s cool, ‘cause that means it’s officially fall and, judging by the 62 sweet festivals going down in Ohio over the next few months, it’s gonna be a pretty good time...
Resonance Music & Arts Festival
Jam bands, EDM, and rock bring the summery vibes even into the fall.
Little Brown Jug
Break out your derby gear and gather ’round the track for one of the most prestigious horse races in the country.
Ohio Bacon Fest
What makes everything better? Bacon. Restaurants throughout the city will gather to put a porky twist on their best dishes. Bonus: bacon-eating contest.
MidPoint Music Festival
Purity Ring, Ride, Iron & Wine, and tUne-yArDs will headline a weekend of indie rock.
Oktoberfest
Everyone’s German at Oktoberfest, where the beer is plentiful, the schnitzel is hot, and there’s plenty of polka dancing.
Night Market
Vendors fill the streets with Asian-inspired street food, artisans peddle their goods, and bands rip through outdoor sets at this street fest near Cleveland’s own AsiaTown.
Armenian Festival
Armenian eats, delicious pastries, dancing, and an eclectic bazaar.
FireFish Festival
During the day, art installations take over storefronts, and theatrics take over the street. At night, fire dancers and jugglers illuminate the Black River Landing waterfront.
Geneva Grape Jamboree
Wine country celebrates grape-harvesting season with tastings, grape stomping, and two giant parades.
Rockin’ the Rivers Music & Rib Fest
Ribs and rock & roll go hand in hand at the city’s largest street festival, which also has what is probably its largest beer garden.
Cincinnati Street Food Festival
Outdoor music, arts and crafts, performers, and plenty of beer, along with the stars of the show: some of Cincy’s favorite food trucks and pop-up vendors.
Cincy Summer Streets
Rent a bike, try group yoga, create alley art, whip out your skate deck, or even do some belly dancing at this public-space extravaganza that turns streets into car-free zones for the day.
Music on the Porches
Grab a picnic basket or chair as bands fill the front yards of local homes and businesses for live music throughout the day.
Germantown Pretzel Festival
A long-standing tradition of fresh-baked pretzels, live music, carnival rides, and local food. A mass bike ride through the countryside, the Twisted Pretzel Tour, coincides perfectly.
Ohio City Street Festival
Two beer gardens featuring Great Lakes Brewing Company and more local brews, extended hours at the historic West Side Market, local retailers, and restaurant vendors from the city’s hottest food district, plus live performances, all along one of the liveliest strips in Cleveland.
Ohio Hempfest
Meet at High Noon... hahagetit!... for jammin’ music and an all-day rally for hemp awareness.
Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
A new festival all about cartoons, graphic novels, and webcomics with panels and national speakers.
Woosterfest
Join thousands Downtown for the infamous beer stein race, cornhole tournament, car show, and live music.
Ohio Swiss Fest
Naturally, cheese steals the limelight, but stone throwing, an antique car show, and even yodeling happen in the heart of the “Little Switzerland of Ohio.”
Worst Kept Secret Fest
Sparked from the underground rock scene, local music, art, and food are center stage at this DIY fest.
IngenuityFest
A showcase of national innovation fusing art and technology with live music, interactive art, and sweet installations along the waterfront.
Heritage of Flight
Everything aviation including a classic cruise-in, pedal plane fly-offs, parachute jumps, and a parade of planes.
Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo
One of the last old-school fan conventions running, this weekend for horror fanatics boasts more than 60 hours of film, memorabilia, and collectibles.
Hingetown Hoedown
The sounds of the mountains come to the heart of the city with folk and bluegrass music alongside food trucks and local brews.
Celebration of the Hop IPA Fest
More than 20 breweries come together in the name of IPAs, with plenty of sampling, and a vote to crown one beer the people’s hop champion, on the agenda.
Moonlight Beer Fest
Twenty-five breweries offering craft beer tastings, nationally acclaimed rock bands, food trucks, and a record fair.
Weekend of Fire
If you can’t take the heat, get out of the festival. National hot sauce vendors convene to offer up more than 300 samples ranging from mild to flaming hot.
Bend in the River Art & Music Festival
Live music, local brews, a slew of celebrity bartenders, food vendors, and artists take over the West side.
Fashion Week Columbus
Local and emerging designers rock the runway and host mixers, preview galas, and a grand finale fashion show.
Hyde Park Art Show
The city’s largest one-day art fest highlights painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, crafts, and multimedia.
Woollybear Festival
A massive, quirky gathering founded by legendary weatherman Dick Goddard with Woollybear costume and animal look-a-like contests, a parade, and race.
International Community Day
More than 50 cultures show off their heritage through art and performances in the stunning museum atrium space.
Something Russian Festival
Poonchki donuts, halushka dumplings, and old country kielbasa are served up while an ethnic orchestra and dancers provide entertainment.
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
More than 60 films from 28 countries telling true stories from all walks of life.
LGBT Film Festival
A premiere platform for movies from across the LGBT community.
Akron Craft Beer Festival
Thirty-eight beer and mead makers, both local and international, pour tastings of handcrafted and hard-to-find brews.
Columbus Italian Festival
Authentic local eats, a bocce ball tournament, a parade of Italian dancers and music, and live eclectic music.
Cleveland Beer Week
There are beer-inspired events on boats and trains, a Browns tailgate party, things like chocolate pairings, and the crowned jewel event, Brewzilla.
Trunk ‘R Treat Fall Festival
A costume-filled classic car show with music, games, and sweets.
DeBord’s Halloween Festival
Live music, fire spinners, derby girls, classic cars, local vendors, and appearances by Big Chuck and Lil Jon.
Sauerkraut Fest
Nosh on sauerkraut pizza, egg rolls, cabbage soup, and even fudge (!) for the more adventurous.
Smoked Meat and BBQ Festival
A belly-busting showdown of the finest sauce-smothered meat slingers at the first official state of Ohio smoked meats and BBQ championship.
Ubahn Fest
Hip-hop and EDM go underground in this festival held at the Metro Transit Center below Downtown Cincinnati.
Zombie Fest
Get your face painted and freak out all the islanders when zombies run the streets in a relay and pub crawl.
Shock Around the Clock
A 24-hour movie marathon with everything from heavy metal horror to vintage shorts and modern-day fright films.
Circleville Pumpkin Festival
All pumpkin everything, including pumpkin floats in pumpkin parades, and more than 100,000lbs of pumpkin on display in the streets.
HighBall
A bewitching Halloween masquerade for the masses.
OhioDance Fall Festival
Classes, panels, and performances of all dance styles from Indian, to Flamenco, to classic ballet.
Cleveland Comic Con
Come out and cosplay with artists and animators from across the country.
Rock the Core
DC-based events org Drink the District brings its cider festival to Cinci for a day of drinking with local and regional breweries. Oh, and did we mention the food trucks on site?
Oddmall
An emporium of oddities, including crafts, comics, toys, collectibles, and other curiosities.
Cyclocross Festival
Three days of cyclocross racing through the city to promote everything bike related.
Akron Comicon
Hang with the creators of comic book, superhero, and sci-fi favorites.
International Festival
Live cultural entertainment, ethnic eats/cooking demonstrations, an international shopping bazaar, and a Parade of Nations spotlights the diversity of Central Ohio.
Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival
Nationally renowned acoustic, bluegrass, and gospel acts bring their old-timey sounds inside.
Craftin’ Outlaws
An alternative indie craft gathering with plenty of local handmade gifts for the holidays.
TapFest Home Brewing Competition and Festival
Home beer brewers throughout Cincinnati compete for the top spot while Tap & Screw beers/eats are served.
Cleveland Comedy Festival
Stand-up, improv, and sketch comedians bring the laughs at a variety of shows in Downtown.
Cleveland Flea Holiday Market
Artisan foods converge with hip, locally produced handmade goods and vintage shopping options.
Polka Weekend!
Twenty-seven Cleveland-style polka bands, three days of dancing, and a Polka Hall of Fame extravaganza. Na zdravje!
WinterFest
An outdoor wonderland of ice sculptures, crafty shopping thanks to Cleveland Bazaar, holiday bowling, and the debut of Cleveland Whiskey’s Christmas in Cleveland cocktail to keep you warm.
Genghis Con
A showcase of the best of the best from regional small presses, zine makers, and comic artists.