What's On in Columbus
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Columbus, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Fantasy In Lights at Callaway 2026: Nov. 13 to Jan. 3
Callaway Gardens' Fantasy In Lights runs Nov. 13 to Jan. 3: a 7-mile drive past 18 light scenes, trolley rides, Santa, tickets by time slot and Run Callaway.
Coming up
The full month- Now through Dec. 5 Southbound: Y. Malik Jalal
- Now through Jan. 3 Coulter Fussell: The Proving Ground
- Now through Dec. 5 The Bennett Prize: Rising Voices 4
- Now through Oct. 31 Uptown Scarecrow Trail
- Now through Nov. 1 Pumpkins at Callaway
- Now through Oct. 30 The Columbus Artists' Guild Members' Exhibition
- Now through Feb. 14 Jessica Ingram: We Are Carver
- Sat. Oct. 17 Look, Listen, and Make Workshop
- Sat. Oct. 17 Fountain City Food Tours
- Sat. Oct. 17 Look, Listen and Make Workshop
- Sat. Oct. 17 Renew at COMU: Yoga
- Sat. Oct. 17 Drop In Tour: Celebrating the COMU Collection
Plan your weekend
Halloween
Halloween in Columbus 2026: Boo Bash, Witches Ride, Oct. 31
Halloween 2026 in Columbus: Spooktacular Oct. 17, Boo Bash Oct. 24, the Witches Ride Oct. 25 and a free Civic Center movie night and Westville on Oct. 31.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Columbus 2026: races, meals, closures, trash
Thanksgiving 2026 in Columbus: Beat the Bird 5K Nov. 21, city offices closed Nov. 26-27, no METRA buses Thanksgiving Day, trash pickup and school break.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Columbus 2026
Holiday shopping in Columbus 2026: Christmas Made in the South Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, the Holly Jolly Market Nov. 28, Peachtree Mall hours and free Uptown parking.
Christmas
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Columbus 2026
Christmas 2026 in Columbus: Uptown's golf cart lights cruise Dec. 3, Breakfast with Santa Dec. 5, The Nutcracker Dec. 12-13 and Merry Movie Night.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Columbus 2026: events, fireworks rules, closures
New Year's Eve 2026 in Columbus: Georgia's fireworks hours, city offices and METRA on Jan. 1, trash pickup and the events announced so far.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Columbus 2027: events, dinners, date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 in Columbus falls on a Sunday. Last year's couples workshops at Westville, the symphony at the RiverCenter and date ideas from venues.
Spring break
Spring break in Columbus 2027: school dates, camps, things to do
Spring break 2027 in Columbus: Muscogee County schools are out April 5-9. Camps, whitewater, the Space Science Center and the Infantry Museum.
Easter
Easter in Columbus 2027: egg hunts, Easter Bunny, brunch
Easter 2027 in Columbus is Sunday, March 28. Last year's Cookies with the Easter Bunny and Clingstones egg hunt, and what to watch for this year.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Columbus 2027: brunch, events, gift markets
Mother's Day 2027 in Columbus is Sunday, May 9. Last year's garden and Westville workshops, Market Days on Broadway and the Children's Book Festival.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Columbus 2027: ceremonies, closures, trash pickup
Memorial Day 2027 in Columbus is Monday, May 31: the Infantry Museum ceremony, wear blue run, city offices and METRA closed, trash pickup changes.
Summer
Summer in Columbus 2027: camps, pools and splash pads
Summer 2027 in Columbus: city pool hours, free splash pads, the Uptown splash pad, camps and registration, from school's end May 21 to Aug. 2.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Columbus 2027: Clingstones, car shows, museums
Father's Day 2027 in Columbus is Sunday, June 20, with a Clingstones home game at Synovus Park. Museums open that Sunday and last year's dad events.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Columbus 2027: events, closures, trash pickup
Labor Day 2027 in Columbus is Monday, Sept. 6: Clingstones home Sept. 3-5, Uptown's last splash pad weekend, school out, city closures and trash.
Fourth of July
Columbus Fourth of July fireworks 2027
Columbus watches July Fourth fireworks over the Chattahoochee from Woodruff Park and Phenix City. How the 2026 shows ran; 2027 details to come.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Columbus 2026: Boo Bash and Oct. 31
Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Columbus has not set trick-or-treat hours as of Oct. 16; here are Boo Bash, Spooktacular and the Oct. 31 event times.
Christmas
Columbus Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026
Broadway Holiday Parade and tree lighting Friday, Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m. in Uptown; the city's Christmas Parade is 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.
High school football
Columbus Friday night football 2026: schedule and stadiums
Columbus high school football 2026: Shaw at Spencer Friday, Oct. 16, Hardaway at Shaw Oct. 23 and Columbus at Spencer to end the regular season Nov. 6.
Fall festivals
Columbus fall festivals and pumpkin patches 2026
Fall in Columbus: the Scarecrow Trail all October, Spooktacular Oct. 17, the Museum Fall Festival Oct. 24 and the Callaway pumpkin trail to Nov. 1.
Brunch
Brunch in Columbus: weekend hours, addresses and menus
Brunch in Columbus, Georgia: The Animal Farm, The Office, Flying Biscuit and My Boulánge, with weekend hours, addresses and links to each menu.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Columbus: parks, patios, trails and leash rules
Dog-friendly Columbus, Georgia: The Yard off-leash park, the RiverWalk and Fall Line Trace, dog-welcome markets, the leash rules and who to call.
Kids
Kids' activities in Columbus: museums, playgrounds, story times
Kids' activities in Columbus, Georgia: the free Children's Gallery, Space Science Center, library story times, playgrounds, splash pads and rainy-day picks.
Trails
Columbus walking and biking trails: RiverWalk, Fall Line Trace
Columbus, Georgia walking and biking trails: the 22-mile RiverWalk, the 10.5-mile Fall Line Trace, Standing Boy Trails and park loops, with access points.
Uptown Columbus
A guide to Uptown Columbus: Broadway, the river, parking
A guide to Uptown Columbus, Georgia: Broadway, the RiverWalk and whitewater, the Springer and RiverCenter, Market Days, free parking decks and events.
Live music
Live music and nightlife in Columbus: venues, bars, late spots
Live music and nightlife in Columbus, Georgia: RiverCenter, the Springer, Liberty Theatre, the Civic Center, The Loft, rooftop and late-night bars in Uptown.
Free
Free things to do in Columbus: museums, trails, concerts
Free things to do in Columbus, Georgia: The Columbus Museum, the National Infantry Museum, free galleries, the RiverWalk, splash pads and Uptown concerts.
Date night
Date night in Columbus: restaurants, theaters, wine bars
Date night in Columbus, Georgia: Uptown dinner spots with hours, the Springer and RiverCenter, rooftop and wine bars, and late openings, from official sites.
Fountain City Classic
Fountain City Classic 2026: Nov. 7, 2 p.m. kickoff, tickets
Fountain City Classic 2026 is Saturday, Nov. 7: parade 9 a.m. (live on WXTX Fox 54), Fort Valley State vs. Albany State 2 p.m. Tickets from $12.
Veterans Day
Columbus Veterans Day Parade 2026: date, time and route
Columbus' Veterans Day Parade is 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, from Dillingham Street to 9th Street in Uptown, run by Columbus Parks and Recreation.
Columbus Cup
Columbus Cup freestyle kayaking on the Chattahoochee: dates
The Columbus Cup freestyle kayak contest ran April 10-12, 2026, on the Chattahoochee in Uptown. 2027 dates are not out yet; here is what to know.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Columbus: lists by category
Every Columbus, Georgia, where-to-eat list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, Asian, desserts, bakeries and patios.
Wings
Where to get wings in Columbus: Whittlesey, Macon Road and Uptown
23 places for chicken wings in Columbus, Georgia, on Whittlesey Boulevard, Macon Road, Victory Drive, Airport Thruway and in Uptown, with hours from their own sites.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Columbus: Uptown, Veterans Parkway and Milgen
26 pizza places in Columbus, Georgia: Uptown shops on Broadway, Veterans Parkway, Milgen Road and the delivery chains, with hours from each place's own site.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Columbus
33 Mexican and Tex-Mex places in Columbus, Georgia, from Uptown taquerias to Veterans Parkway, Macon Road and South Lumpkin Road, with hours from their own sites.
Barbecue
Where to get barbecue in Columbus: Broadway to Veterans Parkway
14 barbecue places in Columbus, Georgia, from Country's on Broadway to MidCity Yards, River Road and Veterans Parkway, with hours from each place's own site.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Columbus: Uptown, Midtown and the north side
38 breakfast spots and coffee shops in Columbus, Georgia, from Uptown and Midtown cafes to Veterans Parkway drive-thrus, with hours from their own sites.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Columbus: Uptown and Whittlesey Boulevard
40 burger places in Columbus, Georgia: The Black Cow in Uptown, Whittlesey Boulevard's sit-down chains and every drive-thru, with hours from their own sites.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Columbus
40 sushi, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian restaurants in Columbus, Georgia, with hours from their own sites.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Columbus: Broadway and Whittlesey
11 ice cream, frozen yogurt, Italian ice and dessert shops in Columbus, Georgia, on Broadway in Uptown and around Whittlesey, with hours from their own sites.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Columbus: doughnuts, cakes, pastries and bread
15 bakeries in Columbus, Georgia: doughnut shops, cake studios, panaderias and bakery cafes from Uptown to Veterans Parkway, with hours from their own sites.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Columbus: Uptown, MidCity and north
7 Columbus, Georgia, restaurants whose own sites describe a patio, deck or outdoor seating, from Bay Avenue in Uptown to MidCity Yards and Veterans Parkway.
Event news
Things to do
Things to do in Columbus this weekend, Oct. 16 to 18
Columbus this weekend, Oct. 16 to 18: free Rock the Lawn at the Civic Center, Covenant opens at the Springer, and Spooktacular at Lake Bottom Park.
Nutcracker
The Nutcracker in Columbus 2026: Columbus Ballet, Dec. 12-13
The Columbus Ballet's Nutcracker plays the RiverCenter Dec. 12-13 with a live orchestra; Frozen runs at the Springer Nov. 28 to Dec. 20. Times and parking.
Arts
Arts and exhibitions in Columbus: October 2026
Columbus arts, Oct. 16 to Nov. 27: We Are Carver at The Columbus Museum, Covenant at the Springer, the Marine Band, Kristin Chenoweth and the symphony.