Cultural festival Italian Village $$
Columbus Italian Festival
Pasta, procession, and parish tradition on Saint John the Baptist grounds, the Italian Village weekend that still tastes like history.
Awards
Why Columbus Italian Festival Is Our Best Overall Pick
Columbus Italian Festival is Best Overall because food, culture, and parish history share one Italian Village weekend. We ate through the grounds around Saint John the Baptist, caught procession energy, and treated it as family infrastructure, not a rented fairground script. It suits October calendar blocks when you want Italian Village tradition with serious plates.
- Food, culture, and parish history together
- Saint John grounds feel like tradition
- Dense enough for a full October weekend
Know before you go
The Columbus Italian Festival takes over the streets around Saint John the Baptist Church in Italian Village each October. Buy general admission online or at the gate ($15 in 2026; ages 12 and under free with an adult) and build the day around parish food booths, stage music, and the Sunday parade that steps off from Goodale Park at 1:00 p.m. It suits multi-generation groups who want a festival day, not a quiet dinner.
For 2026, gates run Friday, October 9, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 10, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; and Sunday, October 11, 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Park free in the Columbus State Community College garage at 534 E. Long St. and ride the festival shuttle; neighborhood street parking is permit-only and towing is enforced. Skip bringing pets; they are not allowed on the grounds. Start with our Italian Village page for the surrounding blocks. Then use the standing Columbus Italian Festival Things to Do entry for the annual overview.
- Parking
- Free parking in the Columbus State Community College garage at 534 E. Long St. with complimentary festival shuttles; limited accessible parking on 4th Street; neighborhood permit streets are towed.
- Reservations
- No table reservations; buy festival admission online or at the gate.
- Tip
- Park in the CSCC garage and take the yellow shuttle rather than hunting Italian Village curb spaces.
