August in Ohio is sizzling with fun events. From Farmer’s Markets to fun festivals to the much anticipated Ohio State Fair, you’ll find plenty of events to help you make incredible memories before the kids head back to school.
Ongoing Events Throughout the Month of August
- The Sandusky Gazebo Concert Series continues into August with free concerts at the Washington Park gazebo on August 1 and August 8.
- The Cleveland Orchestra also hosts the Blossom Music Festival in July and August, with live music and picnics on the grounds.
- Celebrating over 50 years of outdoor performances, the Tecumseh Drama Company in Chillicothe has performances that run from June 16 through September 3rd. Witness the story of Tecumseh, a Shawnee leader, at the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre.
Tip: If you visit for Tecumseh you may want to stick around to check out this list of the best things to do in Chillicothe. - The Ohio State Fair comes to Columbus from July 26 – Aug 6. With rides, entertainment, food, and agricultural demonstrations, this is the festival of the summer. Check your local county for county fairs kicking off this summer as well.
- The Cleveland Zoo hosts the Asian Lantern Festival on select evenings through August 27th. Enjoy live acrobatic performances, culturally-inspired cuisine, and dramatic lantern displays. An additional admission fee is required. This is one of my family’s favorite events!
- In Ashtabula County, head to the Great Lakes Medieval Faire, running every weekend from July 8th through August 13th. In addition to performances and festival food, themed weekends in August include a Celtic Celebration on August 5 and 6, as well as a Superheroes theme on August 12 and 13.
- Eastern Ohio is home to the Shaker Woods Festival in Columbiana. Now in its 42nd year, the festival is held on August 12-13, 19-20, and 26-27. Each weekend features juried craftspeople exhibiting arts and crafts from the Shaker period. Daily entertainment and food vendors round out the offerings.
Batter Up!
August is also a great month for baseball! From Major League baseball in Cleveland and Cincinnati to budget-friendly minor league games around the state.
- The Cleveland Guardians are northern Ohio’s Major League Baseball team, based at Progressive Field.
Tip: Visiting the area with teens? Check out our list of 40+ things to do with teens in Cleveland. - Southern Ohio has the Cincinnati Reds, another Ohio MLB team, playing at the Great American Ballpark.
- Minor League games are a great family outing, often with more affordable tickets and concessions. Minor League teams in Ohio include the Akron Rubber Ducks, the Dayton Dragons, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the Columbus Clippers, Toledo Mud Hens, and the Lake County Captains.
Weekend Events and Festivals
August 3 – August 6, 2023
- While not an event or festival per se, the State of Ohio offers a tax-free back-to-school shopping weekend from August 4 through August 6. Many school supplies and even clothes will be tax-free, so it’s a great time to plan a shopping weekend.
- Alliance, Ohio is known as the Carnation City and is host to the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival. From August 3 through August 13, there are pageants, parades, tours, food, music, and more!
- In Washington County, Belpre will be hosting its 91st Belpre Homecoming Weekend on the first full weekend of August. There’s a bike show, a car show, a foot race, a parade, and pageants. Food and fireworks round out the festivities.
- Voted the best Akron festival for ten years in a row, the Summit County Italian American Festival is held August 3 through August 5 on Bowery Street and Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron. Enjoy fireworks, live entertainment, and amazing Italian food.
- Another Hocking Hills festival to check out this weekend is the Bigfoot Festival in downtown Logan. Hear from expert speakers, and join a “squatch walk” with other Bigfoot believers. (Later in the year, Creature Weekend is another great Bigfoot-themed festival.)
Tip: If you get tired of hunting for Bigfoot, we have dozens of other things to do in Hocking Hills. - Head to Wolf Creek Mill in Loudonville for the 18th Century Colonial Trade Fair. This family-friendly weekend offers a glimpse of the past, with demonstrations, camping, and period clothing.
- Church festivals are a staple of small towns across Ohio, including the St. James Lutheran Brats & Crafts Festival in Columbus. For 39 years, this festival has featured polka music and dancing, German food, beer, and a craft fair.
- For Irish festivals, you can miss the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, Ohio. Set in Coffman Park, this is billed as the largest three-day Irish festival on the planet. Live music, sports, kids’ activities, plus merchandise and food vendors round out this fun cultural celebration.
- The Vintage Ohio Wine Festival is held on August 4 and August 5 at Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland. Sample a wide variety of wines from Ohio vintners, as well as food, cooking demonstrations, live music, and shopping!
- Whether you drive a Jeep or admire them from afar, you won’t want to miss the 6th Annual Toledo Jeep Fest on August 4 through August 6. In addition to an all-Jeep parade, there are races, food, vendors, and camping.
- Martins Ferry will host Betty Zane Days to honor the local heroine from the Revolutionary War. Sponsored by the volunteer fire department, the event will be held at City Park from August 2 through August 5.
- Another Ohio local being celebrated this weekend is Roy Rogers. The Portsmouth Roy Rogers Festival is held at the American Legion from August 3 through August 5, with music, food, entertainment, and celebrity guests.
- Legend Valley in Thornville will host the Everwild Music Festival on August 3, 4, and 5. Enjoy three days of live music, with options for onsite camping.
- On the Pennsylvania border, Pymatuning State Park will host the Pymatuning Lake Festival on August 5th and 6th. Fireworks and live music are the main draw for this lakeside event.
August 10 – August 13, 2023
- Since 1975, the All Ohio Balloon Festival has taken to the skies over Marysville in the greater Columbus area. In addition to several fun-shaped hot air balloons, the festival also includes live music, carnival rides, and food!
- In Southeast Ohio, the Rivers, Trails & Ales Festival kicks off on August 10. See why Marietta is the #1 recreation destination in Ohio. Enjoy yoga, guided hikes, scavenger hunts, bike rides, kayak tours, and of course, local brews!
- Hippie Fest comes to Hocking Hills the weekend of August 12 and August 13; enjoy live music, food, a car show, and crafts like tie-dying. This is a family-friendly event, with lots of Bohemian vendors to peruse. This event is SOLD OUT for 2023; bookmark their page to get a head’s up on next year!
- Ohio’s largest Civil War reenactment takes place on August 12 and August 13 at Hale Farm in Summit County. In addition to the battle reenactments, you’ll also hear interpretations of free and enslaved people from the era. Trades like blacksmithing and glassblowing will also be demonstrated.
- Formerly known as the Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival, the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival celebrates the arts with family-friendly activities and performances from August 11 through August 13. Activities include a motorcycle & car cruise-in, concerts, food, and arts and crafts.
- What’s not to love about four acres of sunflowers in bloom? The Coshocton Sunflower Festival celebrates the joy of friends, family, and sunshine. If you’re looking for Instagrammable photos, this is the place! They also have live music, food trucks, a beer garden, and craft vendors.
- Genoa Park in Columbus is home to Festival Latino, a family-friendly event celebrating the Latin cultures of Ohio. Enjoy children’s activities, music, dancing, art, and of course, amazing Latin food.
- Cambridge also hosts an arts and crafts festival this weekend. The Salt Fork Arts and Crafts Festival at Cambridge City Park features juried artists, craft classes, live music, storytellers, plus food and refreshments. I have many fond memories of this festival as my family used to go every year when I was little. My grandma and grandpa loved this event and picked up many keepsakes.
- Just outside Columbus, Reynoldsburg is throwing the 58th Annual Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival from August 10 through August 12. The weekend events include a car show, carnival rides, a pickleball tournament, and tomato wars.
- Clay Resorts Jellystone Park will host Neon Nights on August 11th and August 12th. This country music festival includes performances from Travis Tritt and Tim McGraw. Onsite camping is also available.
- August 11th and 12th bring the annual Maumee Summer Fair to Northwest Ohio. Browse over 150 arts and crafts booths, regional bands, bounce houses, inflatables, a beer garden, and local food vendors.
- Head to Emory Adams Park in Findlay from August 11 through 13 for the Flag City Balloon Fest. This free event will feature dozens of hot air balloons, as well as balloon flights and a balloon glow at dusk on Friday and Saturday.
August 17 – August 20, 2023
- Saturday, August 19th is the 10th Annual Lancaster BrewFest. VIP tickets offer early admission to this all-day event celebrating local brewers.
- The Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival is a three-day event that started in 1968. Besides all-you-can-eat bratwursts, there’s a craft show, a 5k color run, nightly parades, pageants, and an art show.
- For all kinds of amazing food, head to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard for the Columbus Food Truck Festival. This foodie festival is now in its 12th year, and every year gets bigger and better. In addition to dozens of food trucks from around the country, the festival also features live music, arts, crafts, and retail merchandise.
- In the northeast corner of Ohio, Conneaut is home to D-Day Conneaut, a historical reenactment of the D-Day events at Normandy Beach. This is a ticketed event with over 1,400 reenactment participants. A great educational opportunity!
Tip: Check out our list of more military museums and monuments in Ohio. - The Dayton African American Cultural Festival is a great way to learn about the many African cultures of Ohio. The celebration has live music, storytelling, an African village, a kid’s corner, an African wedding, and plenty of fantastic food.
- Just outside Dayton, the Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival celebrates the sweetcorn harvest with classic American BBQ-style food, entertainment, kids’ activities, and arts and crafts. It wouldn’t be a corn festival without a cornhole tournament and a corn-eating contest!
- For good, old-fashioned fun, head to Lexington, just outside Mansfield for the Lexington Blueberry Festival. Enjoy carnival rides, pageants, parades, movies in the park, a car and motorcycle show, live music, and lots of blueberry treats!
- The city of Mentor in Northeast Ohio hosts a two-day festival that’s fun for the whole family. Mentor CityFest has interactive entertainment, games, activities, over 20 food vendors, and more! There’s also a parade Saturday morning and a color run on Saturday evening.
- Another Southeast Ohio Festival is The Parade of the Hills in Nelsonville. Four days of events kick off on Wednesday, August 16. This family-friendly festival features a 5K, fiddlers contest, pie auction, parades, and beauty pageants.
- Just outside Cleveland, South Euclid Rock the Block is the biggest party of the summer. The festival lineup includes great music acts, from country to yacht rock. A variety of food, fair games, and carnival rides round out the attractions of this family event.
- Aircraft and aviation fans won’t want to miss the Akron Props and Pistons Festival on August 19 and August 20. Events include a kids’ zone, food trucks, live music, a veteran’s ceremony, and a car show. The main attraction is the air show and the opportunity to ride in several different types of aircraft.
- North Market in Dublin will host the North Market Wine Fest at Bridge Park on August 18 and 19. Sample wines from around the world, with proceeds going to the Ohio Public Market Authority. Various admission levels are available, and you can save $5 on General Admission by purchasing your ticket in advance.
- Little River Bar & Grill in Oregonia is celebrating the 3rd annual Little River Bluegrass Festival from August 18 through August 20. Wristbands can be purchased in advance, and you can save $5 with a 3-day pass. In addition to live music, food, drinks, and primitive camping are also available.
- Celebrate veterans and military members at Fort Jennings Fort Fest from August 18 through August 20. Now in its 11th year, the weekend festival includes an 1812 reenactment, a gun raffle, a car show, and live entertainment.
August 24 – August 27, 2023
- Put-In-Bay is a great spot for a country music festival. Bash on the Bay features big acts like Luke Bryan and Pitbull, plus tons of other great acts during this two-day festival. Access the island via Miller Ferry or the Jet Express ferry from Port Clinton will run special ferries after the concert.
- Love spicy food? The Columbus Fiery Foods Festival is for you! Head to the Main Street Bridge on the Scioto Mile for some of the hottest and spiciest food from around the country. Pre-register for one of several eating contests: hot wings, hot pizza, and hot peppers are on the menu for these hot competitions.
- For a different kind of spice, Cleveland is hosting the Cleveland Garlic Festival. In addition to garlic fries and local craft beers, there’s a kids’ area with a climbing wall, live music, a Miss Garlic pageant, and a Top Chef Grill-Off.
- The beautiful Clifton Gorge will be hosting the Clifton Gorge Music and Arts Festival this last weekend of August. Live music, glass-blowing demonstrations, art and craft vendors, and a beer tent are just a few of the highlights of this summer festival.
- Malvern in Eastern Ohio is home to the Great Trail Festival, a celebration of American Folk Art and Crafting. Now in its 41st year, this festival occurs over the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September. Enjoy food, music, fiddlers, bagpipes, tomahawk throwing, plus historic lectures and demonstrations.
- The village of Ripley in Southern Ohio is host to the Ohio Rural Heritage Festival. The weekend kicks off Thursday evening with pageants and live music. Other fun events of the weekend include a Golden Girls pageant, parade, bed race, 5k run/walk, military display, and a rubber duck race.
- The Dayton suburb of Kettering is home to the Ohio Valley Orchid Fest, a must for any gardener or florist. In addition to an orchid show and orchid sales, there is a full weekend of food trucks, family activities, speakers, and auctions.
- As fall approaches, German festivals start to pop up all over the state. The earliest one is the Germania Society Oktoberfest in Cincinnati. Now in its 51st year, the festival features German food, traditional German dancing and music, plus games and souvenirs for the whole family.
- The third weekend in August brings the Egyptian festival to St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church of Cleveland. It’s a great chance to learn about Egyptian culture, with music, food, and shopping, as well as fun children’s play areas.
- Head to Clinton County Fairgrounds in Wilmington for this weekend’s Farm to Bottle Festival. This event brings together distillers, brewers, and winemakers for three days of celebration. Events include a car show, bike show, Jeep show, and live music.
- The Annual Wonderbus Music & Arts Festival kicks off Friday on the Lawn at CAS in Columbus. Headliners include PitBull, Demi Lovato, and Caamp. Besides live music on multiple stages, the event features art and superior food offerings.
I hope we’ve given you some ideas on things to do during the month of August. If you’re still at a loss for what to do, I encourage you to visit the website of your local visitor center and see what’s happening in your own area. And don’t forget those local attractions that you may have simply overlooked in the past.
Do you have a favorite event that takes place every August in Ohio? Share it below so we can check it out too.
