Columbus kicks off winter with a free party downtown. On Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm, WinterFest Columbus moves to a new home at Dorrian Green, the park in front of COSI on the Scioto Mile, for its ninth edition of family fun.
The Columbus Recreation and Parks festival is free, with admission and activities included. Families can visit the petting farm from Bring The Farm To You, play in the Gingerbread Playland, try the mechanical reindeer, and join lawn games like cornhole and giant Pong, then warm up by the fire pits and heaters in Adirondack chairs or head for the Dorrian Green playground.
Live Columbus music runs all afternoon: indie rock trio Silvis from 12:00 to 1:00 pm, Apricot House with its Japanese city pop flavor from 1:30 to 2:30 pm, and funk, disco, and pop from EMILÍ from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Food trucks Dirty Frank’s and Pizza Cottage serve seasonal specials, including a Franksgiving Dog and a sweet cranberry-apple pizza.
Make it a full family day: across the plaza, COSI opens its Season of Celebrations the same morning with a tree lighting ceremony at 11:00 am in its atrium, free for everyone that day. Then it is just a short stroll to WinterFest — and as evening falls, the downtown holiday lights along the Scioto Mile glow from dusk to dawn through early January.
Photo: Columbus Recreation and Parks Department / Scioto Mile
