Memorial Day is approaching, and with it comes mornings filled with parades and bellies filled with cookout fare.
However, you can get your fill of both before the day of remembrance, thanks to a trio of festivals, all taking place on May 23-24.
Asian Festival, the Ohio Black Expo: Riverfront Culture Fest and Land-Grant x Jeni’s Strawberry Jam will offer foods for all palates, live music, family-friendly fun, and other activities. (Yes, there’s even a parade.)
The events could draw a combined 140,000-plus visitors to Columbus over two days, if attendance mirrors 2025 numbers reported by event organizers. Asian Festival alone counted more than 100,000 attendees last year.
If you want to be a part of the weekend festivities, all you need is a clear schedule and some details, which we’ve provided below.
Asian Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 24
Where: Franklin Park, 1755 E. Broad St.
What: Aimed at promoting cultural diversity, education and community connection, the festival celebrates Asian and Pacific Islander heritage with food, arts, shopping, and performances from traditional dance and music to martial arts and more.
Festivalgoers can browse the marketplace, view educational and cultural displays, and enjoy a smorgasbord of authentic Asian cuisines including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Thai, and Filipino.
Organizers advise attendees to arrive early to avoid crowd and parking snafus.
Cost: Admission is free. Parking is available near Franklin Park, but it fills up quickly. See website for parking locations. Some have free shuttle service one hour before to one hour after the festival.
Info: asian-festival.org
Ohio Black Expo: Riverfront Culture Fest
When: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. May 23, noon to 10 p.m. May 24
Where: Genoa Park, 303 W. Broad St.
What: Empowerment, education and entertainment are hallmarks of this celebration of Black excellence and culture, which will kick off with a parade at noon May 23.
The rain-or-shine festival will offer such attractions as food trucks, 100-plus vendors, an HBCU college fair, storytelling, and a family zone with bounce houses, games, music, health and wellness checks, and other activities.
Featured performers will include Columbus-based J Rawls and Mix Master Ice, R&B singer October London, British R&B band Loose Ends, hip-hop’s Dead Prez and Rapsody, and multi-genre Grammy winners Tank and the Bangas, among others.
Grammy-nominated hip-hop emcee and radio personality Monie Love will serve as a special guest host.
Proceeds from the festival will support youth and community programs.
Cost: Through May 22, tickets cost $25 for one day and $40 for both days. Same-day purchases online and at the gate will cost $30 for one day and $45 for both days.
Children ages 10 and younger will be admitted for free.
Info: ohioblackexpo.com
Land-Grant x Jeni’s Strawberry Jam
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 23-24
Where: Land-Grant Brewing Co., 424 W. Town St.
What: The ninth annual Strawberry Jam will celebrate Ohio’s peak season for the seeded red fruit with live music and pretty much everything strawberry you can think of!
Thirteen food trucks will serve a bevy of berry-licious goodies including salsa, doughnuts, pretzel bites, dessert pizza, strawberry-stuffed buckeyes, and grilled chicken and pork belly in a strawberry miso ginger sauce.
Returning favorites include Scmidt’s Sausage Haus’ signature strawberry cream puff, Jeni’s strawberry buttermilk ice cream, and Splendid Strawberry Rhubarb Ale, a Land-Grant and Jeni’s collaboration. Hirsch Fruit Farm will also have fresh, local strawberries.
Other big draws will include local music, kid-centric activities in the Strawberry Patch and a vendor’s market selling fruit-themed items like stationery, posters, jam, gift sets, mugs, and bowls.
And of course, beloved mascot Strawberry Jammie will be there, making it a sweet weekend for all.
Cost: Admission is free.
Info: landgrantbrewing.com/jenis-strawberry-jam
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at bpaschal@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 3 festivals kick off Memorial Day weekend in Columbus
Reporting by Belinda M. Paschal, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
