Sarah Adams of Lewis Center started going to ComFest while in college.
She had such a good time there, she thought she should help others have an equally good time at the annual event.
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The Community Festival has been a staple of the last full weekend in June in Goodale Park for more than 50 years. It distinguishes itself by declining corporate sponsorships and instead relying on an all-volunteer force.
That has included Adams for about the last 11 years.
“I always attended, and then the more I attended, I thought, ‘Well, this place is run by volunteers. I should help it run,’ ” she says.
Some 3,000 shifts are available for volunteers to claim, and the roles available range from stage crews to bartenders to safety ambassadors to docents.
“The most recent years, I’ve been doing the merchandise booth,” Adams says. “Part of my interest there is because ComFest doesn’t have any sponsors, we need to earn the money to make the festival happen. By selling our own merchandise, we get to help fund the festival.”
Whether going as an attendee or as a volunteer, this year’s ComFest—set for June 26-28—offers the expected eclectic array. Four stages will present music of various kinds throughout the three days.
“A big draw is the local music,” says Marty Stutz, a spokesperson for ComFest, noting four stages to host area musicians and acts in various genres.
In an effort to attract younger crowds, ComFest has also hopped aboard the Silent Disco train. For the uninitiated, the idea is this: Several DJs each play music of their choosing, but it’s piped into the earphones of people in the Silent Disco space. “You can pick a channel of which DJ you want to dance or groove to,” Stutz says, but even if you don’t partake, it makes for some interesting watching.
“As you approach the Silent Disco, if you’re a bystander, you’ll see a whole bunch people just moving around,” he says.
The Street Fair will be populated by artisans, craftspeople and vendors selling food, and community groups and comedy acts will have a home at the Peace and Healing Pavilion.
“That sense of solidarity and meaning, to try to make the world a better place, really pulls not just volunteers but attendees together,” Stutz says. Those wishing to volunteer are directed to the ComFest website, but they can also join after they show up.
“People who may not know they can volunteer, and that they get lots of cool stuff when they volunteer, will sign up while they’re at the festival for a shift,” Stutz says.
More ways to volunteer in Columbus this summer
It is better to give than to receive, and that doesn’t become any less true over the summer. Below is a sampling of area organizations and events in need of helping hands.
Columbus Arts Festival
columbusartsfestival.org/engage/volunteer
Columbus Gives Back
columbusgivesback.org
Columbus Humane
columbushumane.org/volunteer
Keep Columbus Beautiful
columbus.gov/community/department-of-neighborhoods/keep-columbus-beautiful
Lutheran Social Services
lssnetworkofhope.org/get-involved
Mid-Ohio Food Collective
mofc.org/get-involved/volunteer
This story appeared in the June 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly as part of the Summer Entertainment Guide feature package. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Connect With Community at Columbus’ ComFest This Summer
Reporting by Peter Tonguette, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
