COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Arts Festival, presented by the American Electric Power Foundation and produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), is excited to welcome Columbus-based headline performances to the Genoa Park Main Stage and Bicentennial Park Stage throughout the Festival weekend, June 7-9.

This year the Festival will feature four performance stages: the Genoa Park Main Stage, Bicentennial Park Stage, Big Local Arts Stage, and Word is Art & Acoustic Lounge.

Headliner Performances

On Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m., the Genoa Park Main Stage will once again host Fashion As Art, a fashion show featuring four local designers curated by designer and fiber artist Celeste Malvar-Stewart. Then at 9 p.m. the stage welcomes rising superstar DrippDaDon, whose genre-bending music combines elements of African and American music. On Saturday, June 8 at 9 p.m., the Genoa Park Main Stage is headlined by The Worn Flints, a Columbus-based rock trio whose influences range from Queen to Ray Charles to Led Zeppelin.

After being closed in 2023 due to construction, the Bicentennial Park Stage will return to action this year, hosting music, spoken word and poetry all three days of the Festival weekend. On Friday, June 7, Angela Perley takes the stage with her unique blend of alt-country, rock and Americana. Then on Saturday, June 8 at 9 p.m., renowned singer-songwriter Josh Krajcik brings his soulful, storytelling style to the Festival.

“We’re always proud of our lineup of music, theater, dance and spoken word at the Columbus Arts Festival,” says Festival Director Alexis Perrone. “And this year we’re especially excited to focus exclusively on Columbus-based artists. While Festival guests browse artwork and enjoy food and drinks, they can enjoy some of the city’s best performers on four stages spread out across the Festival grounds.”

Genoa Park Main Stage, presented by ABC6 and Huntington

Throughout the weekend, the Genoa Park Main Stage will also play host to a variety of music, dance and theater performances from Columbus-based groups. On Friday, June 7, dancer and storyteller David Jon Krohn, David & Brayden: The Good Boys of Magic, Whirlwind Dance and Aethereal Jest Arts Council take the stage, with musical acts like Andy Shaw Band, Paper Airplane and Zoo Trippin’ as well. Highlights on Saturday, June 8 include Momentum, Flavor’d Flow Studios, Candice Flows, Columbus Children’s Theatre, TBD: The Improvised Musical, The Receiver, and Joe Camerlengo & The Dads, while on Sunday, June 9, groups like CoMo Dance, Ballet Folclórico Xochihua, NAMS Theatre Department and The Whiles take the stage.

Bicentennial Park Stage

The Bicentennial Park Stage returns for the 2024 Columbus Arts Festival with a lineup of poetry, storytelling and music. On Friday, June 7 during the day, the stage features a variety of writers and poets, including the Writers’ Circle and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. In addition to the evening headliners, the stage will welcome musical acts like Ebri Yahloe, Lily Bloom and The Cordial Sins on Friday, June 7; NACHO Street Band, Whitley Jean, Dairy Family, Topher James, Red Healer and The Deeptones on Saturday, June 8; and Shaun Booker Dammit Band, Quan Howell’s Gospel Hour and Parker Louis on Sunday, June 9.

Word is Art & Acoustic Lounge

The Word is Art & Acoustic Lounge, located in the courtyard of the Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center, features musicians, poets, writers, storytellers and other spoken word artists Saturday and Sunday during the Festival. Saturday highlights include Flip the Page Teen Literary Journal, DiVERSES Live Poetry Podcast, Eat Our Words, Sound of Music from the Columbus Recreation & Parks Department, Columbus Skaters, BackWall Performers and Writers’ Block Poetry Night, amongst other groups. Sunday’s selections include Village Poetry, Columbus musical duo Starlit Ways, Teacher Voice and a variety of individual fiction writers and poets.

Big Local Arts Stage

The Big Local Arts Stage, located again under the railway overpass on West Street Rich, serves as a gateway between the Festival grounds and the Franklinton Arts District. The stage sits next to the Big Local Arts Village, and will feature a variety of Columbus-based bands all three days of the Festival. Friday acts include Jake Smith Quartet, Corey Landis & The Finer Things, The Swiss Family, Smug Brothers and Minnows, while Saturday features Gus and the TV, Morning Theft, Yacobucci, Dom Deshawn and Joey Aich. Sunday’s lineup includes Trista Hill & Phil Maneri, Mary Steel, Big Fat Head, Teratogen and Flex Crew.

The complete performance schedule for all of the Festival stages and all three days of entertainment is viewable at: columbusartsfestival.org/visit/performance-schedule.

Festival Hours: Friday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Please note: on Friday and Saturday artist booths close at 9 p.m.; artists have the option to stay open later.)

To volunteer at the Columbus Arts Festival, please go to columbusartsfestival.org/engage/volunteer.

For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call (614) 221-8531 or visit columbusartsfestival.org.

For a selection of high-res images, visit the Festival’s press media page.

The Columbus Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

The 2024 Columbus Arts Festival is presented by the American Electric Power Foundation. Additional sponsors and partners include Bank of America, Bath and Body Works Foundation, Battelle, COSI, Downtown Columbus, Edwards Communities, Encova, G&J Pepsi, Go Brewing, Graeter’s, High Bank Distillery, Holiday Inn Downtown, Hotel LeVeque, Huntington, IGS Energy, The Junto, King Business Interiors, MLS All-Star Summer Roadshow, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, OSA Technology Partners, Paul-Henri and Erika Bourguignon Charitable Trust, PNC Bank, Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center, Rhinegeist, Sonesta Columbus Downtown, South Wind Motel, Toyota, Visit Savannah, The Westin Great Southern Columbus, White Castle and Whole World Lemonade. Media sponsors include ABC6/FOX28, Columbus Radio Group, Dispatch Media Group, Lamar Outdoor, Ohio Magazine, Orange Barrel Media, WCBE and WOSU Public Media.

Mission of the Greater Columbus Arts Council: To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org

The Greater Columbus Arts Council receives major financial support from the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners, Ohio Arts Council and The Ohio State University. None of these funds are used for the production of the Columbus Arts Festival.

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