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    Comfest

    4.3 (75 reviews)

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    Heather D.

    Great festival to go to if you're a hippie and you're into free love. You get to hear some good local music and have some good local eats. Make sure you come early so you can find some parking because there is no parking available you have to park on the street or pay to park somewhere so be prepared to spend about an hour to find parking. Make sure to bring some extra money with you to explore the local crafts that are on display and available for purchase. You can bring a blanket so you can sit down for a while and enjoy as many bands as you want in a row or bring your stroller if you have children it's all allowed.

    Comfest, Goodale Park
    Shawnie K.

    When I go to Comfest, I have flashbacks to the South Park episode where all the hippies take over town during the Hippie Jam Fest... well, this isn't quite that extreme, but it has it's moments. I quite embrace this festival for what it stands (peace, love, and justice) AND for the weekend full of contunuous live music. I love live music, so this is the perfect opportunity to experience the array of awesome (and not-so-awesome) musicians central Ohio has to offer--- and for FREE. You pay out the wazoo for parking and beer, but if you don't drink, you're in luck... but, it's safe to say most people who attend Comfest DO drink (or are anesthetized by other substances). It's peaceful. Loving. Mellow. And often very stinky (think B.O.)... and don't even get me started on the port-o-johns... With that said, I don my earthiest outfi, pack up my wooly blanket and cooler of drinks and head over to Goodale Park. I am patient with parking, which is helpful as we like to attend during peak times, when it is near impossible to find easy parking in Victorian Village. I don't mind walking either and usually end up parking in Harrison West or near campus. The people-watching alone makes it worth the trek! Community Festival (hence Comfest) is first and foremost a platform for the organization to spout off about social and political issues- but this is done against the backdrop of a free music festival. Most folks just come for the music, which is contunuous on a number of stages throughout Goodale Park.... but despite being free, I usually spend a ton of money parking, eating and drinking, but it is totally worth it. Money goes to good social causes, like local homeless shelters. If my drunkeness can help a fellow in need, all the better! The musicians also volunteer their time and music, playing for free. This is a Columbus festival to the core. Love or or hate it, you can't help but appreciate its uniqueness. Despite my poking fun and generalizing, I love Comfest! Can't wait for it to come around again! I went twice this year. It was a great to ring in the weekend, watching The Randy's play a happy hour show on the Gazebo stage. It was even better to end the weekend at the jazz stage Sunday night. A torrential downpour Sunday afternoon did not deter the faithful. If anything, it lent to the "woodstock" mood. A word of advice: I'm not sure I'd bring my kids, but to each their own. I also want to note that some women tend to stroll around topless (many who have no business being without clothes!) but again, to each their own. In fact, last Comfest I saw a stoned, topless woman pulling her kid around in a red wagon... go figure. Aside from those minor critiques.... what you leave with is a good message and fabulous music! HAPPY COMFEST!

    Giving out hugs for free.
    Ryan S.

    Short for Community Festival, Comfest has happened every summer since '72. Its purpose is to push ideas: for people over profit, the equality of all people, and that basic necessities of life are rights, not privileges. That's all well and good; but do we actually take those values from the fest and activate them in the rest of our lives? From a cynical prospective Comfest can seem like nothing more than a hippie St Pats Day; on a day in March we are Irish, in May we are Hispanic, October Zombies, and the last week in June we are Dead Heads, Hare Krishna peaceniks, and Hot Topic layered flower children. Just a dress up playtime before we toss off the psychedelic threads and return to our hyper-consumerist, my-me-mine, dog-eat-dog, rat race world. I hadn't been there since 2000, but circled it as a must do after I finally secured summer weekends off. I remembered my wild times in the '90s, when it still had an edge. I could employ the old canard "It's become popular, now it sucks," but I am not going to because I enjoyed my Sunday trip this year. Delightful art tents and venders, steaming food trucks, and a variety of music found in every corner energizes and gets you swaying. The people that pack the old park are the main entertainment, though it really is just the same old crowd you'd find at the fair, they just act different. There's the business man in flea marked scruffy finds, the pharmaceutical rep in floral dresses and suede vests, the dude-bros in a Rastafarian hats, mothers in loose puffy blouses and beads, the frat girls with fury boots, the geography teacher in tie-dyed tees, teenybopper and a number of babe in strollers all letting loose in the smog of rag weed and the constant bubbling water of bong. There is lots to do and see here. They close Park Street past Goodale and vendors and trucks run into the Arena District. The crowd can be huge, so it takes some skill to transverse it fluidly. Bring a blanket or chair to sit on--I forgot to do so and my friend and I had to sit on dirt (It's been awhile.) You can not bring your own beer anymore, so you have to buy it there; the choices sucked this year; Miller Light or Paps, or a $7 overpriced Columbus Brewery IPA where the choices. Bring cash. The ATM here do not value people over profit. For all the peace and love theme of the event it does cast a dark Jungian shadow. I did feel the subtext of conflict and aggression. It seems a rift is brewing between the city, careful of a park in it gentrified Short North jewel, the promoters, the acts, and the attendees. They had to tape off the area in front of the main stage due to the rains and the damage thereof. With a strangely place sound box blocking most peoples view of the stage many jumped the tape. You could feel the tension about that. The feeling I get is that Comfest at Goodale is not long for the world. I can see it being moved to the Ohio State Fairgrounds, or another less urban and less cool place in the future. That would be a shame. In a positive view maybe Comfest does influence people. My last stop was to view a poetry reading from a African inspired poetry troupe. With drums and swinging dancers the performance was divine and missed by almost everyone else, as only about 20 watched it. In front was a young girl who had more fun there than most of us do all year. Topless, and with out any self-consciousness she dove in the mud, hug, danced and took the free-spired nature of the event to its full level. It made me think, seeing her suck the marrow out of life in a manner I seldom had in the last few decades, how up-tight this society is. Too up-tight and anxious and bland beyond belief. I think I'll try to be more easy going and let loose a little more. Life is too short the to spend it as a square.

    Some Band There
    Steve A.

    I like festivals and Comfest is the best one in Columbus. It has often been said it's not as fun as it was. That is true because now everyone wants to be there and the assholes ruin it for the rest of us. It's free so you can't complain about it because you're not forced to buy anything. The music is not always good but it's nice background noise while passed out under a tree, and the vendors sell lots of cool local products. If you haven't been there you should know a few things. It's in Goodale Park, a really nice park any time of the year. There's lots of space to stretch out and watch bands or people. It gets crowded around the stages and on the streets. People walk so fucking slow. Another problem is getting there. It's better to not drive if you can. Busses go past the park. There's parking along several streets if you can walk. On Sundays the city has free parking at meters. The people in charge say you shouldn't bring pets. Attendees are like fuck that, and bring their dogs, pigs, and whatever anyway. It's not a good place for them. There are loud noises and many people so they go crazy. The beer process is kind of weird. First you buy tokens then you use them when you buy the beer. This means you have to wait in line twice. It also can be a long wait. The beer is also expensive. A 20 oz. of something is about $7. It also has other alcohol options like wine. A review of Comfest is not complete without talking about the boobs. Yes, there's a few topless chicks there and many of them shouldn't be. Many like the attention but some get offended if stared at. There's some you should ask before taking pictures. I think Comfest is good for the city of Columbus. It's a fun way to blow the weekend and to act like an idiot. There are lots of music and people to see and it's all free so get there.

    ComFest 2008 - a little rainy
    Morgan D.

    I am becoming more and more of a barefoot free spirit. So when it comes to ComFest, I feel like these are my people - mostly, besides the ones who ONLY come for the beer and the painted boobies. It's not that beer and boobies aren't part of the charm of ComFest, but they shouldn't be your sole reason for going. The Community Festival started way back in 1972 and was the project of a group including the likes of Libby Gregory. The group was looking for a way to advocate issues like human and animal rights, and they understood the importance of community involvement when it came to solving problems. When the festival got too large, it moved off campus and to its current location in Goodale Park - the perfect place to have such a festival. ComFest has maintained much of the same spirit, but I can definitely see that it's being tainted by people who just don't get it. At least they're there, being exposed to the messages, even if they're not consciously absorbing the reason for the party. If you go, you'll find this is more of a holiday than a festival. People look forward to it all year, and on ground, you'll hear people telling each other 'Happy ComFest!' At ComFest, you'll find a healthy assortment of vendors selling everything from politically minded T-shirts to original artwork to Vegan burgers. The food is great, and the beer that's poured into iconic cups so large they can hold an entire bottle of wine is even better (minus the Pale Ale). But the real reasons to go to ComFest are for the music and the energy of the crowd. There are multiple stages in the park and simultaneous performances happening at each. The bands are pretty much all local. Some are really good, some are meh. They all go through a screening process, so it's not like you're going to see a band out there that's downright awful, maybe just not you're style. One of the stages features performing arts; it's a great place to find Anna and the Annadroids. The crowd is so laid back. I love seeing barefoot guys tossing a Frisbee around while a dread-locked group takes a nap under a shade tree and a couple of teenagers dangle their legs into the pond. I love all the dogs and the kids running around. I can usually spend the whole day there, as long as the festivities aren't cursed by the weather, which is typical. But even when it rains, even when it pours, people stick around. Parking can be tough if you don't beat the rush. I do feel awful for people who live around the park and can't move their cars for fear they won't have a spot when they come back home. If you go to ComFest, make sure to drink up. DON"T bring your own beer. They make all their money off of beer sales; think of yourself as a do-gooder.

    Just one of the crazy things you can do at Comfest

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    Review Highlights - Comfest

    With the festival taking place at Goodale Park, it's pretty much in my backyard and impossible for me to avoid.

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    North Market Ohio Wine Festival - Grab a glass & jump in!

    North Market Ohio Wine Festival

    (18 reviews)

    Short North

    Soooo much fun!!!…read more As my first year in Ohio, this was a great experience for me!! Not being familiar with any of the local wineries, this was a great way to introduce me to them and find out which ones I want to actually go visit. I LOVE wine... remember, you need several servings of fruit a day... grapes are a fruit... wine is made from grapes!!! Therefore, wine is good for you!!! As for the location at the North Market... what a great combination!! After tasting 20+ wines, one does need a bit of a snack to go with all those grapes... Can't wait to go again next year!! Thanks Columbus for making moving here so much fun!!

    I was pretty excited when I realized the wine festival was happening the weekend I had planned a…read moretrip to Columbus. I love wine and I love the North Market so this seemed like the best combo possible, right? Not so much. There was just now enough room between stands to stand, socialize, drink wine, and then move on. Had the event been held in the massive parking lot owned by the North Market, I easily would've given it 5 stars. Honestly the wine and merchants there were AWESOME but you just couldn't enjoy anything you were drinking unless you totally left the vendor areas between every single sample. Perks that totally made it worth going: 1) Great vendors-- I especially loved the Wisconsin hard cider booth. Bangin' sangria! And honestly you can never go wrong with Ohio wines! 2) There was a free photobooth sponsored by Crave 3) Entry came with a $5 coupon for the North Market...which basically gives you an excuse to get Jeni's ice cream. And any excuse to get Jeni's is a great excuse. All in all, yes if I was ever in Columbus the weekend of the wine fest, I'd go again. But the wine fest sponsored by Giant Eagle in Cleveland is much better.

    The Columbus Food Truck Fest - Peach Ice cream (Johnson's Real Ice Cream)

    The Columbus Food Truck Fest

    (19 reviews)

    Downtown

    Live Music, Food trucks galore, and various Art & Crafts, Vintage and other vendors everywhere! Got…read moreto love it. What an awesome time and recommend going if you can. Located downtown Columbus on The Scioto Mile or Scioto Peninsula or whatever we are calling it but it's downtown positioned around Cosi. We took a ride share in but there was plenty of garages around for parking. I found it easy in and out of the festival. We enjoyed a variety of delicious foods, including burritos, empanadas, crunch wraps, nachos, funnel cakes, popsicles, and ice cream. We visited: Big Pappy's BBQ Spanglish Latin Street Food Empanadas and More Rime Time Pops Glaze'em Gourmet Funnel Cakes Johnson's Real Ice Cream Music was great, the crowds were tolerable but very busy. Only complaint is that you could not just get a water or pop. You had to purchase tickets and it had to be purchased just like the beer and alcohol. All beverages required a ticket, individual trucks could not sell drinks, and the lines were long at the beverage tents. Not a fan of this design. My pro-tip is to bring cash. You can save money as the vendors we went to factored card charges and there were two sets of prices upon payment (cash vs card). Also, several beverage ticket areas - i recommend the one by Junto. It never seemed to have the crowd the others did. Check it out. The festival is here through Sunday. For more info, check out https://columbusfoodtruckfest.com/

    I'm a bit late with this review but the festival was kind of underwhelming this year. It was in…read moreHilliard and lacked the atmosphere and vibrancy of it being downtown. We went on a Sunday and honestly it was pretty boring, just walking around in a circle looking at the trucks and vendors. We tried some food from a Brazilian truck and that was probably the best food we had all day. Everything is super pricey now and most of the food was okay at best. I spent close to $30 on a plate and beef patty from ire jam grill and it was probably my least favorite thing I ate. Idk man Caribbean/Jamaican food in Columbus is not it. Also any time I go to a festival the first thing I look for is funnel cakes. No offense to the ladies with the glaze em gourmet funnel cakes truck there, but sometimes the classics are the way to go, just a normal funnel cake with some powdered sugar, without all of the frills. I wound up ordering one from them anyways for my son at close to $16, all of the toppings, glaze and extras just made it soggy. The icy paw and empanadas and more food trucks were probably the best ones I tried. I'm kind of torn about going next year, spent way too much on food I didn't like.

    North Market - Outside

    North Market

    (1.1k reviews)

    $$

    Short North

    The North Market has been an existence in Columbus for years. When I first began coming here, it…read morewas located near the present site in a Quanset hut type building, but the concept was the same as most farmers market style experiences. Vendors located in stalls within the building. The same concept has been expanded upon and grown into a huge, well lighted, and diverse shopping experience. Food vendors, and other shops, dedicated to home and lifestyle experiences abound in this large, friendly environment. Fresh produce can often be found here. Satellite operations now actually exist in several leather parts of the city, but the concept is the same. On site flat lot parking is available as well as street parking, and parking in a number of garages nearby. This is a great place to come for lunch or dinner, perhaps before an event at one of the several venues in the Arena District entertainment area.

    I love coming to North Market for a food adventure!…read more The construction has made a mess of parking and walkways in general. We happened to walk over from a few blocks away, but there was snow and ice on every sidewalk - it sucked to get there tbh. Can't do anything about the massive building being build practically on top of this historic building, but that's Columbus for you. So if you don't mind walking a bit in potentially garbage weather with untended sidewalks, it's super fun to visit. Jeni's is always a treat for dessert, but so is Buckeye Donuts. The Crepes menu sounds amazing, too. We tried Satori ramen bar and it was hot and flavorful! The bakery next to Satori on the corner has amazing baked goods, too.

    Comfest - festivals - Updated May 2026

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