Food is good. Plenty of seating for the West Park Stage. Weather is perfect. The artists are great! read more

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It's always good. The bad part is the long lines. Next year it needs to be live streamed. read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Arrived about 1 hour til close but was worth it even though the lines were still long we were able to get food and sit and watch 2 mins of the last Latin performance lol unfortunately about 2 fights broke out but everyone seemed to be okay and enjoying their time! Will be attending next year! read more

Recently visited the Jazz and Rib fest and the food and music was great! This yearly event is definitely worth going to! They have the best ribs to choose from but also delicious corn on the cob, fresh lemonade funnel cakes and more! read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Unlike Indy's Jazz fest, Columbus, Ohio's is FREE! Free 99. No cost. The only thing that will cost you is parking, food and beverages, if you don't bring your own food and drinks. You are encouraged to support local food vendors and dragging food with our party was something I just wasn't feeling this summer. We did take water and ice because it was decently toasty each day we went to the Fest. Do you want Ribs? Oh, they are in abundance but know you may have a long wait, so plan ahead on who you will have to get the food while someone secures an area to sit. Bring chairs, little tables, and blankets if you do not want to try to vie for a seat on one of the few sparingly available benches. I recommend downloading the Jazz & Rib Fest official app to plan who you want to see as there are 3 stages with musical acts happening all day long until at least 9 pm at night. I do not recommend trying to pay for parking in advance in the app because I found that it did not work and I was still charged. Had to file a dispute against ParkMobile about that which was a pain to do. The fest is a nice event to hang with friends for an evening in downtown Columbus so I definitely recommend going. If you are still on the fence about being around large crowds due to COVID-19, know that this event was packed at the stage that drew the big acts so you may want to check out the smaller stage acts. read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Literally over an hour wait at every food stall. Slowest food I've ever had to wait for. Costs just as much as a restaurant so I'd say not worth it. read more

About the only good thing about this is the music and the people watching. We can't come here early in the day due to other obligations. So it's either Friday or Saturday evening for us. We came on Saturday at around 7:30. It's not like it's super crowded but the lines for everything are way too long. I'm guessing about 50 to 100 people in line at every food stand. Lines wrapping around so it can be tough to see where they end. So once again none of us got food. We sat near the West Bank stage where there were very few spots available with shade. We found a spot but couldn't see the stage. Better that than sitting in the sun I guess. I waited in line for about 20 minutes to get drinks. After we finished those we went to a restaurant to eat. Now I know why we haven't come to this event in years. If you can't make it early in the day when there are fewer people you'll wait in line maybe an hour (or more) for food. I don't know what they can do about it but it's not an enjoyable experience smelling the ribs cooking and being expected to stand in line so long to buy them. If you're hungry and it's the evening don't bother coming to this. I don't know I could give this more than 1 star when it's nearly impossible to get any food. Columbus badly needs another rib festival, cook off, whatever. Something where attendees can actually eat ribs. read more

Jesse "JT Jazz" Thompson and his band had another amazing outstanding performance on Saturday! Each year, we look forward to going to the festival, having some great food and listening to his group perform. read more

I've been to this festival for several years and usually enjoy it. As of late, however, it's getting super crowded and you wait in long lines for food that can be meh. It's hard to decide which truck to visit and don't be swayed by the trophies displayed. Prices are high and crowd management can be better. We may skip next year. Food truck festival is better IMO. read more

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Great music fun atmosphere for friends and families. Oh did I mention ribs, ribs and more ribs read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Is the rib jazz festival a r and b festival the lack of current jazz artists is dwindling and definitely none existent in 2024 I have been attending since it was a 2 day event at the old central high school. Me and large group of friends spend money for jazz not washed up r and b the city of Columbus should turn the event back over to the arena district. Columbus is better than this! read more

If you love ribs as I do, this is a great time late July is a great time to be in Columbus. There are dozens of food stands and lots of great choices. The music is terrific as well, and even though the lines are long, the crowds are well behaved and mostly everyone seems to be having a good time. The festival usually lasts from Friday to Sunday evening and we have usually come here on Saturday late evenings, when the lines are quite large. However, this year, we came on a Sunday evening and did not wait in any of the lines for more than 15 minutes. There are several good places we've gone to over the years. - Porky N Bean - Chicago - Various places from Texas and Kansas BBQ - Jack on the Bone - Pigfoot Honestly, I've not been particularly disappointed, and I don't really have a true favorite. Try to avoid a very hot day, because it can get overwhelming with the crowds. If you go there with a relaxed attitude, expecting long lines, you can kick back and have a really fun evening. read more

I was actually here for the color run, not the rib fest but the color run ran directly through the rib fest. So afterwards I got some Schmidt's. A bratwurst, sauerkraut, and German potato salad. Yummo! My only complaint is that there weren't enough drinks. They had a few lemonade but I didn't want lemonade. When I finally found one selling coke products and water she told me there are only 6 beverage places in the entire fest. That's just not enough when 4 our of the 6 are all highly sugared up lemonade. read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

after waiting in line and getting soaked from the rain storm they tell us they don't have any ribs .. will never go back.. worst place ever .. why didn't they tell everyone they were out before waiting and getting soaked.. read more

I met up with an old friend of mine who likes jazz and ribs. I honestly don't like either but I'm up for hanging out, you know? I can say that the last time I was here was when this was held at Bicentennial Park further downstream some years ago. The lines were extremely long and seemed to move real slooooowwww. I over heard some people complaining that it was taking 20 to 30 minutes to get any food or drinks so you may want to eat first and bring your own drinks with you. I really think they are trying to do too much is such a small area. The Scioto Mile is not that big and it really felt like things were just crammed in way too tight. Traffic was horrible and finding a parking spot was a joke. Maybe if it were in a larger area with more and better vendors it might be better but in my honest opinion, I wasn't impressed. I think the term clusterfuck would be appropriate here. read more

Enjoy coming here every year. I try to avoid late nights on Friday and Saturday when the wait for the best ribs are between 1-1/2 hours. We usually head down in the afternoons, get a few samples to try and get our food TOGO and eat at home for dinner. The lines are only around 15-30 min tops. Best way to enjoy the event without the obnoxious waiting. Bring a chair, a water bottle, extra napkins, hand sanitizer and patience if you do stay and decide to go in the early to late evening. Best for people watching. The things people do and wear always amaze me!! Also, plenty of parking around but be ready to pay $10 for convenience. They sell beer and purchase of coins prior to grabbing a cup is needed. $5 or two coins are needed to get one. Can't complain with a cold beer from a tap. If beer isnt your drink, they have plenty of people selling waters at the entrances for 0.50, if you didn't bring a water bottle filled with water than buy a few, only a $1. You will thank me later. Pit masters was my favorite ribs, 2015. They were meaty and not too sweet of a bbq sauce. They had pretty decent potato salad and beans. My favorite sides are from Johnsons. I Love the greens, beans, potato salad and can get down with the mac N cheese. The ribs weren't as yummy as Pit Masters. We also tried Chicago style and I was disappointed on the ribs. They weren't meaty and mostly fat on them and a very sweet sauce. Plenty of other choices to try. read more

This festival was at the riverside in 2016 where I guess most festivals will be for now on. For vistors from parts unknown it is key to look up Scoito Mile, Bi-Centennial, and Genoa Parks to get a sense of the surroundings. Another key: bring water. Ohio, I am starting to be convinced, is Shawnee for 'humid as hell,' and it is sure to be a sweltery sweaty mess in coming years as it was the last. Take my three stars as no insult. It is a-ok and worth the trip. It doesn't though rise above neither other festivals in town, nor other towns jazz-rib celebrations. I am going to critique it via its new environs by pros and cons. Pros. The riverside newly refurbished is visually clean and spacy. There are three main stages: the amphitheater at Bicentennial, a stage at Rich Street, and another main stage at Genoa. Vendors of food, drink, and trinkets line up Marconi Ave, the closed-off Rich Street bridge, and behind COSI--a science museum above Genoa that may interest any looking for a break. Here are found multiple rib stands with their monolithic multi-panel front facades looking much like the ad boards at drag strips. There is plenty of space. Bicentennial has turf allowing umbrellas and a designated area for tents--collapsible gazebos. The scattering of trees to the north makes decent shade for afternoons. The foutains behind bring quick relief from heat stoke and entertainment to children. The Genoa set has less shade but is more open. The steps rising to COSI allows for more viable angles for viewing. The music is diverse with the each area playing something different: latin, bossa nova, hard bop are some genres I enjoyed. In the sweltery dazzle I did not try ribs this year, nor am I a connoisseur of it, but in previous years I have and love the offerings for my limited experience with the dish. They had about 20 vendors from all over the country. Cons: Being out in the open the acoustics are not ideal. Some tones seem flatted out, other too muted where in more enclosed, say between buildings, has a better thickness of sound. It's something you trade for scenery and space. Parking, it is a tough one. Prepare to walk. There are several garages in the Arena District, and there is the former mall garage east on Rich Street. These are from 1/2 mile to several blocks away. COSI parking is there too, and closer, but I am unsure if they allow festival parking. Free spots my be open off street in Frankleton to the west, but they are rare during big events in the area. The vendors don't take cards, but there are ATMs that will, but they will take five-percent themselves. Bring cash. read more

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This was probably the best Jazz and Ribfest that I have attended...ever. (Minus the heat and humidity)! Favorite rib spots - Armadillos and Chicago BBQ! They both had fall off the bone ribs with awesome sauces! Loves: - Admission = Free. Who doesn't like attending a free event? The music is pretty sweet...even for jazz. ;) - All of the fun activities for kids...(probably now more than before since I'm a new mama and also have a seven year old stepson). We also got a free Brutus doll for the little one just by liking a Brutus picture on Instagram. - Free "round robin" of snacks and drinks. Again, who is going to walk away from free stuff? We had free chocolates, yogurt, gum, Sarah Lee snacks, TEQUILA, and a "spaghetti spoon". Dislikes/Can Use Improvement: - The Stomboli Vendor/Truck. We decided to stop by this truck after The Color Run on Saturday morning just to grab a quick bite to eat before heading home. We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Stromboli. You could tell that the stromboli was reheated from the night before. If this had been made fresh, it would have been pretty good. It definitely wasn't worth the $8 that morning. - With the extreme heat and the amount of people that attend this event - additional tents, tables, chairs, and fans could come in use. Overall, this was a great experience and I will continue to attend annually! read more

I found parking at COSI was a good deal and close enough to the festival that it's easy to walk to. The food is generally good and the prices are comparable between vendors. The lines can be long so if you have made up your mind to try BB from a specific vendor make sure you aren't hungry. Also, be sure to bring cash as not everyone accepts credit cards. Bring a blanket or a chair to enjoy the scenery while listening to the music. read more

My husband and drove from Baltimore for this event. We love BBQ!!! We attended 2x over the rainy weekend. Friday it was about 4 pm, lines were not bad. It was Friday and folks are still at work. . However the sun was hot and heavy with little shade in the area this festival is held We devised a plan. Come later Saturday avoid the super sonic sun. So we come back Saturday at around 7pm. The sun situation was much better! However the lines were crazy. And listen, I am a realistic person when it comes to these things. So, we were well aware the lines would be long, but I didn't think Id be waiting 45 minutes for one stand . The Good : - No entry fee - While's a BBQ festival, there are a wide range of types of BBQ and other types of vendors ( Funnel cake, Corn, Drinks, Pizza, Halal, ) The Bad: Lack of shade Lack of seating ( we bought a blanket, but the frequent rain soaked right through from the ground) read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Nice - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Now this is the best event we have been to since moving to Columbus! Along with that they perfect event for my meat loving men! We went sunday at 11.30 so it wasn't too crowded or hot yet. After a stroll to check out all that was offered we decided we had to do it all. The only thing that bugged me is that they don't offer single ribs it was either 3 for $7 or 1/3 stab (4 ribs) for $10 which is steep if you want to try them all. We wound up spending about $100 on 3 ribs from each stand and after that had to go home to take a nap, serious meat overload! This year we cast our vote for Georgia, amazing ribs, left to soak in a deep vat of sweet heat BBQ sauce all day, god were they good! Parking is $5 to $10 but there are meters all over, free on sundays so save yourself the money. It got pretty full and hot by the time we left, go early to save yourself the long wait, even so it will be worth it finding out which state has the best BBQ! read more

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Every year I look forward to the Jazz and Rib Fest (because ribs...) And every year, I'm disappointed. I've been before, at this location and the previous one. Each time I went full of hope, eager to sample many different vendors. But the crowds overwhelm the stands, and so I end up waiting in line forever for something that turns out to be, well, good not great. Parking sucks, it's always hot, there's almost nowhere to sit and eat, and since jazz is a deterrent for me, not a draw, I end up trying to move away from the music. This time I went right when it opened Friday, hoping to avoid the crowds. Nope. Parking was disorganized because they were still putting up signs. There were long lines at each stand. And there's still not room to sit. A tiny tent with tables, which is nice, but far too small. The low wall, where I was able to squeeze in, and which was thankfully shady. That's it. I would love to be able to get a rib or two from each place and compare. But if there are a dozen vendors and you wait 15 minutes for each (I waited longer,) that's at least 3 hours of waiting, not to mention walking and eating. I love ribs, but it's just not worth it- I made it to two places, and even then I did it grudgingly because I had already paid to park and walked a ways to get in. read more

It's been a few years since I last attended the Jazz & Rib Fest, so when Lily's Mini Delights posted that they would be at the Fest this year, and then I woke up to a nicely overcast coolish day, I knew the stars had aligned for me. We headed downtown around 1 pm, when it was still drizzling a bit, in hopes of avoiding excessive crowds. It seemed to work, since there was plenty of room to walk around and check everything out, and the lines were manageable (about 15 minutes). My husband and I sampled Just North of Memphis's half rack ($14) with their Sweet Kristy Sauce, since I had seen they won best sauce in 2012 and was curious to try it. It did not disappoint. The meat was tender and juicy, and had a nice dry rub. The sauce was good, well balanced with its flavors, and complemented the ribs nicely. Like all of the stands (of which there were many), it's a bit pricey. I wish there was some way to get a sampler of all the ribs in one place for one basic price. I'm not sure how you could possibly afford to try them all separately, because even the 3-4 rib samplers were $7-8 at each booth, and there are good 20 or so options. The location is near the North Bank Park area this year, which I didn't love. It seemed to be organized in a rather awkward manner. It would be easy to miss an entire section of ribs and food stands because of the way it is spread out. I only found the other section because I was on the hunt for my Lily's donuts. You also can't really hear the jazz music from most of the stands, so when you are waiting in a long line, you miss out on the music, which seems counter intuitive for a Jazz & Rib Fest. The booths in the middle of the area were fun - that's where a lot of the activities, samples, and what-not were located. There were a lot of goodies and coupons to be had. The nice lady with Dove chocolate was especially awesome and friendly. And, yes, I did get a piping hot serving of Lily's donuts. You know I wasn't leaving without them. Ribs and donuts, lunch of champions! read more

I came here with a couple coworkers around 6pm on Friday (they're open Friday and Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 11am-8pm). There weren't too many people around at the time, and I ended up getting a half rack of ribs ($12) at the tent that won the rib contest last year. The ribs were all right, but I didn't think they were that amazing. I also got a lemonade from a stand nearby, which cost $5. My friends and I grabbed a seat on the lawn next to the stage, and I met my friend's fiance and some of her friends. The jazz at the beginning was absolutely awful since their bass player was right next to the amplifier (horrible sound setup), but it got a little bit better once their sets started. However, we decided to jet on out around 7:30pm. It's worth visiting, although parking tickets online are $12, so you might want to park away and walk over like we did. Nothing too special, but you might as well go if you have nothing better to do. read more

Pigfoot is good for brisket, great sauce as well. Didn't try the ribs, so can't comment there. Crazy tender and juicy brisket, great flavor with or without sauce. Line for this one is long, maybe 20-30 minute wait. Big boned BBQ was good, sauce had a little kick and not overly sweet or tangy. Brisket was tougher and a bit chunky and came pre-slathered in sauce. This is second currently to pigfoot. read more

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I love going to this event every summer and they really do have the best BBQ! The city does a great job putting this together for the community! read more

Jazz & Rib Fest - Jazz and Rib Fest! - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is one of my favorite festivals in Columbus that I look forward to hitting up every year. I was a little worried this year with all the rain we've been having that it was going to get rained out, but I lucked out for the most part. The rain actually helped on Sunday, since it drove the lines down, and I went in and swooped up some ribs when the crowds all left. If you're going to come down here, you can expect some lines, but the later you go, it seems the longer the lines are. I was down there at 9:30 pm on Saturday, and everything had crazy lines, but when I went on Friday night around 8 pm, it probably only took me around 20 minutes to get through a line at Porky-N-Beans, which is usually one of the more popular spots there. I recommend checking out some of the places that don't have long lines as well, because all of the vendors here are very good. The sauces at Smokin' T's were delicious. There's also three stages setup, one at each end of the closed off street, and one as you go down toward the river front. I'm not a huge Jazz fan but just having it in the background makes the area all the more lively, and everyone seems to be in a pretty good mood. My one complaint is that there's never enough places to sit, so expect to find a spot along the wall or set up shop in the grass. The plaza right in the middle has some tables and chairs but not nearly enough to accommodate everyone. Also, there's lots of swag being given out in the middle of the festival if you get there early, so make sure you check it out. If you don't like large crowds, this may not be for you, but if you can deal, then you're going to have a fun time and get some great food. read more

Really sad to see how far downhill the fest went from last year to this year. Yes, the gangs found their way. Was sitting on the lawn with friends/family listening to some great music when a large group of gangsters started fighting. Everyone on the lawns cleared the area. There was a woman running by me with her baby in her arms saying "you know they're going to start shooting!" I think one of the vendors broke the fight up because there sure were no cops to be found. Not exaggerating, they didn't show up for 10+ minutes, after the gang had dispersed As for the police presence, I didn't see any during the previous 2 hours I was there. And the police sky lifts?? Empty and sitting on the ground. While deciding whether to stay or leave after the fight I approached an officer who informed there was plenty of police on patrol saying "we have 15 officers here." Really?? 15? You call that plenty for a crowd that large at a free event? C'mon, we all know what that means in Columbus. Ever heard of Red, White and Boom? Obviously, no lessons learned. Lots of shady characters taking over what has always been one of my favorite summer events in Columbus will most likely prevent me from going back again. That makes me sad. The ribs and music are really good, but not worth my life. read more

Whoa, I thought I'd already written this review. Whoops, I am way behind. Anyhoo, I wish we'd thought to bring chairs with us. They would have come in handy while waiting in the crazy long lines. There were much shorter lines at some of the BBQ places further away from the stage but some of the ones we wanted to try were in that first, insanely packed section. The music was great, jazz on a hot summer night is pretty perfect. We had some pretty solid ribs and brisket from a couple different joints. I kind of wish this was a fall festival though, it can be unbearably hot with all the grills, people and smoke around. All in all, not a bad way to spend an evening. read more

I have been to this festival several times over the years, but not recently. The food stands continue to be blah, nothing of note. As for the jazz, it has evolved as jazz can, it's pretty much devolved into Hip/Hop, Rap styles of jazz. I personally don't enjoy anything of that sort. The wife and I probably won't chose the venue again. I give it two thumbs down. read more

One of my friends said this was going on so I decided to go. Unfortunately, I had just come from lunch at a Chinese buffet, so I wasn't really that hungry for BBQ (bad choice!) But...since I was there, I decided to feed my face anyway. There were TONS of BBQ vendors there. I don't even remember which one of them I ate at. It was pretty hot and humid out that day....which kind've sucked, but other than that it was okay. I'll say, there was good people watching. I'd go back just for that! read more

Hot ribs. Cool jazz. Good times. I mean really, how can you go wrong... A smorgasbord of meat slathered in sauce. A plethora of fried things-you-never-would-have-dreamed-of-frying. Multiple stages of fantastic live music. A gorgeous view of the river and downtown Columbus. For 30 years, Jazz & Ribs Fest has been one of Columbus' - and my personal - most anticipated festivals. My mouth is already drooling in anticipation of 2010's... read more

This is one of my favorite festivals in Columbus! I would like to talk about the venue. I have gone for the last 8 years or so except for last. I drive on down to where I think it is or has been for the last so odd years. Well it wasn't there. I started to crap my pants. I went onto the Iphone to get some info. Found out the new location and I LOVE IT! Could not have asked for a better area to have it. Onto the food...they have fried everything, pulled pork, bbq chicken, cobbler, lemon-shakes-up things, grilled corn and of course RIBS!!!! There is about 20 different places to get the finger licking (yours and your friend's or complete stranger's), rob a person to get more, homemade, secret recipe that has been passed passed down for generations, kick ass ribs. I personally like to go to the ones with the shortest lines; only because I don't like waiting in line. I enjoy the grilled corn literally dipped into butter with a touch of pepper and some salt. OMG it is amazing! There are a ton of vendors giving out free samples. Last night the little lady and I scored, 3 mac and cheese, 2 bbq bottles, 1 free shirt and a dozen or so of high fives. My favorite vendor was the JEEP exhibit! This place was so sweet. The little is in a market for a new car and she was looking at JEEPs. It was as if the Rib fest knew, creepy. They have an off road course where you can drive the brand-new 2011 grande cherokee or the rubicon. The music. It is a perfect summer, family friendly mix. Sit down, get some sauce on your face, drive a JEEP and relax! Only down side, the price. Ribs can get pricey! read more

Got here early because it was to open at 11:00.i just wanted to pick up some ribs for lunch and than leave because it was going to rain. To my surprise none of the places were open or ready so I waited and waited. Finally Chicago BBQ opened for me to be able to order something. I got the brisket Mac and cheese. Brisket was ok. The Mac and cheese was bland, and taste like plain Velveeta. They should have at least added salt and pepper. The more I ate the sicker my stomach felt. I decided to leave their ribs alone. Kind of lost my appetite. If the ribs taste like the brisket they would be ok. I notice the sides at each place are very pricey As much as we pay for the meat a side should be automatic. All and all check it for yourself, it still great to enjoy the jazz and location is nice. read more

I have to admit that I come here more for the Jazz than for the Ribs. I've never been a rib connoisseur so the subtleties of the art seem lost on me. But I have studied Jazz (as a pianist) and so its always a nice time to come and listen to some good jazz. This year, I decided that I would volunteer at the festival and that way get to spend all day down there. Luckily, I got stationed at the VIP pavilion which had GREAT bands playing all day! There were people up and dancing and really enjoying the view of the river. Why no 5th star? If I had wanted some ribs, those suckers were expensive! And no sizes for smaller appetites. You really need to go and share with friends (so maybe that's plus a star). And just like every other downtown Columbus event, parking can be a pain. Or next year you can volunteer and have free reserved parking...which still took me an hour to get to. read more

Definitely a fun place to go and check out if you have time on the weekend that its in town. It was my first time to this festival and had lots of fun. There was plenty of food vendors, yet you had to be prepared to wait in line for your food. We ended up going Saturday evening just before the place got packed. We listened to the music, ate some good food and had fun. Park over by the Arena Grand Theatre and walk over. read more

It's great for the jazz music and various artists to enjoy. The food line is ridiculously long. Omg!! You have to get a token for beverages: beer or soda. Definitely bring your own chair or blanket. read more

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Major con: crazy long lines for mediocre food. I believe I waited almost two hours for ribs (I picked the wrong line I know...I should've left but I was already committed). Turns out that I make better ribs myself at home than the ribs that I purchased. And I barely had time to listen to music because of the line :( Come here for music alone, not the food. read more

Calling the crowd dangerous is an understatment. Even with tons of extra police - every year there's usually some kind of violence. For some reason a specific demographic has adopted this as THEIR festival - and others arent welcome. Columbus would be better off cancelling the whole thing. Food lines are long and prices are pretty steep read more

This event can be a bit pricey. It cost $10 to park nearby, and you could easily spend $20 or so dollars on food without batting an eye. But the music is awesome and worth your while. Even heavy rain couldn't put a damper on the experience. Bring a chair and some friends for a good, relaxing time. read more