SIGNATURE EVENTS IN
THE COLUMBUS, INDIANA AREA

A weekend of Scottish entertainment, competition, and history, including: Celtic concert, Ceilidh, Highland dancing competition, clan tents, sheep dog trials, European car show, musical entertainment, bagpipe marching bands, re-enactors and living history, children’s activities, Scottish country dancing, merchandise, and food vendors.

• A Weekend of All Things Scottish blog post

Photos by Tony Vasquez

Long considered the quintessential Hoosier celebration, the event is Bartholomew County’s oldest multi-day festival. During the last full weekend in September each year, the “Surprising Little Town” of Hope, Indiana, swells in population. From the musical entertainment to over 125 food and vendor booths, this festival is wonderfully Hoosier….and uniquely HOPE!

Admission: Free.

Get your Graze On! Make Hope your last blast of Summer! Riders love us…We love Riders…It’s quite romantic! The Hope Ride is a utopian cycling extravaganza. It’s the ride of tomorrow. Flying bicycles, anti-gravity water bottles, amazing wind reversing machines, holographic maps, and rainbows and puppy dogs for all!

Begins downtown. A full marathon, a half-marathon, and a 5K. Sanctioned by United States of America Track and Field (USATF) and a certified Boston Marathon qualification course. Powered by Cummins. After the races, enjoy family fun downtown with food, music, and a bungee bouncer…even if you do not run!  The after party ends pm after the drawing for a new truck.

Photos by Carla Clark, for The Republic newspaper

Enjoy classic cars, trucks, hot rods, motorcycles, and more at this family-friendly event! There is no registration fee and no trophies – just pride, passion, and a good time! Bring lawn chairs. Food and merchandise will be available for purchase.

Ethnic Expo is a celebration of ethnic heritage and the diverse people of Columbus. Thousands turn out for this international food/marketplace, entertainment/live music, and children’s activities. There are two stages for entertainment and several tents for dining.

There is no admission charge.

The Columbus, Indiana YES Film Festival celebrates the creativity and diversity of independent film, bringing to the screen the best documentaries, narrative features and short films, with competitions in all three categories. YESfest films will screen at the YES Cinema in downtown Columbus, an elegant and welcoming independent theater that specializes in classic, foreign, independent and second-run films and hosts live events such as the Cinema’s popular YES Comedy Showcase.

Cinema truly is the universal language and our mission at YESFest is to promote a lively and passionate dialogue between filmmakers and film-lovers. Whether you’re in the audience, behind the scenes or in front of the camera, we look forward to seeing you at YES!

Photo of movie panel by Tony Vasquez

Broken toys, yesterday’s newspaper, and china shards may seem like trash to most, but in the hands of professionals, they can be transformed into beautiful art and fine crafts.

Held at the new Commons, which is located at 3rd and Washington Streets in downtown Columbus, Indiana, artists from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky attend as well as members of Indiana Artisan or Kentucky Crafted.

Art and fine crafts featured include jewelry, sculpture, weaving, wearable art, woodworking, leather work, and mosaics, all created from scrap materials or items that have been repurposed.

The Columbus, Indiana Festival of Lights parade is an annual holiday parade through downtown Columbus on the first Saturday of December. The parade is followed by the QMIX Christmas Musical Fireworks.

Photos by Virajjani