Things to do this weekend in Columbus for May 14-17, 2026

One of the biggest events of the weekend is the return of the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival at Historic Crew Stadium. Thousands of hard rock and metal fans will converge for four days of live performances from more than 145 bands.

More festival fun includes exploring the paranormal at ParaPsyCon 7, enjoying the visual arts at CCAD’s Chroma exhibition and celebrating pirates at the Pirate Fest near Buckeye Lake, which will offer family-friendly and children’s activities.

On stage, theater and arts lovers can catch musical productions like “Hadestown” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” along with BalletMet’s interpretation of “La Bohème” and ProMusica’s season finale featuring works by Copland, Shostakovich and Strauss. While comedy fans can see Aries Spears perform at the Funny Bone.

The Komen Columbus Race for the Cure also returns this year to Downtown Columbus, bringing the community together in the fight against breast cancer.

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival

Historic Crew Stadium, Thursday, May 14 through Sunday, May 17

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival returns for a massive four-day event, with more than 145 bands on five stages. There will be new art experiences, including the live paint battle. Secret Walls will provide fans with extra entertainment. The lineup for the destination music festival will feature performances from My Chemical Romance, Pierce The Veil, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, Staind, Sublime, Bring Me The Horizon, Good Charlotte, Marilyn Manson, Tool, Godsmack and Megadeth, plus many more.

PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 01: Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance performs at AccorHotels Arena on June 01, 2022 in Paris, France.(Photo by David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns)

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

Garden Theater, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through June 7

“The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee” is a Tony Award-winning musical comedy about the cutthroat world of competitive spelling, where the stakes are high, the words are long and the kids are anything but ordinary. Rated PG-13.

Paranormal and Psychic Convention

Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio, Thursday through Sunday, May 14 to 17

ParaPsyCon 7 will feature psychics, paranormal teams, celebrities, Bigfoot and cryptid researchers, UFO investigators, authors, healers, stones, crystals, jewelry, tarot, speakers and much more. Attendees can explore and learn about the Ohio State Reformatory through a self-guided walking tour and shop at over 80 vendor tables.

Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio (Adobe Stock)

“La Bohème”

Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center, Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 17, at noon and 5:30 p.m.

Doomed love makes for glorious dance in Remi Wörtmeyer’s reimagining of “La Bohème,” his first full-length creation as BalletMet Artistic Director. Puccini’s beloved opera about art, passion and poverty in 19th-century Paris is relocated to America’s own bohemian heartland: the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Buckeye Lake Pirate Fest 2026

Port Royal at Big Stan’s, Thornville, Ohio, May 15 through 17, Friday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Port Royal Pirate Marketplace is free to attend and features two outdoor shopping areas featuring more than 100 vendor booths and multiple food trucks. Free family and children’s entertainment will be provided throughout the festival. The Pirate Market will be held at Port Royal Market, located at Captain Big Stan’s, 8635 Blackbird Lane, Thornville, Ohio.

Chroma: Best of CCAD

Columbus College of Art & Design campus, Friday, May 15, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

An annual campuswide exhibition showcasing outstanding student work from across the college’s academic programs. This faculty-juried show features select work from CCAD students of all class years. The night includes fun and entertainment, with interactive games, animation and film screenings, art symposiums, poetry and prose reading, local food trucks and more. This event is free and open to the public.

Aries Spears

Funny Bone Comedy Club, Friday, May 15, through Sunday, May 17, showtimes vary

Aries Spears is a native New Yorker whose quick wit, charisma and ferociously aggressive comedy have earned him critical acclaim, high accolades and a busy schedule. From being a regular on Fox’s Mad TV, to starring in feature films, appearing on national talk shows and continually touring the country with sold-out shows.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 29: Stand-up comedian/actor Aries Spears is seen arriving at his comedy show on August 29, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)

“Hadestown”

Ohio Theatre, Friday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 16 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Grammy and Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown” intertwines two mythic tales, that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice and King Hades and his wife Persephone, inviting the audience on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.

Komen Columbus Race for the Cure

North Bank Park, Downtown Columbus, Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Komen Columbus Race for the Cure returns Downtown on Saturday, bringing the community together in the fight against breast cancer. Participants can join the 5K run/walk, a 3.1-mile course, or join the 1-mile family fun walk. Registration is open now at komen.org/columbusrace.

Copland & Shostakovich: ProMusica Chamber Orchestra

Southern Theatre, Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, 7 p.m.

ProMusica’s Creative Partner, violinist Vadim Gluzman, Music Director David Danzmayr and the orchestra reunite onstage to present Shostakovich’s powerful Violin Concerto No. 1. Copland’s beloved “Appalachian Spring” captures the heart of the American spirit. Strauss’ iconic “Blue Danube Waltz” closes the concert with sweeping elegance and charm, bringing the 47th season to a finale.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.