There are so many unique ways to experience the joy of the season around Columbus. Want to spend the evening admiring millions of lights and some adorable animals? You can do that. Maybe a glamorous night out at the ballet is your style. You can do that too.
Seriously, when it comes to fun holiday activities, Columbus has got it going on. Break out that ever-growing holiday calendar, friends. It’s time to make some plans. The dates below are this season’s and come from each organizer’s own page. The list runs in date order. And if those plans run through dinner, here are the Columbus restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Shopping is its own season too, so here are the Columbus holiday craft shows and markets worth planning around.
| Event | Dates | Where | Admission |
| Holiday Hoopla | Nov. 19th-Dec. 26th | Shadowbox Live | |
| Wildlights | Nov. 20th-Jan. 3rd | Columbus Zoo, Powell | Zoo admission |
| WinterFest | Nov. 21st | Dorrian Green | Free |
| Christkindlmarkt Dublin | Nov. 21st-Dec. 24th | Riverside Crossing Park, Dublin | Free; skating $15 |
| A Christmas Carol | Nov. 27th-29th | Ohio Theatre | |
| Holiday Pops | Dec. 4th-6th | Ohio Theatre | |
| Mr. Scrooge | Dec. 4th-23rd | Studio One, Riffe Center | |
| Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Dec. 5th | Nationwide Arena | |
| Menorah Lighting at Easton | Dec. 7th | Easton Town Square | |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical | Dec. 8th-13th | Palace Theatre | |
| BalletMet’s The Nutcracker | Dec. 10th-27th | Ohio Theatre | |
| Holidays at Ohio Village | Dec. 11th-12th | Ohio Village | On sale Nov. 16th |
| CGMC: Sassy Brassy Season | Dec. 12th-13th | Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center | |
| Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour | Dec. 14th | Palace Theatre | From $44 |
| The Hip Hop Nutcracker | Dec. 18th | Palace Theatre | |
| Jim Brickman: A Christmas Celebration | Dec. 18th | Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center | |
| Cirque Dreams Holidaze | Dec. 26th-27th | Palace Theatre | |
| Harlem Globetrotters | Dec. 27th | Schottenstein Center |
What: Shadowbox Live calls this its most popular sketch comedy and music show of the year, and it runs five weeks in the Brewery District. Seating is sold by the table, with a table holding anywhere from one to six people, so a small group gets a table to itself.
When: November 19th through December 26th, most nights at 7 p.m.
Where: Shadowbox Live, 503 S. Front St.
More info: Holiday Hoopla
What: Don’t miss out on one of Central Ohio’s favorite family holiday traditions! The yuletide season comes alive with millions of LED lights, animated musical light shows, Santa, reindeer, and other holiday festivities that can only be found at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Wildlights is included with regular Zoo admission or a membership.
When: November 20th through January 3rd, from 5 p.m. nightly
Where: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell
More info: Wildlights
What: Columbus Recreation and Parks holds its free winter kickoff at Dorrian Green this year, the park out front of COSI. It’s paired with COSI’s Season of Celebrations, which opens with a tree lighting at 11 a.m. and free entry to the atrium. The afternoon then runs on the lawn with three bands, Dirty Frank’s and Pizza Cottage food trucks, seasonal craft beer and cocktails, yard games, a gingerbread playland, a mechanical reindeer, farm animals to pet, and fire pits with heaters.
When: Saturday, November 21st from noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Dorrian Green, 50 S. Belle St.
More info: WinterFest
What: Dublin’s German-style Christmas market takes over Riverside Crossing Park for five weeks, with vendors selling food, drinks, and gifts along the river and an ice rink that runs separately at $15 a person, skate rental included. Admission to the market is free. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday, except for December 21st and 22nd, and it’s closed on Thanksgiving.
When: November 21st through December 24th
Where: Riverside Crossing Park, Dublin
More info: Christkindlmarkt Dublin
What: CAPA and Short North Stage bring their own staging of the Dickens story back to the Ohio Theatre for Thanksgiving weekend, with Short North Stage’s Edward Carignan directing. CAPA calls it a Columbus holiday tradition, and it’s created and produced in Columbus rather than brought in on a tour. The Sunday matinee has ASL interpretation.
When: November 27th-29th, two matinees and two evening shows over the weekend
Where: Ohio Theatre
More info: A Christmas Carol
What: The Columbus Symphony continues its grand holiday tradition with a spectacular holiday show perfect for the entire family! This year’s guests are vocalist Scarlett Strallen and Troupe Vertigo’s Ganchimeg Oyunchimeg, with the Columbus Symphony Chorus and the Columbus Children’s Choir on stage too, and Stuart Chafetz conducts.
When: December 4th at 8 p.m., and December 5th and 6th at 3 p.m.
Where: Ohio Theatre
More info: Holiday Pops
What: Columbus Children’s Theatre’s song-filled take on A Christmas Carol runs 60 minutes and is recommended for ages 5 and up. Expect three ghosts and a Scrooge who comes around by the end, played by a cast that CCT says spans generations.
When: December 4th-23rd, Friday and Saturday evenings and weekend afternoons, then three shows a day December 21st-23rd
Where: Studio One Theatre at the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.
More info: Mr. Scrooge
What: TSO’s 30th anniversary tour brings back The Ghosts of Christmas Eve in a reworked staging, followed by a second set, with the lasers and pyrotechnics the arena’s event page promises.
When: Saturday, December 5th at 3 and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nationwide Arena
More info: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
What: Join Easton and Chabad of Columbus for a special menorah lighting at the Town Square. It’s a family party with sufganiot, dreidels, raffle prizes, music, dancing and refreshments.
When: Monday, December 7th at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Easton Town Center
More info: Menorah Lighting at Easton
What: Broadway in Columbus’s holiday slot goes to the Grinch this year, the stage musical built from the Dr. Seuss book, and it’s part of the Palace Theatre’s 100th anniversary season. Performances run six days, with 11 a.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday for the small-kid shift. The Saturday 3 p.m. show has ASL interpretation and audio description.
When: December 8th-13th, evenings Tuesday through Friday and three shows Saturday and two Sunday
Where: Palace Theatre
More info: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
What: Treat your family to the enchanting confections of costuming, sets, and blissful choreography in Clara’s dreamy journey through BalletMet’s The Nutcracker, absolutely delightful and delectable in every way. Inspired by the sounds of Tchaikovsky, artists deliver a heartwarming classic holiday story that’s a feast for the eyes and ears. It’s at the Ohio Theatre this year, with evening shows on weeknights and both afternoon and evening shows on the weekends, plus a one-hour My First Nutcracker at 11 a.m. on December 22nd and 23rd.
When: December 10th-27th
Where: Ohio Theatre
More info: The Nutcracker
What: Ohio Village’s December event this year is Holidays at Ohio Village, two nights on the newly renovated grounds while the rest of the Campus 2.OH work continues. The History Connection promises surprise encounters with holiday characters, seasonal food, music and dancing, and the village lit up after dark. Hours aren’t posted yet. The member presale opens November 9th and public tickets go on sale November 16th.
When: December 11th and 12th
Where: Ohio Village, 800 E. 17th Ave., on the Ohio History Center grounds
More info: Holidays at Ohio Village
What: The Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus does its holiday concert with a brass section this year, and the program mixes sacred and secular numbers with the campy ones the chorus is known for. Individual tickets are sold through the chorus’s site.
When: Saturday, December 12th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 13th at 2 p.m.
Where: Davidson Theatre at the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.
More info: Sassy Brassy Season
What: The saxophonist’s annual Christmas tour stops at the Palace this year, with Jonathan Butler, Haley Reinhart, Dylan Chambers, and Erin Stevenson along for the ride. CAPA lists tickets from $44.
When: Monday, December 14th at 7 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre
More info: Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour
What: The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns for another tour, with Kurtis Blow opening the night as MC. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, this contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, smashing hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky’s timeless music together into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event.
When: Friday, December 18th at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre
More info: The Hip Hop Nutcracker
What: Pianist Jim Brickman brings his Christmas concert to the Davidson Theatre for one night, the same evening the Hip Hop Nutcracker plays a block away at the Palace, so plan on an early dinner Downtown.
When: Friday, December 18th at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Davidson Theatre at the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.
More info: Jim Brickman: A Christmas Celebration
What: Cirque Dreams brings its holiday circus spectacular to the Palace for three shows, and it’s one of the few big productions still running once the gifts are opened.
When: December 26th at 3 and 7 p.m., and December 27th at 2 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre
More info: Cirque Dreams Holidaze
What: The originators of basketball style, influencers on today’s game, and skilled athletes of the highest order, the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents around the world since their founding in 1926. Proud inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, their mission to spread game and bring entertainment to the world continues to drive them today. This year’s stop is the Rivalry Tour.
When: Sunday, December 27th at 2 and 7 p.m.
Where: Schottenstein Center
More info: Harlem Globetrotters
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