Columbus Italian Festival among 3 major celebrations happening this weekend

Belinda M. Paschal, Columbus Dispatch
·4 min read
El Día de los Muertos - or "Day of the Dead" - will be celebrated with live music, food, art, dancing, a Catrina/Catrin contest, and more on Saturday in Greenlawn Cemetery.
El Día de los Muertos - or "Day of the Dead" - will be celebrated with live music, food, art, dancing, a Catrina/Catrin contest, and more on Saturday in Greenlawn Cemetery.

Just because we've welcomed the fall season doesn't mean it's time to say farewell to the festival season. With autumn two weeks in, there are still numerous events ahead dedicated to food and drinks, family fun, and cultural celebrations before the sights and frights of Halloween are upon us.

This weekend alone will be chock-full of revelry, with the Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival, the Columbus Italian Festival and the Day of the Dead Festival all taking place. Here's a rundown of these three events.

The Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival will offer plenty of pasta, as well as live music and other entertainment on Friday at The Yard in Easton Town Center.
The Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival will offer plenty of pasta, as well as live music and other entertainment on Friday at The Yard in Easton Town Center.

Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival

This family-friendly festival of cheesy creations and charity will be held from 4-7:30 p.m. Friday at The Yard, 3989 Merchants Row, in Easton Town Center.

Hosted by the NextGen James Ambassadors Society, the fest will feature mac and cheese samples from several central Ohio restaurants, plus live music, kids' zone activities, raffle prizes and more.

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Now in its sixth year, the festival has raised more than $350,000 for vital research and programming for the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James).

Purchase tickets online for $30 (ages 13 and older) and $10 for children 3-12. Children under 3 admitted for free. A $100 ticket will not only get you into the festival, but you'll also have access to the VIP area on the patio of The Beeline, where additional food options and free beverages (including beer, wine, and liquor) will be served.

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A family four-pack valid for two adults and two children 3-12 is $70 and includes free mac and cheese samples from all vendors; beverages are not included. All four guests must enter the festival together.

Tickets/information: eastontowncenter.com

Sal, left, and Mike Carfanga prepare Italian sausages and roasted vegetables at the Carfagna's booth during the 2021 Italian Festival outside St. John's the Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio Oct. 9.
Sal, left, and Mike Carfanga prepare Italian sausages and roasted vegetables at the Carfagna's booth during the 2021 Italian Festival outside St. John's the Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio Oct. 9.

Columbus Italian Festival

In keeping with the three-day event’s theme, “A Week-end in Verona,” guests will walk into an interactive world of Shakespeare, where “Romeo and Juliet” will be staged on the festival streets at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 168 E. Lincoln St.

Festival hours are 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The fiesta, which has run for 43 years, will feature a variety of live music performers, a bocce tournament, and kids’ activities including rides. The Italian Culture Pavilion will offer cooking demos of polenta, gnocchi and risotto, plus Italian line dancing by the San Giovanni Dancers, and more.

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Sunday’s events will begin with a parade with grand marshals Dino and Sam Carfagna leaving Goodale Park at 1 p.m., followed by a high school marching band competition at 2 p.m. on the festival grounds. Dino Tripodis of SUNNY 95 will emcee both events.

A one-day pass costs $10, or get the bargain price of $15 for all three days. Kids under 12 are free with a paying adult. Free parking will be at Columbus State Community College, where a shuttle will take guests to the Fourth Street festival entrance.

Tickets/information: columbusitalianfestival.com

Saturday's Day of the Dead celebration will include a parade featuring Aztec dancers in Greenlawn Cemetery.
Saturday's Day of the Dead celebration will include a parade featuring Aztec dancers in Greenlawn Cemetery.

Day of the Dead Festival

Learn about El Día de los Muertos — or Day of the Dead — at this cultural event hosted by the nonprofit organization Latino Arts for Humanity. The cultural celebration honoring deceased loved ones will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Greenlawn Cemetery, 1000 Greenlawn Ave.

The meaning of the Day of the Dead celebration is "the conception of a new life further on, and life as a duality with death," according to the event website. "Death means a step to a new life that never ends."

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Festivalgoers will experience a real Día de los Muertos, just as it's celebrated in Mexico: with ofrendas (offerings), grave decorations, traditional foods, live music, art exhibitions, arts and crafts, kids' activities, folkorico dancing, mojigangas (giant puppets), a parade featuring Aztec dancers, and much more.

There also will be a Catrina/Catrin contest with prizes. La Catrina, a sacred symbol of El Día de los Muertos, represents the cycle of life. She serves as a reminder to enjoy life, but also embrace death, and has been honored in Mexican culture for centuries.

Information: dayofthedeadcolumbus.com

bpaschal@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Three festivals happening in Columbus this weekend