Columbus is the capital of Ohio and boasts a population of about 790,000. It is the largest city in Ohio and the 15th largest in the United States. It is a large, diverse city that has something to offer for everyone.
Many different ethnic and religious groups live in Columbus, which is reflected in a wide variety of cultural organizations, events, and restaurants.
Columbus residents are also presented with an equal number of things to do around the city. There are a number of sporting events one can find in Columbus: Columbus Crew, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
For those who just want to be outside or explore the city, there are plenty of trails and parks.
For more information on things to do in Columbus, please visit Experience Columbus or the Graduate School's page on living in the city.
Additional details can also be found at the Office of Student Life's and Graduate Admission's websites.
Local Activities and Events
Markets and Restaurants
- Café Istanbul: 6125 Riverside Dr., Dublin, OH 43017
- Diana Deli: 3520 West Dublin-Granville Rd. (north), (614) 389-1947
- Euro Delicatessen: 974 Galloway Rd., (614) 870-0723
- Romashka: 2400 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Columbus 43235, (614) 336-8070
- Russian Home Grocery: 6007 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, (614) 501-4685
- Café Elena: 2054 Crown Plaza Dr., Columbus 43235
- Mozart’s Café: 4784 N. High St., Columbus 43214, (614) 268-3687
- Pierogi Mountain: 105 Grant Ave in Downtown Columbus
- Kolache Republic: 702 S. High St., Columbus 43206
- Hubert’s Polish Kitchen: Columbus North Market, 59 S. Spruce St. 43215 (614) 220-8787
- Saraga International Grocery: 1265 Morse Rd., Columbus 43229, (614) 447-8588
Cultural Organizations
- Cleveland Hungarian Museum in Cleveland, Ohio
- Eastern European Congress of Ohio in Cleveland, Ohio
- Magyar Club in Dayton, Ohio
- Polish American Club in Columbus, Ohio
- Slovenian Museum and Archives in Cleveland, Ohio
- Ukrainian Cultural Association of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio
- Ukrainian Museum-Archives in Cleveland, Ohio
All information except the first event taken from https://ohiofestivals.net/ohio-festivals/. None of the locations should be more than 2 hours away, more or less, if you have a car. Check out the website if you want to see the full range of Ohio festivals well into 2026, including other ethnic and country-specific events and such classics as the “Skunk Festival” and the Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival. Asterisks indicate that date had not been confirmed
- 8/23: Ukrainian Independence Day Celebration – Grove City
- 8/23-8/24: St. Josaphat Ukrainian Festival – Parma
- 8/24: St. George Romanian Heritage Festival – Canton
- 8/29-8/31: Perch, Peach, Pierogi and Polka Festival – Port Clinton
- 8/29-9/1: Kamm’s Corners Greek Festival – Cleveland
- 8/29-9/1: Columbus Greek Festival – Columbus
- 8/30-8/31*: Serbian Cultural Festival – Broadview Heights
- 8/30-8/31: St. Andrew Ukrainian Fall Festival – Parma
- 8/31: Hungarian Festival – Parma
- 9/5-9/6: Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Festival – Mansfield
- 9/5-9/7: Greek-American Festival – Toledo
- 9/5-9/7: Macedonian Ethnic Festival – Reynoldsburg
- 9/5-9/7: Dayton Greek Festival – Dayton
- 9/13: Slovenska Pristava Wine Festival – Geneva
- 9/13: Slovenian Sausage Festival – Kirtland
- 9/14: Hungarian Fall Festival – Hiram
- 9/18-9/20: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Greek Festival – Akron
- 9/19-9/20: Cleveland Armenian Festival – Cleveland/Richmond Heights
- 9/19-9/20: Columbus Serbian Festival – Columbus
- 9/19-9/21: St. Mary of the Annunciation International Festival – Portsmouth
- 9/26-9/28: Archangel Michael Greek Food Festival – Campbell
- 9/27: St. John Cantius Polish Festival – Cleveland
- 9/27: St. Mary Magdalene European Festival – Fairview Park
- 10/3-10/4*: Greek Oktoberfest Festival – Massillon
- 10/3-10/5: St. Stanislaus Polish Festival – Cleveland
- 10/4: Slovenska Pristava Oktoberfest – Geneva
- 2/14/26*: Vodka Fest Cleveland – Cleveland
- 2/28*: Cleveland Kurentovanje Winter Festival (Slovenian Mardi Gras) – Cleveland