Hundreds of thousands of people will don rainbows and head downtown for the annual Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival on Friday and Saturday.
Attendees bring colorful outfits, bubbles, music and smiles to the streets — and plenty of business to Columbus bars and restaurants, shops and hotels.
Columbus Pride is one of the largest Pride festivals in the Midwest. The celebration generates about $7.5 million in revenue for the region, a Stonewall Columbus spokesman said. That includes hotel stays, money spent at local businesses and the money the festival makes from things like drink sales.
"When we are bringing in visitors from around the region, state and even nationwide like Stonewall Pride does, they get to discover the amazing local businesses in our community," said Sarah Towne, chief marketing and innovation officer for Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
Columbus Pride
Now in its 45th year, Columbus Pride is expected to draw more than 700,000 people over the course of the weekend.
That includes around 20,000 people who will walk in the Pride march, which steps off at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday near the Ohio Statehouse and will travel up High Street toward Goodale Park.
A Stonewall Columbus spokesperson said the festival has grown every year since it began with around 200 people at the first gathering back in 1981.
Pride draws visitors from across Ohio, as well as from Indiana, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
The official Pride festival in Goodale Park ends at 10 p.m. on Friday and 8 p.m. on Saturday. Stonewall Columbus said the relatively early wrap-up encourages visitors to hit bars and restaurants, which often host their own Pride events, from drag shows to parties to game nights.
"They come in for the event and then they get to discover everything that we have to offer here in Columbus," Towne said.
Other Events
Pride isn't the only event to bring business to the area this weekend.
Several Juneteenth celebrations are planned for Friday and Saturday, including Juneteenth On The Ave from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday on historic Mount Vernon Avenue and the annual Juneteenth Ohio Festival Friday and Saturday, which goes from noon to 11 p.m. at Genoa Park.
The Columbus Air Show kicks off Friday afternoon at Rickenbacker International Airport. Planes begin flying around 3:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with gates closing at 9 p.m. The show also runs on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"You can go to Pride in the morning, head over to the Juneteenth On The Ave celebration in Bronzeville, and then still get out to see the air show, all happening this weekend," Towne said.
Meanwhile, an event for tabletop game enthusiasts, the Origins Game Fair at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, is expected to draw 20,000 attendees and give the region another $4 million economic boost this weekend.
Bed tax and the benefit to residents
Towne said the gaming convention alone will fill around 6,000 hotel rooms. Pride typically fills about 60% of the area's hotel occupancy.
Overnight visitors ultimately benefit Franklin County residents because of the tax added to short-term lodging like hotels and Airbnb or VRBO rentals.
"This bed tax revenue that is driven by all of these events coming into the destination saves every Franklin County resident about $1,500 a year in services that they would otherwise have to pay for through taxpayer dollars," Towne said.
Summer of soccer
With the FIFA World Cup underway, Columbus soccer fans are also bringing their enthusiasm — and business — to local bars and restaurants.
Columbus is serving as the headquarters for Ecuador's national soccer team during the tournament. The Greater Columbus Sports Commission estimates that being Ecuador's base camp will result in $1.2 million in direct visitor spending.
On June 26, the National Women's Soccer League Challenge Cup will take place at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus. Gotham FC faces Kansas City Current at 8 p.m.
"It's going to be an amazing match between Gotham and Kansas City, and so exciting for Columbus, especially as we are anticipating the arrival of our own NWSL team in 2028," Towne said.
Other major festivals this summer include ComFest, which runs from June 26 to June 28 in Goodale Park; Red White and BOOM! on July 3 in downtown Columbus; and the Columbus Book Festival, which happens on July 11 and July 12 at the Main Library and in Topiary Park.
