10 Ways to Embrace the Holidays in Columbus

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Holiday lights, seasonal entertainment and family-friendly attractions make spirits bright at Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Zoo this season. 

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Conservatory Aglow returns with holiday light installations, interior horticultural displays and nightly entertainment in an immersive, all-ages experience that offers a fun way to make new memories together. Along with the captivating light displays, families get the chance to step inside a life-size Candyland board game with fun finds along the path. 

Other attractions during Conservatory Aglow include special installations inside the Himalayan Mountain, Rainforest, Desert and Pacific Island Water Garden biomes. Previous conservatory visitors who have yet to see the downtown Columbus destination decked out for the holidays will want to return for this family-friendly event that opens Nov. 21 and runs through Jan. 3. 

“You really can’t experience the conservatory like this any other time during the year,” says Hannah Fitzgerald, manager of exhibition development and design at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Another long-running Columbus-area holiday tradition can be found in nearby Powell, where the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Wildlights illuminates the zoo with millions of colorful lights. The evening event, which is included with regular zoo admission, runs Nov. 20 through Jan. 3. Attendees can also see seven larger than-life, lighted animal sculptures new for 2026 along the new Starlight Safari Stroll and check out the animated light shows at Conservation Lake.

Lego afficionados will want to see the “Bricktopia: An Array of WILD Builds” exhibit presented in partnership with the Ohio Lego User Group. It includes a train display, a holiday animal village, a polar bear and more all built from Lego bricks. Attendees can also visit with live reindeer in the North America section of the zoo, see the animated Oak Ridge Bears at Polar Frontier, hop on the 12 Days of Wildlights train and take a spin on the zoo’s 1914 carousel.

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New Additions 
These inaugural holiday events bring an old-world Christmas market to Dublin and more than a million lights to Columbus’ Huntington Park. 

The Columbus suburb of Dublin is already known for its Irish leanings, and those who visit during the holidays this year can experience a European-style market. The city’s new Christkindlmarkt Dublin, which runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 24, embraces old-world Christmas spirit in the form of booths selling food, drinks and handmade goods.

Maria Adele Rosenfeld, CEO and owner of Christkindlmarkt Dublin, ran a notable Christkindlmarkt in Carmel, Indiana, previously, and is excited to start the tradition in Dublin this holiday season. 

“Creating spaces where people can gather and connect with family and friends across generations and ethnicities — that’s my heart behind this event,” she says. “This can be a place full of warmth and smiles and good food where you can enjoy each other’s company.”

The market will be held at Riverside Crossing Park and is primarily open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. It is free to attend with special hours in the days leading up to Christmas. 

Although the Columbus Clippers’ baseball season is over, the holidays bring a new festive light experience to Huntington Park. Over a million lights will be displayed throughout the ballpark’s concourse, across stadium seats and on the field during Columbus Clippers Holiday Lights, which runs Nov. 14 through Dec. 31. Attendees can also take a ride aboard the passenger train that traverses the ballpark’s warning track, visit Santa and enjoy themed concessions.

“There are so many residents within walking distance,” says Micki Schier, director of stadium event planning at Huntington Park. “So, we hope they come and make a fun evening of it.” 

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Events and Performances 
Shop for locally made gifts, hear holiday music, revisit seasonal stage favorites and embrace winter fun during these festive Columbus-area events.

Columbus has scores of special events as Christmas nears each year, including the Short North Arts District’s Holiday Hop. Enjoy seasonal drinks, festive performances and browsing wares from more than 100 local artisans and makers from noon to 8 p.m. on Dec. 5. Also on Dec. 5, Merry Market (below) in the Columbus suburb of Dublin brings more than 100 market vendors to Bridge Park for a one-day holiday shopping experience. 

Another beloved annual happening, Village Lights, comes to Columbus’ German Village neighborhood Dec. 6. Hosted by the German Village Society, the event runs 4 to 8 p.m. Stroll the historic brick streets to take in festive lighting, stop by the beer garden and visit small businesses in the neighborhood. 

The Columbus Symphony hosts its “Holiday Pops” performances Dec. 4 through 6 at the Ohio Theatre in downtown Columbus. The shows feature festive music from the symphony, Columbus Symphony Chorus and Columbus Children’s Choir.  

“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” (above) arrives Dec. 8 through 13, bringing the residents of Whoville to the Palace Theatre, while the Columbus Ballet’s annual run of “The Nutcracker” (below) takes the Ohio Theatre stage Dec. 10 through Dec. 27. 

Land-Grant Brewing Co.’s Wintergarden also returns, bringing the popular Franklinton neighborhood brewery’s winter experience back with new additions and upgrades. 

“This all came out of trying to give people in Columbus a reason to leave their houses during the winter,” says Rachel Rudy, senior director of marketing and strategy for Land-Grant Brewing Co. 

This year, visitors can take part in beer-keg curling across 11 lanes, and 2026 marks the return of Wintergarden’s ice bumper cars (above), which have been refurbished. What’s a brewery without seasonal beers, and Land-Grant Brewing Co. delivers with offerings like its Tree Lot Holiday Ale and Beard Crumbs Oatmeal Cookie Stout. 

Wintergarden opens Nov. 27 and plans to remain open through the end of February, with the potential to extend into March if weather permits.  

When You Go
For more information about destinations and events in Columbus, visit experiencecolumbus.com.

Conservatory Aglow
fpconservatory.org

Christkindlmarkt Dublin
christkindlmarktdublin.com

Columbus Clippers Holiday Lights
mlb.com/milb/columbus

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
capa.com

Holiday Hop
shortnorth.org

Holiday Pops
capa.com

Merry Market
bridgepark.com/holidays

The Nutcracker
capa.com

Village Lights
germanvillage.com/villagelights

Wildlights
columbuszoo.org

Wintergarden
landgrantbrewing.com