🎆 Columbus Marks Juneteenth With Festivals, Fireworks, and More

Plus: 😢 Beloved Clintonville Vintage Shop Closing After 29 Years

Author

Chelsea Wiley
June 18, 2026

Sponsored by PromoWest 🎸
No one does live music in Columbus quite like PromoWest. They’ve got some fantastic shows coming up, including Young the Giant, Band of Horses, Paris Paloma, and more. To see what’s on the calendar, or to grab tickets to a show, head over to promowestlive.com.

Hello, Thursday! Chelsea, here.

Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned they were free, more than two years after emancipation had already been signed into law. More than 150 years later, the date is now a federal holiday, and Columbus is packed with ways to mark it. From a flag raising at the Statehouse to fireworks near downtown and festivals at Genoa Park and the Ohio History Center, the weekend is full of music, food and community gatherings. Here’s how you can celebrate, Columbus.

😢 A Beloved Clintonville Vintage Shop Is Closing After 29 Years
After nearly three decades in Clintonville, Boomerang Room Vintage is closing its storefront and shifting to online sales. The longtime neighborhood shop is holding a liquidation sale before Atomic Shop expands into the space later this year.

🍴 Medley Kitchen Sets Fall Opening In Hilliard
A new restaurant is joining Hilliard's growing TruePointe development this fall. Medley Kitchen will serve globally inspired small plates, handcrafted cocktails and shareable dishes designed for communal dining.

Headlines 📰 

🚸 Columbus ranks 73rd out of 101 major metros for pedestrian safety, with 172 pedestrian deaths recorded from 2020 to 2024, according to a new Smart Growth America report. (Axios Columbus)

🏛️ A giant Ohio flag now sits on the roof of the Rhodes State Office Tower after crews completed cost-saving repairs using a synthetic material instead of concrete. (WOSU)

📚 Columbus author Hanif Abdurraqib has been named the 2026 recipient of the Weston International Award, honoring his body of nonfiction work. (Matter News)

 Weather: 81 and mostly sunny

Coming Up This Week 📆

Sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council 🖼️
Explore Columbus through a new lens by checking out the arts-focused event calendar from Art Makes Columbus. From Columbus Symphony performances and Opera Columbus productions to concerts by nationally touring artists and local musicians playing intimate venues across the city, there’s always something happening. Discover the events that bring our community together through music, live performance, and more. For more info, head over to columbusmakesart.com.

Coming Up This Month 📆

Photo by David Heasley, courtesy of Columbus Arts Festival.

😎 The Best Things To Do in Columbus This Month
June is packed with reasons to get out and explore Columbus. From the Columbus Arts Festival and Pride celebrations to Juneteenth, concerts, baseball games, and more, we've rounded up some of the biggest events happening around the city this month.

Today's Photo 🤳

Instagram Post

😍 The Scioto River stretches more than 230 miles across Ohio before joining the Ohio River at Portsmouth, and in Columbus it’s shaped as much by design as by nature. A series of dams built over the past century turned parts of the downtown stretch into a controlled reservoir system, giving the river its calm, reflective character in the heart of the city.

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- Chelsea