Plan your weekend with these 10 things to do in Columbus

Festivals are cropping up every which way you turn, a sure sign that it's late spring in Ohio. This weekend in particular is teeming with fests offering music, theater and cultural celebrations.

In the music realm, Ohio Stadium will welcome Buckeye Country Superfest headliner George Strait with Chris Stapleton and special guests, while performances by Sheila E. and KRS-One will wrap up the Riverfront Culture Fest in Genoa Park. Additionally, Dark Star Jubilee in Thornville will offer three days of concerts and camping.

The Asian Festival will return in person after being virtual for two years during the pandemic, and Theatre Reset will introduce a new event — its first short play festival.

So, if you're feeling festive, these events are just what you need. For more details about them and other happenings in and near Columbus, read on below. To get these ideas in your inbox every week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.

Evolution Theatre to premiere British play

Evolution Theatre Company will begin its run of James Phillips' dark, dream-world drama "McQueen" with a preview at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Abbey Theater of Dublin, 5600 Post Road, Dublin. Evolution is only the second company in the world to present this tale of what ensues when a young woman breaks into fashion guru Alexander McQueen's house to steal a dress. The play — described by Variety as "Alexander McQueen’s Wikipedia page crossed with 'A Christmas Carol' — also will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and June 2-3; 2 p.m. Sunday; and 7:30 p.m. May 31-June 1. Tickets for the preview are $25 general admission and $15 students; prices for the rest of the show's run are $33 general, $28 seniors and $15 students. (evolutiontheatre.org)

Culture Fest to cap off Ohio Black Expo

The Ohio Black Expo, which focuses on Black life, business and culture, will begin with a business conference and networking mixer at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 540 N. High St. The expo, which also includes a youth summit, wellness workshop, happy hour gatherings at various locations and other events, will culminate in the Riverfront Culture Fest in Genoa Park on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to vendors, food trucks and daylong live music on both days, Saturday's fest will feature a noon opening parade and a hip-hop tribute, concluding with headlining concerts by Sheila E. and KRS-One. Tickets for the culture fest are $20 for one day, $30 for both. Registration and ticket prices for other events can be found on the website. (ohioblackexpo.com)

Marcon to spotlight all things sci-fi

If you enjoy talking about, watching, or even dressing like characters from sci-fi movies, books, music, art and everything in between, you won't want to miss Marcon, Ohio's oldest science fiction and fantasy convention. Featuring panel discussions, author signings, videos, an art show and more, the 58th annual Marcon will be held from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Columbus, 350 N. High St. The guest of honor will be New York Times bestseller and award-winning writer David Weber, best known for his Honor Harrington military sci-fi series. Tickets are $70 for the weekend ($45 for children 7-12), or $33 Friday, $45 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Registration is required on the event website. (marcon.org)

Theatre Reset to debut short play showcase

Theatre Reset is gearing up to put on its inaugural short play festival this weekend at 929 Harrison Ave. in Victorian Village. Led by women and non-binary individuals, the company strives to nurture talent in all parts of the creation process from playwrights and actors to technicians, production managers and directors. As such, Theatre Reset is also currently seeking experienced actors and directors. The short play festival, composed of eight works, each about 15 minutes long, will be held at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $16. (sites.google.com/view/theatre-reset)

Buckeye Country Superfest rolling into Ohio Stadium

"King of Country" George Strait will kick off Buckeye Country Superfest, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, at Ohio Stadium, 411 Woody Hayes Drive. Strait, who will be joined by Chris Stapleton plus special guests Little Big Town and Warren Zeiders, is the only artist or act in music history to have a Top 10 hit each year for more than three decades and earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart last year with his single, “The Weight of the Badge.” Limited tickets for Superfest remain, beginning at $84.49. (ticketmaster.com, buckeyecountrysuperfest.com)

Rescue Run to benefit homeless animals

PetPromise's annual Rescue Run is expected to draw nearly 1,000 runners, walkers, dogs, and spectators to McFerson Commons Park, 281 West St., on Saturday morning to raise both awareness of pet overpopulation and donations to care for homeless dogs and cats. The race, which includes 1-mile, 5K and 10K routes, will begin at 9:15 a.m. Early packet pickup is from 3-7 p.m. Friday at Worthington Roadrunner Sports, 535 Lakeview Plaza, Worthington. Online registration is open until 9:30 a.m. Saturday; participants also can register and pick up packets in person at 8:15 a.m. on race days. The cost is $45 per registrant. The event also will feature food vendors, pet-friendly businesses and raffles. (petpromise.org)

Joan Osborne, Bruce Hornsby in Jubilee lineup

Singer Joan Osborne, whose 1995 debut single "One of Us" contemplating God's existence as an everyday person, was a worldwide smash hit, will perform the music of Jerry Garcia, her own catalog and more on opening night of Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley in Thornville. Located on Route 13 just south of I-70 at 10466 Jacksontown Road, the 230-acre concert and camping venue will be filled with live music Friday through Sunday from a lineup that also includes The Wailers and Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers. A variety of tickets are available for single-day, two-day and weekend attendance; parking and camping costs are not included in festival admission. (darkstarjubilee.com)

Asian Festival returning live to Franklin Park

Back in person for the first time after two years of virtual events, the Asian Festival will celebrate the richness of the Asian culture from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 pm. Sunday in Franklin Park, 1755 E. Broad St. Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Indian, Thai and other cultures will be represented through dance, music, fashion, martial arts and other presentations at the free festival, which also will be livestreamed at twitch.tv/asianfestival_stream. In addition, food trucks, a health and wellness area, children's activities, and a career fair will be offered. (asian-festival.org)

Buckeye Lake to reveal restored fountain

The century-old fountain at Buckeye Lake has a new look, but if you want to see it, you'll have to wait until 1 p.m. Monday for the unveiling! A celebration will begin at 11 a.m. in North Shore Park, with speakers, food trucks, ice cream and door prizes, leading up to the unveiling of the refurbished fountain, a project of the Buckeye Lake Historical Society with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The 25th anniversary of the Buckeye Lake Museum, 4729 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, also will be celebrated during the event and an open house is scheduled for 2-6 p.m. (buckeyelakehistory.org)

Ohio Village to offer summer events

The 19th-century-themed Ohio Village at 800 E. 17th Ave. is open for the summer season for guests to explore historic homes and businesses from the 1890s, get to know the residents of the community learn all about the era through conversation and historically accurate displays. A popular summer feature, Storybook Village, will bring Rapunzel, Cinderella, Captain Hook and other storybook characters to Ohio Village from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 10. Ohio Village is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is included with Ohio History Center tickets, which range from $10 to $16. Members and children 3 and younger are admitted for free. (ohiohistory.org)

bpaschal@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 things to do in Columbus this weekend