A Quaint City Hosting One Of Ohio's Largest Festivals Is Situated Between Cincinnati And Columbus

Ohio has many charming Midwest small towns scattered across the state, and while a weekend in one of these picturesque locations is always enjoyable, timing your visit with a local event could make your trip one for the scrapbook. Thankfully, Ohio has a calendar full of festivals to suit all interests, whether it' the Ohio Renaissance Festival in Harveysburg, the popular Ohio State Fair, or the Columbus Food Truck Festival, which a 2025 USA Today Readers' Choice Awards poll ranked as the fourth-best city food festival in the country.

Fall fanatics will be delighted to know that the quaint city of Circleville hosts America's largest pumpkin festival, one of Ohio's most beloved events. Pack your coziest sweater, prepare your taste buds for all things pumpkin spice, and head to Circleville for a seriously gourd-geous getaway.

Circleville sits 102 miles northeast of Cincinnati, but just 28.5 miles south of Columbus. If you're traveling from there, Circleville is conveniently close to U.S. 23, U.S. 22, and Route 56 West. Or, if you choose to fly, the closest airport is Rickenbacker International Airport, about 19 miles away, or a 30-minute drive. You'll feel right at home in this close-knit community as soon as you pass the "Welcome to Circleville" sign.

The annual Circleville Pumpkin Show is thought to be among Ohio's oldest festivals, tracing its origins to 1903 when the town's mayor created a display of pumpkins in front of his place just big enough to be called a " pumpkin show" by the townspeople. By 1905, nearby businesses had joined the festivities, and a merry-go-round was set up for added entertainment. Like the supersized pumpkins you'll see there, the event grew substantially, eventually becoming one of the largest U.S. festivals, attracting more than 300,000 people across four days.

Today, the show remains a highlight of Ohio tourism, and an estimated 400,000 visitors attend yearly, so planning in advance is wise if you want to really immerse yourself in the celebrations. The festival is often called "The Greatest Free Show on Earth," so with free admission, you can look forward to live music, line dancing, the decorated golf cart contest, a pet parade, and the Little Miss Pumpkin Show pageant. Wear your stretchy pants for the pumpkin pie-eating contest, and grab a front-row seat for the main event —the giant pumpkin weigh-in. The weigh-in is always a nail-biter, with a host of oddly shaped, overweight squashes vying for the trophy. In 2025, champions Michael and Dusti Helberg proudly produced a pumpkin weighing an astonishing 1,972 pounds. Forgetting to bring your camera to this would be a tragedy.

Locals absolutely adore this cherished festival, and eagerly await the season's changing leaves to signify that Circleville's exciting pumpkin show is just around the corner. Resident Allison Durbin told 10TV, "We always come as a family. It's tradition. We love coming out [and] seeing the big pumpkin, getting some pumpkin food and we all share it together so we get to try everything."

The Circleville Pumpkin Show has been in action for over a century, placing it among the longest-running fall festivals in the country. Although you can enjoy Circleville throughout the year, autumn is certainly the season for merriment in this small city. For warmer temperatures, the middle of June until late September is recommended, but bear in mind that summers can get humid there. For sweater-weather, come during October for the festival when you can expect comfortable highs of roughly 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows of 45.

In Circleville, you'll find basic, budget-friendly hotels like Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn within walking distance of stores at Circleville Plaza, and rooms are around $100 to $150 per night. Unfortunately, this may be your best option if you want to stay in the area, as many of the boutique hotels in Circleville have either seen better days or are no longer operating. You might also consider the Deer Creek Lodge, a beautiful lakeside property about 20 miles outside the city, with a range of rooms from $150 to $200 per night, and cabins for $250 or more.

Circleville is technically a city, but it exudes a cozy town atmosphere with a cute and character-filled Main Street. The historic Wittich's Candy Shop has been around since 1840, so they know a thing or two about pumpkin-themed sweet treats. Don't skip a visit to satisfy your sugar fix. While you won't find any skyscrapers in Circleville, you will find the world's largest pumpkin-shaped water tower at the end of Logan Street — a perfect nod to one of the best fall festivals in the state, and the heritage of this fun and unusual city.