Red Skylark and the Westsylvanians perform at the South Stage.  (Abby Jeffers’18/Co-editor)

At a small park on the Scioto riverfront, hundreds of local music lovers gathered to watch their favorite Columbus bands on September 16 and 17. The weekend is a community festival more than anything, with craft tents, artwork, food, and live music, but it’s known as Independents’ Day.

The tenth and final iteration of the free festival, which aims to develop “independent culture, commerce, and creativity,” hosted performers from various genres as well as a visual art and a community marketplace.

Among a vibrant, diverse crowd, rapper Dom Deshawn, electro-soul artist Marcus Alan Ward, and indie-rock band Connections gave performances for everyone. Spoken-word poets raised awareness against police brutality, artist collectives like DANK hosted showcases.

Despite this weekend being the end of a well-loved tradition, nothing but joy was in the air as the crowd danced, sang, and enjoyed the community.

Independents’ truly is about celebrating one another, and nothing displayed that more than the crowd itself. Audience members ranged from shy children and their parents to a woman with an enormous pink parrot hat, but there were smiles on nearly every face. It felt impossible to leave in anything but a good mood.

Festivals like this one are a great way to discover local artists. Although this was the last Independents’ Day, Columbus is home to many vibrant community festivals, like ComFest and the 2×2 Hip-Hop Festival.

Undoubtedly, the artist community in Columbus is alive and well, with many more opportunities to explore to come.