Columbus weekend guide: Columbus Pet Expo at Ohio Expo Center and Pixar exhibition at COSI

Two family-focused draws anchor this weekend’s activity calendar in Columbus

Columbus heads into the weekend with two major attractions positioned for broad audiences: the 30th annual Columbus Pet Expo at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds, and “The Science Behind Pixar,” a ticketed special exhibition currently open at COSI.

Both events are structured to accommodate multi-hour visits, and each relies on interactive programming—animal demonstrations and adoption opportunities at the expo, and hands-on STEAM learning modules inside the museum exhibition.

Columbus Pet Expo: three-day schedule, pets allowed, and a focus on interactive programming

The Columbus Pet Expo is scheduled for March 13–15, 2026, at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus. Published event hours list Friday from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is advertised as pet-friendly, with pets permitted on site.

Programming described by organizers includes multiple activity areas and staged features that are typical of large-format consumer expos: competitions, demonstrations, and themed zones intended to keep attendance moving across the venue rather than concentrating in a single arena.

• Entertainment and activity elements listed include dock diving and frisbee dog demonstrations.
• Additional features listed include a “Wiener Dog Olympics,” a pet dress-up contest, and a “Reptile World” area with educational components.
• The event also advertises a “Mega Pet Adoption” area, positioning adoption as a central weekend offering alongside shopping and demonstrations.

As with most events that allow attendee animals, visitors typically benefit from planning around crowd levels, noise, and the practical needs of pets during extended indoor stays.

At COSI: “The Science Behind Pixar” offers a production-pipeline view of animated filmmaking

COSI’s special exhibition, “The Science Behind Pixar,” is now open and is presented as an interactive experience built around the tools and concepts used to create computer-animated films. The exhibition is described as having more than 50 interactive elements and eight sections, each tied to a step in the filmmaking process.

The exhibit frames Pixar’s work through science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM), aiming to connect creative outcomes to underlying technical systems and workflows. Visitors can expect hands-on activities, media elements featuring firsthand accounts from production teams, and character recreations displayed within the experience.

Access to the exhibition requires COSI admission plus an additional exhibition charge, with bundled ticket options available at purchase.

What to consider when choosing between the two

The Pet Expo and the COSI exhibition differ in pacing and setting: the expo is a high-traffic event environment with live-animal activity zones, while the museum exhibition is structured around guided movement through themed sections. For families, visitors can also split the weekend—treating one day as an event-style outing and another as a museum visit—depending on time, budget, and crowd tolerance.