Downtown preparing for Columbus Arts Festival

The annual Columbus Arts Festival kicks off today, with nearly a half-million people expected to visit the three day event. The festival is set to open at 11 a.m. Friday and will stay open until 10:30 p.m. Saturday's hours are 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday's hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Several downtown roadways are closed as nearly 300 artists, six stages of entertainment, and dozens of food vendors fill the streets around the Scioto Mile riverfront park:Civic Center / South Second Stre