COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus is the place to be for sports fans this weekend as the Arnold Sports Festival and the NHL Stadium Series take place.

People are heading to the city from all over for the events, which may cause an increase in traffic and busier commutes. Officials are expecting more than 100,000 people to arrive in the city throughout the weekend, bringing a large economic impact.

Here's what you need to know for navigating Ohio's capital this weekend.

The Columbus Blue Jackets face off against the Detroit Red Wings at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 1 at 6 p.m. but an entire day of events will occur before the puck drops. 

Parking lots open at 8 a.m. on Saturday for the fans. Permits can be purchased for the lots by clicking here, with some restrictions on where oversized vehicles may park. Permits are one per vehicle and oversized vehicles cannot use more than one spot. Officials said all vehicles must vacate by 8 a.m. on Sunday.

RVs can park in the Gray Lots and Buckeye Lots near the Schottenstein Center, but fans must purchase an RV Permit to park in the lots. Officials also said RVs, tailgate equipment and any other vehicle, towed or towing, must fit into the allocated space of 40 feet by 60 feet. RVs must leave the parking lots by 10 a.m. on Sunday. 

For those looking to leave their vehicles at home, rideshare and taxi services will be available near the Schottenstein Center, at the intersection of 17th Avenue and Neil Avenue along Borror Drive. The rideshare apps will require riders to use those pick up locations. Drivers cannot collect riders near Ohio Stadium because of traffic patterns and security.

COTA will also offer a fixed-route bus service to fans. Lines 1, 2, 8, 22, 31 and 102 service the campus, usually every 15 to 30 minutes. Riders can download the Transit App or visit COTA.com to plan their rides.

Several shuttles will also be running, including an ADA Shuttle which will transport those requiring wheelchair accessibility and their companions. The shuttle will collect fans from the accessible parking lots next to the ROTC building and drop them off near Gate 22 on the east side of Ohio Stadium. Officials said this shuttle will run for six hours ahead of puck drop and until one hour after the game finishes.

A second shuttle will transport guests from the Mount Hall Look (West Campus Parking Lots) to Coffey Road Park on the west side of the Olentangy River near the Woody Hayes Bridge. Fans can use the bridge to reach Ohio Stadium. This shuttle will run for six hours ahead of the puck drop and one hour after the game ends.

The NHL is hosting an official tailgate for fans, the Honda NHL PreGame, which is a free hockey festival for fans. The tailgate opens at 12 p.m. and will go until 5 p.m. in the parking lots of The O on Lane and Riverwatch Tower. The tailgate will feature family-friendly hockey games, attractions, special appearances and opportunities to take photos with the Stanley Cup.  

There will also be a pep rally where Ohio's O.A.R. will perform, along with the OSU Athletic Band at St. John Arena. The rally will start at 2:30 p.m. and be free to the public with first-come, first-serve seating. The Columbus Blue Jackets will stop at the arena before walking over to the stadium.

Ohio Stadium is cashless, requiring fans to use cards or similar tap-to-pay.

The NHL has designed the stadium to pay a tribute to the Buckeye State with nods to the state across the ice. for more information on stadium policies, click here.

Meanwhile, only about 15 minutes away, a completely different sporting event will take over the Expo Center. 

The festival is one of the largest multi-sporting events across the world. 

While it begins on Thursday, Feb. 27, the event runs through Sunday, contributing to a very busy weekend in Columbus. 

Free shuttles will be offerered through COTA, which will be marked "Arnold Downtown Shuttle" with services running through Sunday. Events throughout the festival include IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contests, the NPC Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding Championships, the Arnold Strongman Classic, the Arnold Classic, as well as strength and Olympic sports. 

Tickets for several of the events are still on sale and can be found here.

The finals for the Arnold Classic physique competitions take place on Saturday.