1. Cincinnati Music Festival weekend
Cincinnati's biggest and best music festival brings some of the finest R&B and hip-hop artists to town, and you'll find plenty to do around Downtown throughout the weekend. Here's a look at the highlights:
Fountain Square (520 Vine St.): Vibe Marketplace and music throughout the weekend. The Rickey Smiley Morning Show broadcasts live 6-10 a.m. Thursday and Friday. Cincy Soul Black Taste Food Festival runs 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday along Fifth Street and Fountain Square. Details: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Free. visitcincy.com.
Andrew J. Brady Music Center (25 Race St.): MC Lyte, EPMD, KRS-One, and Black Sheep perform. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Thursday. bradymusiccenter.com.
Paycor Stadium (1 Paul Brown Way): Music starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Here's the lineup each night. Friday: Maxwell, Ne-Yo, Fantasia, October London, Lakeside. Saturday: New Edition (featuring Bobby Brown, Bell Biv DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill), KEM, Coco Jones, En Vogue and Stokley. cincymusicfestival.com.
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Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame (190 Mehring Way): The 2024 Induction Ceremony starts at noon Saturday, and a free live performance from legendary funk band Zapp follows at Andrew J. Brady Music Center. cincyblackwalkoffame.org.
2. Glier’s Goettafest
This family-friendly festival celebrates Greater Cincinnati’s love of goetta. The love is so great, the festival encompasses two whole weekends. It's your chance to enjoy live music, games, rides and the region's favorite breakfast food showcased in dozens of unique and beautiful ways. There are more than 50 goetta-inspired menu items on offer, including savories like nachos, empanadas, pizza, burritos, hoagies, chili and shepherd's pie, to sweets like grilled goetta donut sandwiches and goetta brownies. The festival runs July 25-28 and Aug. 1-4.
Details: 5-11 p.m. Thursday-Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday, Festival Park, Newport. Free admission. Goettafest.com.
3. Dangerwheel
This fun, family-friendly event has adults racing Big Wheels down Broadway throughout the day. That's right. Adults. Riding. Big Wheels. Most wear costumes or capes. Or both. Many get beaned by water balloon-wielding children. Each heat in the competition gets a little bit tougher, a little more dangerous (but not too dangerous) and it's all for a good cause: neighborhood beautification projects. There will also be a variety of food trucks, beer and music.
Details: 2 p.m. Saturday, Broadway St., Pendleton. Free for spectators. Dangerwheel.com.
4. Olympic Village on The Levee
The Levee transforms into a one-stop shop for Olympic-themed events and programming Friday through Aug. 11 in celebration of the 2024 Summer Olympics. A live broadcast of the opening ceremony in Paris takes place at 2:30 p.m., and you can watch the daily games live on LED screens throughout the duration of the tournament. A kickoff party at 5 p.m. on the plaza features a ceremonial torch relay with local mascots, an interactive parade of flags, international dance showcase, DJ, photo opportunities, and themed food and drink specials. On Saturday, don your red, white and blue for a Team USA bar crawl from noon-5 p.m. featuring complimentary USA-themed swag, exclusive drink specials, patriotic games and activities at each of the 10 stops, and raffles. The crawl costs $10 and proceeds benefit the Special Olympics of Campbell County.
Details: 2-10 p.m. Friday, Newport on the Levee, 1 Levee Way, Newport. Free. facebook.com. Crawl registration for ages 21-up: teamusabarcrawl.eventbrite.com.
5. Sharonfest
This community festival offers a little something for everyone. There will be inflatables for the kids, games like balloon darts, big six and pick-a-prize, face painting, food and drinks booths operated by local organizations, a beer garden, and live music. On Friday, see Stagger Lee and Audio Graffiti. Saturday's entertainment is Under the Sun and The Whammies.
Details: 6 p.m.-midnight Friday, 5 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Gower Park, 10997 Thornview Drive, Sharonville. Inflatables ride bracelet $10 per child per day. Free admission. Sharonfest.com.
6. Raisin’ Hellbenders on the River: Concert for Conservation
Thomas More University's Biology Field Station hosts a fundraiser featuring live bluegrass and Americana music with Sweet William, Maria Carrelli, Ma Crow & Co., Tangled Roots and The Montvales. It's a chance for the station to bring awareness to its Ohio River research, education and outreach programs while highlighting the rich aquatic biodiversity in Kentucky. The event's name refers to the eastern hellbenders, North America's largest salamander species, which are native to the Ohio River. During the event, you can take tours of the lab and facilities, and enjoy guided hikes, free kayak rentals and enter raffles to win kayaks. There will be food and MadTree beverages available for purchase.
Details: 3-9 p.m. Saturday, Thomas More University Biology Field Station, 8309 Mary Ingles Highway, California. $15. Tmuky.us/24rhcc.
7. 'Up the As*pirin: Pain Management'
This show features a collection of sketches, music and other performance acts written, directed and performed by a team of Cincinnati comedians of color and allies. Led by Gauravi Shah, Tatiana Godfrey and a cast of creatives including Aiden Sims, Agus Sanchez, Daniel Zimmer, Nathan Tubbs, Romeo Seay and Rachel Boyle, the show delivers the laughs while tackling issues and inequalities in American society.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine. $18. knowtheatre.com.
8. Northern Kentucky Universal Energy Expo
Meet mystical readers, healers and vendors, enjoy workshops and door prizes at this metaphysical gathering. Discover tarot readers and mediums, healers of energy and Reiki, and those working with crystals. Featured guests include celebrity psychic medium Rose Campbell, authors Thomas Freese and Patti Wigington, healer and spiritual speaker Jay Hollingshed, and 3 Appalachian Witches (formerly the Sisterhood of Magic & Wonders).
Details: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday, Turfway Park, 7500 Turfway Road, Florence. Free parking. $30 weekend, $20 single day, free ages 12-under with paying adult. $5 military discount with ID. Universalenergyexponky.wordpress.com.
9. Hops & Hyzers
Great Parks' disc golf tournament, in partnership with HighGrain Brewing, features an 18-hole course with state-of-the-art tee boxes, signage and baskets. The tournament is open to all ages and abilities – especially those within the beginner and intermediate levels. Other games and contests available to families, children and spectators throughout the day. Tee times start at 11 a.m. and run every 10 minutes until 4 p.m. Each tee time slot is limited to five players, and beer is available for ages 21-up.
Details: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Woodland Mound Disc Golf Course, 8250 Old Kellogg Road, Anderson Township. $30 player per round. greatparks.org.
10. Final Friday
Here's a look at some of the art openings and other fun artsy events happening on Friday.
- Enchanted Life: Finding Magic in the Everyday: Argentinian artist Julia O. Bianco leads this exhibition, which aims to open the realm of possibility in everyday experiences and reexamines discarded objects through the lens of enchantment.
- Details: 5-7 p.m. Friday, ArtWorks V2 Gallery, 929 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills. Runs July 26-Sept. 12. Free. Artworkscincinnati.org.
- Jared Presley: Signs: The exhibition showcases this Cincinnati-based musician and photographer's nostalgia for the past, and his love of sign design.
- Details: 5-7 p.m. Friday, MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. motrpub.com.
- Art After Dark: For the Culture: Celebrate the latest exhibition The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century and enjoy free admission to the exhibition. Music from DJ Monet, dance performances from Heroes Rise and Elementz, photo booth, cash bar, food for purchase.
- Details: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Free. Cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
- Final Friday: Artists open their studios to the public to browse and buy. Artist of the month: Charlie Berger, studio 806.
- Details: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Pendleton Art Center, 1310 Pendleton St., Pendleton. Free admission. Valet parking available at the door for $10. Pendletonartcenter.com.
- CAC@21c: Enjoy a half-hour docent-led tour of 21c exhibitions followed by a half-hour tour of Contemporary Arts Center exhibitions.
- Details: 6 p.m. Friday, 21c Museum Hotel, Walnut St., Downtown. Free. Cincycac.org.
- Art After Hours: View the work of 16 regional artists, enjoy live music with the Ken Foltz Quintet, floral arrangements by Fort Thomas Florist & Greenhouse, and macrons from Little Spoon Bakery & Cafe.
- Details: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Campbell County Public Library, Carrico/Fort Thomas Branch, 1000 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas. cc-pl.org.
