I experienced FC Cincinnati for the first time a week ago. I was blown away. I have never been to a…read moreprofessional soccer game and wasn't sure what to expect. I underestimated the enthusiasm of the Cincinnati soccer fans. The stadium is beautiful and very new and modern. It has lots of good drink and food options for all ages. The stadium is very accessible and easy to navigate. The Bailey, the extreme fan section, was incredible to see! The cheering, drums, band, flags, and smoke was so cool and unexpected. Even though FCC lost, I would recommend this to any person who has yet to go, especially sports fans. I am definitely going to try and get tickets in the Bailey section the next time I go!

Outstanding time FC Cincinnati game. 2 -1 victory. It is a must event in Cincinnati.read more

We've interacted with the Ritz twice and had two wildly different experiences:…read more First we went to a group class on a Friday night and learned the cha-cha. Karen taught this class, and it was great! It was pretty clear that they get a lot of regulars each week, and we're both beginner-intermediate dancers, so we learned a lot from our fellow students. Karen was great about teaching all of us the steps, and we got a lot of new moves down. We enjoyed it a lot, and we looked forward to having the Ritz come out and DJ our wedding reception. Then we booked the Ritz to DJ our wedding. Our vision was to get more people on the dance floor and have a group lesson at the start of our dance time, and this was a major disappointment! When Karen got there she immediately told me that she was just told a couple days ago that she "had to" come to our event because her daughter Bree was not in town. No friendliness. She seemed put out to be there at our event. She taught our group class like I requested, but not without calling some couples a "train wreck"! Then during the event, she just sat at the table not even facing the dance floor, and she hardly looked up from her phone the whole time. And she refused to play some of our guests' song requests to boot! I don't believe in playing on your phone when you're at work. Certainly Karen knew that her behavior was unprofessional. The playlist was good though. Why did we tip her when she clearly was phoning it in on our special day!? What a disappointment. She was recommended by a friend, but we should have gone with someone who isn't as skilled as a dance instructor but could have at least brought a little bit of energy! Even several of our guests commented on how we had the most disaffected DJ anyone had seen. It was memorable! LOLOL

Enjoying this experience so much. Great instructors, and the group sessions are so much fun!read more

We travel a fair bit for criterium races in the Midwest and this one proved to be a lot of fun. It…read morecertainly doesn't hurt that it's in the charming Hyde Park neighborhood just outside of Cincy. My husband raced Friday night in Madeira and Saturday at Hyde Park. I typically make an adventure of it to scope out the neighborhood and festivities. This particular day-long fest featured a 5k in the morning, more than ten brewery booths, five to ten food booths along with the brick and mortar businesses surrounding the criterium's path. The announcers made this event super fun from a spectator standpoint and around 75+ racers showed up for the Category 1 men's race at the end of the night. I love that the race takes place at the end of the day allowing the temperatures and sun to drop. Free to attend for spectators and $40+ for cyclists to enter.

Hyde Park Blast is a fun race that draws walkers, runners, and bikers of all abilities and levels…read moreof competitiveness. I participated in the walk/run race in the morning. The race in the morning is a bit longer than a 5k (it's about 4 miles). Local running groups like the Running Spot offer training for this event and the participants range from super fast people up front to those in no particular hurry in back- no need to feel self conscious signing up for this race if you are not super speedy- everyone is there to raise money to fight cancer and that's what counts. The registration fee, which goes towards fighting cancer, also includes a shirt and a finisher's gift at the end (this year sunglasses). This is not an event that will leave you famished. Plenty of local eateries and stores are on hand to give you free snacks and beverages (an adult beverage is included for those of age as well). Gear is also available for purchase at the event. Probably the only hassle involved in this event is parking which is to be expected- but otherwise it's a fun, mostly flat route for a great cause! Check it out- maybe even make it your first race!!!!!!!

Let's talk dirty!…read more Because that's what you're gonna get at Lawrenceburg Speedway! This local staple of Lawrenceburg has decades of history. Generations of local dirt track racers giving all they got to a sport they love. Lawrenceburg Speedway is right off the highway and insanely easy to get to. It's so easy that you may miss the road to turn on to to enter the park. Well, I did. Once you get there, you find a place to park. Usually in the grass or the lot closer to the road, if it's a busy night. Check the website for schedules, tickets and pricing and also results. Lawrenceburg will give you a great night and not break the bank. I'm not a "local" to Lawrenceburg as I live North of Cincy about 35 minutes away. As an "outsider", I can immediately see the community here. These are families and friends who come together for some racing and fun and have a great time. You can tell that some of these folks are here week-after-week and this is what they do. It's fantastic. So, you get through the ticket window, walk past the security officer and you're in the park. Hit the refreshment stands early. They don't get crazy busy, but it gets a little dusty once the action starts. You hit the grandstands and it's a seat-yourself deal. No assigned seats. Find a place and park it. Let the action begin. Everything from little four-bangers to buses at this track. And, again, it's always a good time. When you're there, in the stands, it could be 2024 or it could be 1964. It really could. This is just good old fashioned fun. That's it. Guys and gals working hard all week, coming home and eating dinner before they go out to the garage to pound out their ride for Saturday's race. They work hard and they play hard. It's Saturday and it's showtime. They give it all they got and it's an overall great time. Would I go back? Heck yeah! I can't wait for the 2024 season to fire up. Let's go racing!!!! Pro Tip(s): Okay - If you've never been to a dirt track before, you should know a couple of things. If you don't wear glasses, you may want to bring some. You may even want to bring safety glasses. It can get very dusty and, depending on where you're sitting, mud pellets can travel. I choose to throw on my prescription shop safety glasses. Bring a mask or a bandana. The bandana looks cooler. "For COVID?" No! For dust and mud, just like the glasses. Depending on the day, that dust bowl can be dense. I prefer to breathe so I always have a bandana in my pocket, just in case. Don't get all dolled up. Why? Same reason as the glasses and bandana........it get's dirty out here, y'all!! That's dirt track racing. Last Pro Tip - Go to the Concession Stand BETWEEN races/heats. You do not want to be standing there during a race or qualifying. You WILL be showered with mud pellets. This is not a maybe.........this is a guarantee. If you don't believe me, look down when you're walking by the Concession Stand. You see all those mud marbles? Yeah, they didn't just gently roll over there. The rained down in brown waves of glory.

Very nice dirt track they need more shade but other than that great place. Loved the Koana ice and…read moreT-shirt selection

As part of my cousin's bachelor party this past Saturday we spent the better part of the afternoon…read moredown at River Downs to take in some horse racing. This was actually my first time at River Downs, though I have been to Turfway once before. There is no entry fee and there are no employees at the gates checking bags, so entry is perfectly painless. Our group arrived on a school bus, taking the long way to get there, so we missed the first race of the day. I sat out betting on the second race and eventually placed a trifecta bet on the third race after finding the ATM. I didn't win this time, and that trend continued for the fourth and fifth races too. We spent the majority of the time hanging out near the rail on the paved standing area in front of the open air grandstand. Beers were just $4.50, which is much better than most other sporting events. And since they didn't check anyone coming in, I wonder if some patrons didn't sneak in some of their own beer in the multiple coolers that I saw throughout the day. My luck changed during the sixth race of the day. After coming close to winning on one of the earlier races, and paying attention to what my program was saying versus the results of the day, I started catching on. Or at least I thought I was starting to understand it all. Most of my bets were either trifecta bets, or I would occasionally pick one horse to win, place, or show, as I did in the sixth race. In my program the #6 horse was listed as 10-1 odds to win, and a couple of minutes before post the large board in the infield displayed the odds as much higher, over 20-1. Once I saw this I ran to one of the automated machines and bought the ticket above. I thought that maybe there was something that I wasn't picking up on that lowered the odds, but I figured it was worth a few bucks to find out. As the race started horse #6 was nowhere near the front of the back. The board only updates for the first 3/4 of the race at best, so as the horses all come toward the finish line it is really hard to tell who is in the lead. As this race came to a close I watched as #6 charged up the inside rail and won the race! I had won $124.80! With just two races after that, I made a couple of bucks off the seventh race and was then put in charge of making a bet for my dad, brother, and I who pooled some money together. Again I went with the win place show bet, and nearly won again as the horse I selected finished in fourth place. Bummer. We had a great time and I look forward to going down to the track again in the future. Kim has already said that she wants to go too.

From the start knock down your expectations a few pegs and then knock them down a few more for good…read moremeasure, this isn't Keeneland, Churchill Downs or even like the race parks you've seen in movies (most recently Bounty Hunter comes to mind), this is River Downs. It is an older facility with little updating and that's what I find so charming, that it looks similar to what it did when my grandparents took us as kids (don't judge). If you've never bet on the ponies, this is a good place to start with free parking, free admission, $2 for your race book, $2 bets and the option to bring your own picnic lunch. I cannot comment on the concessions because it is there's an option to bring my own food, I'm on it (for nutritional reasons). Not a gambler? Then the people watching is sure to delight, you will see clientele you've never laid eyes on at other entertainment venues, but it takes all types to populate Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, right?! We find something for the whole family at River Downs, pony rides for kids and the ability to get down on the rail during live racing. Shade and tables for the older family members to sit and eat a picnic lunch (no alcohol or glass can be brought in) between races while studying the race book. It's an annual summer trip for us!

The vibe of Kenton County Fair is very lighthearted. Everyone's happy and the food is good. There…read moreare a lot of activities happening, like the races and the pageant shows. The rides can be a little dangerous feeling though. The Sizzler (I think that's what it was called) made me feel like I was getting crushed and hurt my ribs. But it was still fun

Fun little county fair. Good food good kid rides and a tractor pull! Cheep fun for the familyread more

On November 30th, my fiancée and I went to Nippert Stadium to see the Cincinnati Bearcats play the…read moreTCU Horned Frogs. The fiancée graduated from the University of Alabama and is used to Bryant Denny Stadium and was not to use to this stadium size. I went to a Division 2 school, so the football stadium is smaller. Finding our parking spot was easy to find and checking in to get inside was a simple process. The crowd was not as big as an Alabama game (I am not an Alabama fan), but it was energetic. The only minor problem I had was the con session stand food. The hot chocolate was too watery and the nachos were okay. Overall, we had a fun time watching our first Big 12 football game! We stayed for the whole game; even though it was snowing. Cincinnati did lose to the horned frogs, but it was fun. The marching band for Cincinnati sounded great as well! :)

Cool stadium and campus with renewed area in uptown Cifton. Tailgating before Bearcats meet South…read moreFlorida. Great atmosphere! BYOB. (Bring your own Bearcat).

Once again, Bob Castelini and company have put together the perfect Hot Stove event to keep Reds…read morefans happy during the winter break. This year the major draw was the new Blue Wahoo booth. The line to spin the wheel was three city blocks long, but worth the wait to win awesome prizes including seat packages, hats, seat cushions, an awesome Christmas ornament, and the limited edition Billy Hamilton bobblehead. The Louisville Slugger booth gave out awesome pilsner glasses this year. You should also check out the Hall of Fame area for cool gifts. The best deal at the convention is the Reds Community Mystery bags. For $20 you get an official MLB ball signed by a current or former Reds player. When you consider that an official ball retails for $18 this is a heck of a deal and benefits an excellent organization. Plenty of booths with Larosa's pizza and Skyline chilli, but if you are a season ticket holder, this year they are serving short rib tacos, angus sliders, and wings in the Ultra Lounge. The only shortfall, is somebody in the Reds front office made a terrible choice for Friday's entertainment. Rather than invite back the perennial crowd favorite: The Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Shuffle, they decided to "shake things up" according to the staff, and brought in Eden Park Trio. They are terrible. I will be calling my STH rep Monday to complain. Bring back the Wabs!

Attended RedsFest for the first time this year and I was a bit underwhelmed. I guess it's for…read morereally hard core fans, but it seemed to mostly involve a whole lot of standing in lines (at least if you wanted any autographs or photographs with players). It seems like there should be a more efficient way to do that--maybe give out tickets or something that give a specific time. Autograph/photo schedules aren't posted before the event, but you can follow @Reds on Twitter for 30 min advance listings or just walk around and look at the signs by each line. Food options were as expected: limited and expensive. I pretty much just saw LaRosa's and Skyline on the main level and there was an Ovations kiosk in the (lame) VIP lounge for season ticket holders. There were a good number of activities for kids, particularly on the third level, but if you're bringing a child, keep in mind that they need to be old enough for independent play and young enough to be easily impressed. There are additional opportunities to spend money at various memorabilia shops and the official Reds gear store. And there's a main stage that has different player panels or other speakers, so just check the schedule in advance to know if there's anything specific you want to see. RedsFest is a 2-day affair and to really maximize the experience, you would probably want to go both days and just be prepared to be there all day to have the chance to see and get autographs/photos with the players you like. Those with significant others and/or kids who aren't as hard core, should probably leave them at home or drive separately.