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!

This weekend (July 11-13) marked the annual MidSummer at the Meadows event in the Milford area. The…read morefestival, which took place at Miami Township's Miami Meadows Park, expanded to a three day event (F: 6-11, S: 3-11, S: 3-9) and was headlined entertainment-wise by Loverboy, Kansas, and former American Idol fourth place finisher Josh Gracin, who performed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. I was there on Saturday from about 3:00 p.m. until 9:30, and there was a ton of people, but by the time I left it was becoming absolutely packed as Kansas' performance time approached. It was a great event for all ages, with plenty of fun for kids and adults. For kids, the park's playground equipment was open, while they had all kinds of carnival games and rides. For the older kids, there was plenty of room to toss a football or Frisbee and there was a Game City 360 tent where you could play video games, but most just hung out with their friends. For the older crowd, of course the beer was a hit, while the soccer fields were crowded with folding chairs as people sat and watched the on-stage music performances. There were the typical non-food vendors such as National City, Cricket, Cincinnati.com, and SmarTravel, while there were a lot of great food options raging from LaRosa's, Skyline, and Planet Smoothie to Putter's Tavern and Grill, Cincinnati Grill, and other local restaurants, as well as a hot dog and pop corn stand. I was impressed at the musical acts drawn out to perform at this Clermont County park, but with the turnout I saw, it was probably well worth their times. Overall, I really liked this event, I just wish it was not so far out on the East side of the Cincinnati area.

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

This event was ammmaaaazzzzziiiinnnngggg. I had no idea what to expect when I showed up for this…read more The host was a beautiful, charismatic drag queen who engaged the audience and had me laughing the entire time. Only 3 of 7 contestants showed up (I heard a rumor that 2 were too inebriated to participated...whoops), and we watched while they answered questions, showed off their hidden "talent", and generally tried to win us over for the title of Sausage Queen. Five judges ultimately made the decision, but I think the audience made it clear we agreed with the winner! Overall, a fun, outrageous way to spend an evening! This was just the preliminaries, and I think there are 4-5 others at various bars around Cincy before the finals where the Queen is crowned.

Bockfest is so uniquely Cincinnati, and the Sausage Queen competition is as good as it gets. It's a…read morelittle raunchy, a lot funny, and completely ridiculous. Even as a demi-vegetarian, I can appreciate the wonderfulness of the Sausage Queen.

I've seen pictures of this race through my friends feed on Facebook and always wanted to…read moreparticipate in this event. When I heard that they are coming to Cincinnati, I signed up right away. For signing up, you receive a T-shirt, knee high socks, runners bib, a color pack, and removable tattoo. You have the option to sign up for the just the race or option with both parking and pass to Kings island. I did the race and park/pass. It's starts at 7:30 a.m. for runners and walkers 7:45 a.m. Color Me Rad is the only 5K color race with eight color stations throughout the course. It is loosely based on the Hindu Festival of Colors, otherwise known as Holi. The festive colors used are a sign of winter's end and spring's new beginnings. Or in the case of RAD; the color represents the end of lame runs and the beginning of fun runs. The race was held at King's Island. We started the run on the parking lot. You go through the park and ending destination is in the front of Kings Island (near ticket booths). I love the color stations-you either get squirted the color gel or thrown the color paint/powder. At the end of the course, there is someone that gives you bottle of water. After the race, if you want more color thrown on you, join the DJ for the after party. They throw free color packs and every 15 minutes we toss it in the air and get really dirty. My favorite is the smoke blowing everywhere!! It's so awesome. If you wear white (highly recommned), you are able to see the colors more. Make sure to wear sunglasses and cover your cell phones. I look forward to seeing the professional pictures. Overall, I had a blast. I can't wait for next year. I think everyone should try this! FYI, this is not a charity. Also, make sure to brings towels because you will need it on the way home!

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!!!!!!!

A nice festival put on in Cheviot. Located in one of the local area parks, they offered some live…read moreentertainment options, pretty decent cocktails, Italian sweets and food vendors. They had some carnival rids available for the kids and if you live in the area the even shares a parking lot with the community pool. Visited in the afternoon shortly after the festival started up for the day and it wasn't too busy at all. Though I was following the festivals social media post I didn't know the schedule of events. Having this information before hand would have been useful for attending around a band, demonstration or speed trivia that was scheduled. Each of the food items I sampled were good including the fried ravioli, arancini, cannoli and limoncello marscapone cake. The two bite size cannoli being a highlight. Oh, and don't worry; they fill them when orders so it's still a very crisp wafer. And for the adults? A wine garden! Bottles of wine available, but the signature cocktails is where it's at! The white summer sangria being the highlight amongst attendees in my group. $1-$2 donation suggested for entry, great cocktails and some ways to tire the kids.

This is a small town festival at its best! It is more like a mini Italian Taste of Cincy than…read moreanything else. The highlights: fried ravioli, fried oreo, the wine/sangria station, and the cookie table-they serve made to order cannoli, pizzelles, and dozens of other varieties of homemade cookies for eating right there or take away. Of special note: Stuarto's Olive Oil is an annual treat for us- we stock up on our specialty oils, balsamics, and salt mixes-and they let you sample everything! They have an outdoor stage with various acts and an indoor barn style room where food demos and art pieces are housed. There are also raffle booths and carnival rides and games for the kiddos. It is not a large festival and you can make your way through the entire are in about an hour. I would consider it a lunchtime or dinner event, but certainly not a "spend all day" here kind of festival, unless you really want to sample all the alcohol. :) A lovely little 3 day summertime magic, it is almost always the first weekend of June and worth at least a few hours of your time.

This is my second year attending the Pride Parade. I marched the last two years with my work Fifth…read moreThird Bank and feel very proud to support the community and the cause. This parade is pretty huge. After the parade, I love walking around enjoying drinks, vendors and the food trucks. Plus you can score some freebies. This event is big and very busy. It's all along Sawyers Point. Everything about this event stands for to me is love and no judgement. That everyone is equal. It's always a blast and I'm going to continue to attend every year.

First year going to this pride celebration!…read more We ended up hanging out at the very end mostly because It was too hot to go closer to the front/middle. One thing of note: this parade is LONG! Too long? Maybe. It seems that because it's so long, it doesn't seem as crowded and high-spirited as other pride parades I've been to. Good to see actual organizations in the parade making systemic changes for the queer community. Tons and tons of national/corporate chains in this parade, which is a turn off for me as an advocate. Regardless, it was a great, very family friendly, display of love and acceptance.