Lumenocity 2016 was held at the Taft Theatre this year. What sets this year different from other…read moreyears is that the light show was indoors this year. And, since it was indoors, they were able to offer more tickets for everyone to come and see the event. In addition to that, there were about three-four shows for each day the event occurred, (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Getting to Taft Theatre was pretty easy, and since there wasn't a game going on that weekend it wasn't super crowded in downtown Cincinnati. Parking lots were easy to find. Once you parked, the block party they had in front of Taft Theatre was easy to get to. There were about five or six food trucks, and lots of activities for kids. There was even police presence throughout the festival. This year, you were able to get a wristband ahead of time once they scanned your ticket to expedite getting into the Theatre. But really, it was pretty easy to get in even without getting a wristband ahead of time. They did a great job at handling the crowd before the show. Once inside, it was easy to find your seat. The show started on time which was great! And, it was only 45 minutes which is long enough to be able to enjoy the music, but short enough that all the kids in the audience would not get bored. Seeing the light show indoors was nice, because the lights came out more vibrant compared to watching it outside projected onto a wall. And, you had assigned seating, so you didn't have to worry about saving your seat ahead of time. If you didn't want to pay to see the show, they also broadcasted it outside where the block party was. Overall this year's event was enjoyable. They had some technical difficulties leading up to the event, but it was solved by the time the event started. (The company they used to email the etickets to everyone somehow had their emails come up as spam so a majority of people did not get their tickets by the Monday it was promised. They updated their website letting people know that they were working with finding a new company to send out everyone's etickets. The tickets were delivered on Thursday night).

Amazed I'm the first to (create/review) this absolutely amazing event. This is the second year for…read moreLumenocity, and it was Fantastic!! I was out of town last year at Lollapalooza, sleeping on a boat, when the inogural Lumenocity happened, but luckily I have a friend that was so impressed that he got Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra season tickets JUST to be eligible for the tix to Lumenocity 2014! The event 2014 had food/beer(Rhinegeist) trucks down Race Street, all kinds of vendors, food and Cincy local craft artists in the treed part of the park. This part was open to people without tix to the actual event, and it was food/art festival that was more attended than anything I've seen in Washington park, and I'm there weekly. The show: The show was spectacular. YouTube it. If you haven't been, YouTube the hell out of Lumenocity, and share it. Make it viral. One of the best symphonies in the world, synchronized to amazing digital graphics, using one of Cincinnati's best landmarks(Cincinnati Music Hall) as a canvas. It is amazing, emotional, and one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time.

It was a great way to kick off the holiday season. I love that there was an outdoor craft show at…read moreWashington Park at the same time, so I got a "two-fer." I shopped there for the traditional arts and crafts gifts, then went into the side door of Music Hall (yes, at you're looking at it, the fair can only be accessed through the left-hand side door of music hall) for unique artist-made crafts. I didn't buy much -- just a silk-screened t-shirt and some tasty Jalapeno jelly -- it was the perusing itself, and talking directly to the artists that was the joy of the season. And I had some great, animated conversations with the artists themselves, who were helpful and excited to talk about their work. Yes, these are hand-made specialty items, so the price was high. But it is going directly to the artists, so it is worth it.

My first time attending the Crafty Supermarket, and it did not dissapoint. The space is beautiful…read moreand uplifting - warm, inviting, roomy, and festive. The booths were very high-end, offering great design and well-made products. Eli's BBQ was there, along with a bar, coffee stand, and gelto. It wasn't very crowded when we went, so take that for what it is. YMMV. Be prepared to spend some serious cash, also. I didn't buy many things, but the bill was high. I like supporting artists and designers, so I don't mind, but it certainly isn't a budget shopping experience.

It's was exciting and private we stayed overnight for a special birthday celebration we brought in…read moreall of the fun things we needed to make our evening complete,food-games and drink

The Swing House in Cincinnati is a man's love story about a home restoration project. The swing as…read morethe focal point allows an interaction and appreciation for how the walls around you transcend into a work of art. We booked a stay here through AirBnB. The host is very kind and welcoming and allowed us to visit his house in progress next door. The home is equipped with everything you'll need for your stay as well as a very good sound system that is perfect for enhancing your artwork experience.

We came here for the pinball and stayed for the fun drinks!…read moreThey had a great contain menu with fun and different cocktails to try. My favorite one was the Electric Avenue. It wasn't too sweet and had a fun flavor. The place was packed with games to play like large connect four, tons of arcade games, pins bowling and of course pinball. Great spot!

Tell me I can go somewhere to play games while drinking fun cocktails and I am immediately in!…read more I've been to the Columbus location before, so I really wanted to check out this one in Cincy. While this one is smaller, it's still fun and has a lot of charm to it. With the purchase of a drink, all of the games are free to play. And there are a lot! They also have a Gamecube and Nintendo 64 plugged in with a bunch of games! Speaking of drinks, they have a ton of cool ones that you can try. I love spiking their slush puppies, a nostalgic favorite of mine. This is a really fun bar to visit, it's definitely worth a stop in.

A lot of fun. Decent and reasonably priced food. The family and I had a great time.read more

The staff was chill, and the establishment itself has a decent vibe. But honestly, if you're…read moreactually into golf, I wouldn't recommend coming here. If you're brand new to golf or just going for fun, then it might be a good spot to try out. The espresso martini was definitely not an espresso martini, so I'd probably stick to shots or beer because that's harder to mess up. Overall, try it out and see for yourself. Maybe my experience was just different, or maybe it had something to do with me being Brown -- who knows. But based on my visit, I probably wouldn't come back for the golf.

This is a wonderful craft store, and whenever I'm in downtown Cincinnati, I always try to stop by…read more The store has a huge selection of secondhand art supplies and a wide variety of miscellaneous creative items. One of the best things about this place is simply walking around and letting the inspiration come to you! I ended up buying three random trophy stands for sculptures I'm working on, and all three together were only 15 cents! The prices are amazing. You're welcome to donate while checking out, and you can also pay what you feel is fair based on your budget and what you think the item is worth. They do provide a suggested price when you check out, so it doesn't feel like an uncomfortable haggling situation. Whether you're looking for supplies for a craft night with friends, working on your own projects, or just want to browse and get inspired, this is a great place to visit. They also have a small selection of newer items from local artists, including artwork, prints, and jewelry available for purchase. You truly never know what you might find here!

How have I not written a review of Indigo Hippo yet?!?! I've visited and donated many many times…read more It's a simply wonderful place! If you crafty, a student or teacher, or you want to find inspiration for an art projects, this place is for you! They help keep things out of landfills, especially unusual items that recycling programs typically won't take. Go rummage through old note cards, ribbon, fabric, etc., and give all those little odds and ends a new chance at life. What's not to love?!??!

CANstruction is an international community service project of the design and construction industry…read moreto benefit community food banks. Every March, architects, engineers, designers and contractors compete to design and build fantastic giant-sized structures made entirely out of canned foods. Teams of five people gather at five different locations around Cincinnati to build 10'x10'x10' sculptures in five hours. Following the construction, the exhibits stay up for three weeks for public viewing. Cincinnati consistently places at the top of America's best designs. In April, the sculptures are dismantled and donated to Freestore Foodbank. In 2012, CANstruction raised 55,000 lbs of food which equals over 40,000 meals for families in need. Since it's conception 15 years ago, over 500,000 lbs have been donated. Themed sculptures have included: - Pacman - Stormtrooper - Mr. Potato Head losing body parts - Kool-aid Man busting through a wall - A giant baseball glove - A giant bra - Rubix cube - a full-sized kitchen - Arc de Triumph - an Angry Birds scene ... and many more! The main venue for the sculptures is the Weston Art Gallery at the Aronoff, with other exhibits at Downtown Library, Downtown Macy's, and the Scripps Center on Walnut Street. Cost: FREE

We had a little time to kill during a recent weekend visit to Cincinnati and thought it was a good…read moreopportunity to check out the conservatory which was new to both of us. It was a refreshing spring day, and the flowers were perfectly in bloom during our visit. The conservatory features multiple rooms with impressive plant species, including a room with orchids and a seasonal butterfly display that you could tell they were building up excitement for the following weekend. I was sad that we missed it just by a few days. If you're visiting, I encourage you to save time to walk around the remainder of the park outside of the conservatory. Overall, it's a peaceful and budget friendly activity to pass an hour or so.

I love this place We come every year at Christmas and I try to come at the beginning of spring…read more Its a peaceful place to recharge yourself

Gets better each year. Traffic on the weekend is very bad…read more Try to go before the weekend. Some Blinks are hard to find. Some areas do not feel very safe. Music needs to be for all ages it was a little on the young side. The banks were fun...

Loved this event! Lots to do, great food trucks and pop up shops, and a great way for people to…read morevisit the Queen City, in a new light (pun intended). Love the emphasis on their awesome murals around the area and it's great that you can hop on the free public transit to check out each area. Will def be back!

This museum is so freaking cool. It has so many interesting exhibits including built in caves. The…read morechildren's museum is also large with many different activities for kids. The food is also surprisingly good. We love coming here.

A really nice science museum, pretty well aimed at kids though interesting to adults too. And less…read morecrowded, and far less chaotic, than the Children's Museum in the complex. A display on seasons with plants, animals, habitats. Dino skeletons. Space exhibit downstairs. A glacial tunnel. Loads to explore. Definitely get to Union Station and check out this and the local history museum.