The Taste of Cincinnati is an event I always look forward to each year and I have to say that 2026…read morewas much better than 2025! This year there was a larger variety of cuisine types. Last year I felt like I was at a Texas Rodeo with only BBQ options. Highlighting our Cinci Food Trucks and Findlay Market restaurants is always one of my favorite parts. Most if not all restaurants in his year we're showcasing specialty items so it was great to see different options vs everyone having pulled pork bbq or cheeseburgers and so I had the opportunity to try so many things and places that I didn't even know about. Service was also very quick at almost every stop so no long lines, food was hot and the workers were all friendly. Being outside is always a treat and i was thankful it was warm, not HOT, partly cloudy and not sun blazing. This is a great family friendly event, if you haven't gone before, hit it up in 2027!!

Have been coming for 30 yrs. Love to find new places to check out and try new things. Tried to come…read moreyesterday but the rain got real. But today was gorgeous. We usually come when they start as the crowd and lines are fair less. Everything we tried was good and enjoyed the live music. My hubby is not a dancer but I would have like to dance a bit. Anyway great day here with gorgeous weather.

This review is long past due but I have to echo what Lauren said, the "taste" part was missing…read more I've seen more food options on a weeknight at Washington Park than for this MAJOR festival. Not only was the amount of food a total bummer, but the lines because of the lack of food was atrocious. We are talking hour wait times from line to getting your food. It was an organizational nightmare as lines whipped around into other lines and through the grass and roads surrounding. The lack of local beer was also very apparent. They had miller light, coors, and one "craft beer booth/tent" that had a few local madtree cans and then some bigger craft beer names. Again, a total disappointment for an event of this caliber. I don't know if the sponsors weren't getting a lot out of this and decided not to participate this year or if the people organizing this event just weren't really pitching/selling the event hard enough to get sponsors. Either way with as much going on as Cincinnati has - I would not recommend this festival. The only saving grace was being a 90's babies and hearing blessed union of souls and even that was a disappointment as they played mostly cover songs of other peoples music.

First I will say this review is for the 2017 Taste of Blue Ash only…read more For the first time I was disappointed!. In past years I would rave about the great music, food, and drinks. This year the music was still good and the reason for receiving any stars. The "Taste" piece is where it missed the mark. There were barely any food options, and of the small selection of choices the lines were super long. I guess that was due to the fact there wasn't much to choose from. What happened Blue Ash? It was more of a festival than a "Taste". This is a family tradition we love going to to and this year was just unfortunate....

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.

This was actually the first thing we did when we moved to Cincinnati. Quite literally. We pulled…read moreinto the Queen City, saw a billboard advertising that it was happening that day, and decided to check it out. What was a crazy mass of people grabbing for as many chocolate treats as possible has only gotten crazier. Our first visit saw a fighting chance. Now, talking to vendors to learn about them, and their craft is nearly impossible. The stream of people keeps pushing forward, and one gets swept away from the booths. As the event has grow, this has continued to be the case. (All pre COVID, not sure how this will be safely handled in the future.) While we have tried some amazing treats, thus introducing us to some amazing local businesses, it is hard to truly enjoy the experience. Chocolate should be savored. It is hard to do that here. The only exception is the children's play area. This is consistently a ghost town. My children have enjoyed playing the games, gettibg balloons, or whatever else has been offered. The area is kind of like a section of an elementary school carnival.

I attended this event with my sister in 2014. There is a whole lot of chocolate here. Yum! You…read morestart out with tickets for tastings at the different vendors and there is the opportunity to purchase additional tickets at the event. There were A LOT of different vendors and a lot of chocolaty things to see. I recommend walking through at least once so that you can decide what samples you are most interested in tasting. My only complaint is that the later it gets in the day the more congested the event is. We arrived right when it opened and that was a VERY wise decision. We were kind of crammed together with loads of other pushy people right before we left and that was not ideal. We also upgraded to tickets that included the Bella Luna lounge and wine tasting. This was a great value. Bella Luna provided small bites of (not chocolate) food like pasta and bruchetta. There were 5 wine tastings included in the price and they were very generous pours. I would attend again.

Cincinnati Grill at Goettafest needs to step it up. Some of the offerings are sub par (Cincinnati…read moreGrill) Hoping for more from other vendors. We liked the spicy kick of the Goetta slab at Reuben's. Will keep you posted!

Awesome time for everything goetta! Their menu items are always so creative and involve generous…read moreportions of goetta. This year we also particularly enjoyed their air conditioned tent and live music as well! If you love goetta, creativity, and variety then look no further for your next place to get it and put this on the calendar the next time it come around.

Yes, this is a well-known multi-state yard sale that involves Hamilton Avenue in Cincinnati, and…read moreyou really need to check it out once, just to say that you've been there. But my experience is that it's over-rated and misnamed. It's really a long string of flea markets. Most of the stops are either higher-priced items, specialty collector items, or picked-over items (you can get all the cheap glassware and worn-out pots you want here). I prefer real yard sales, where you can obtain good quality items, are dealing with the original owner, and are paying original prices, not ones marked up by each hand it's gone through. And the goal of the seller isn't to make a big profit -- it's to get rid of items and have relaxed conversations with their neighbors --- that's the real spirit of yard sales.

In a spur-of-the-moment decision, my husband and I decided to make the drive from Louisville to go…read moreto the Boone County Fair with our kids. We grew up in Boone County, and our family, who still lives there, met up with us. And we had such a lovely night, making new memories while also thinking about past ones. We started by entering the kids rock race with some round rocks we had found while on vacation. I love how wholesome the fair contests are, especially for the kids. And this is pretty much like it sounds; the kids raced rocks down a track, and the rock that rolled the farthest won. This ended up being both of my kids, who won in their age groups. There was lots of food to choose from. The donuts and popcorn were my kids' favorites. We checked out the demolition derby and the 4H competitions with the livestock. Then we took in some rides. The $15 per person admission is a bit steep but seems more doable when you consider it includes all rides. I have a soft spot for local fairs and festivals, which perhaps started my attending this one when I was little.

LIGHT UP THE FAIR: this Christmas display is located at the Boone County Fairgrounds. I was out…read morethat way for a Christmas party and it was recommended to check out this drive-through light display for Christmas. I was debating whether to check out Florence's huge light display just down the road, but this specific drive-through was open an hour later and did not close until 10 PM. This worked so much better with my schedule! I was really impressed with how long the drive through the lights were. I loved how all the lights were synchronized with music that we could access with our car radio. It was pretty cheap compared to how long the display lasted. I'm so glad a local recommended this to me! Perfect holiday activity--especially for families.

Kicking off the Greater Cincinnati's festival season, Covington's Maifest celebrates the area's…read moreGermanic tradition of heralding the arrival of spring wines. However, I think Maifest is little more about beer and brats, but fun nonetheless. The 2008 event kicks off Friday, May 16th and runs until Sunday, May 18th. If the weather is nice, Maifest will be packed as tightly as Northern German sardines. Good luck trying to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair. Yet, given Cincinnati's unpredictable spring weather, chances are pretty good that there will at least be scattered showers, scaring away half of the crowd to a number that's manageable. Drinkers, your best bet is to purchase a collectors mug, which can be refilled at vendors' booths for a discount over individual beer price. And you're making Mother Nature proud. The beer selection is mostly domestic (unfortunately), but Warsteiner's there to keep things semi-authentic. For families, there are tons of food booths and artisans selling their wares, even "gypsies" reading your palms or tarot cards. Kiddies will love the carnival rides and games set up in the 5th street parking lot. Oompa bands and men in Lederhosen rock the crowd Bavarian style, but if that's not your style you can pop into any of the MainStrasse bars for more contemporary jams. There will invariably be someone who can't hold their liquor and will embarrass themselves terribly in front of a crowd of 150,000. But you'll walk away with a renewed sense of Schadenfreude. Prost!

While I understand that Braxton Brewery is the one sponsoring this event, and the Mainstrauss…read moresociety association has shut its doors, I feel like this festival fell flat. It was only on one street really and in the park. Growing up I remember there being rides, games, more vendors, and more German Beer. Where was the German Beer??? The whole reason why I come to these events is for the delicious beer like Hefweizen, Weiss Beer, and Dunkels. It was all lame Braxton beers and a handful of overpriced cocktail vendors. They also had country music playing which REALLY didn't make it feel German at all. Cmon Braxton! Get it together, you call this a German Festival?? It felt rushed, and Hodgepodge. Also, why is it only on one street! Mainstrauss is huge and used to have vendors and shops and food all the way down to the fountain. I give it 2 stars. Maybe it'll grow, but this should be a way bigger event with rides and more games and activities for families and kids, like it used to be in the 90s and 2000s. I recommend expanding into more than just a few shops selling the same candle, jewelry, and incense merch as well.

Blink 2026, which I attended last night when the weather was dry and balmy, was absolutely amazing…read more There were more displays than in previous years; they were almost no "blank spots" as you walked through downtown Cincinnati -- you could always hear music or see lights of the next stop on the route, the route was well-organized, easy-to-follow and well-policed, the participants were a pretty good swath of Cincinnati -- so many were families with children, it was multi-cultural, and everyone was friendly, relaxed, and having a great time. Here were the highlights for me: -- Cincinnati Metro -- They charged for park 'n ride this time (I used the Central State location), but it wasn't a big deal -- it was $2.20 -- you could pay in advance, or just bring cash. I wasn't sure how they were going to do it, but they handled the money piece well. We were instructed to get in line to get on a bus from the back door and walk through the bus, and when we got to the front of the bus, we paid, then exited to a roped-in pathway to wait for the bus to take us to Blink. They gave us free flashing light bracelets, and good instructions on how to find the bus station on the way home. Every Metro member was cheerful, positive, and helpful. I asked about how to pay on the way back & a Metro member said "don't worry about it." Noooo return fee -- I assume that they assumed that you wouldn't be getting a ride back unless your car was there (i.e. you already paid). -- The Riverfront area -- Definitely one of the highlight there were lots of interactive and interesting light displays. For example, the giant lit "stained glass" unicorn looks pretty cool -- until you realize it's also a giant slide. The biggest hit is always the drone show -- basically like fireworks without the boom!! --Fountain Square was packed full of colors and interesting displays. I loved the tubes that displayed interesting colors & underwater scenes. And the Fountain itself was illuminated in a way that majestically emphasized every contour. -- Music was everywhere. Bands and singers on corners, and even a live harpist to orchestrate one of the laser shows. --Piatt Park was a surprise -- it was illuminated as a tunnel, with lights and streamers. And there were dry ice bubbles -- which amazed the children every time someone burst one of them! (and I was pretty impressed as well). --Asianti Night Market -- selling Asian goods and foods -- was great as usual -- and just bustling full of people -- and good food. -- Thank you, thank you, Cincinnati Library -- for being open just so people could use the restrooms. They were the cleanest rooms with the smallest lines (practically no lines at all), and were an oasis of comfort at just the right time. -- The performers were amazing -- from the dancers to the fire-jugglers (I got one good picture of one--the others were blurred). -- The light show displayed on the face of Music Hall is always the show-stopper. This year they had 3 different shows -- the big hit was the hand-clapping one, which I saw 3 times. The emphasis in this Blink was interaction, and the Music Hall show was no exception. -- Findlay Market made a great decision this year. Yes, they had the silent disco in The Shed, which is always a hit. But this year they decided to just do what they do well. A lot of the businesses stayed open, and they brought in vendors to keep on selling foods, beverages, and home-made crafts throughout the night -- just for the event!! All in all, a spectacular show -- a mix of music, wall art, projections on wall art, performers, and "party stations" positioned all over the route. Making me very proud for my city: This wonderful an event could only happen in Cincinnati, and we're all the richer for it.

We happened to be in town and staying in a hotel in the thick things…read more We walked around the Fountain district and the Bank area to see the projections, static displays and the drone show on two nights All were interesting but not as great as it was hyped. It was nice to see lots of families out and about. Many people were wearing light up gear to celebrate. I wouldn't visit just for this event...

West Fest is back this year, with a city block or two shut down for beer, food, crafts, and of…read morecourse live music. Unfortunately, this year it occurred during the heat wave, so I think that kept the crowd down. But the event still had the makings of a good local street festival. My favorites were Christine's (loved their fried cheese curds), Kona's shaved ice (just what the weather called for), and Kungfusion for spicy pork over rice. There was a good section of tables, activities for children, and lots of good music to be had. Overall, a great comeback that I hope will just get bigger next year.

I used to really enjoy this festival but the crowds and number of booths have shrunk over the…read morerecent years. Beer options are horrible, Bud and Corona booths. Kids hang out in the middle around Wendy's. Someone let off a loud firework and the cops responded with a police dog. I witnessed a redneck Cheviot cop create a situation with someone in a group in front of me putting a middle age man in cuffs and hauled him away. . Totally unprovoked. Maybe these types of festivals need to end.