Camp OTR
May 31- August 5
Washington Park
Daily Monday-Friday, 10-11 am
FREE
Enjoy creative fun with your kiddos!
Monday: Reading with the Cincinnati Public Library
Tuesday: Creativity Day with Happen Inc
Wednesday (10-10:30): Kids Yoga with The Yoga Bar
Thursday: Fine Arts with CCM Prep
Friday: Games with the Play Library
Madcap Puppets: Monsters of Baseball
June 1
Milford-Miami Township Branch Library
1099 Ohio 131, Milford, OH 45150
11 am
FREE
Madcap Puppets entertain us with newest show, Monsters of Baseball.
Wednesdays on the Green
June 1
Clifton Cultural Arts Center
3711 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220
Wednesdays at 7 pm
FREE
Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) is thrilled to bring you another summer of Wednesdays on the Green—weekly free evening concerts, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. We’ve lined up 11 weeks of musical performances, including a performance by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company! We can’t wait for a summer filled with music, dancing, hands-on art making for kids, picnics, summer treats and shared memories. Kick back in the grass, enjoy the show and meet some new friends on the beautiful lawn at CCAC.
Summer Cinema
June 1 – August 31
Washington Park
Wednesdays, 9-11 pm
FREE
Summer Cinema features a free movie screening every Wednesday at the Park! Dust off those lawn chairs, grab a picnic basket, and join us for a fun, relaxing evening over on our civic lawn.
Cincinnati Opera: Back to the Zoo
June 2
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
7 pm, reception at 6 pm
FREE but tickets are required; Parking $6 after 5 pm
Cincinnati Opera returns to its first home, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, where performances were held from 1920 to 1971. Come relive the magic of the Zoo Opera days with a colorful cast of singers and zoo animals. Limit 4 tickets per household. Reception with complimentary refreshments and ice cream. Cash bar. Dinner buffet may be pre-purchased through Cincinnati Opera as well.
CCO Summer Series at Burnet Woods
June 2 & 30
Burnet Woods Bandstand & Lakeside Stage
June 2, 8 pm & June 30, 8:30 pm
FREE
The CCO is excited to once again partner with Cincinnati Parks to present the third annual CCO Summer Series at Burnet Woods monthly over the summer. Each event features opening acts prior to the CCO chamber ensemble concert so be sure to come early and enjoy the full summer evening in the beautiful surroundings of Burnet Woods.
Friday Night Flick
June 3
Freedom Park
550 Freedom Park Drive, Edgewood, KY 41017
8-10:30 pm
FREE
A free movie will be shown on the soccer field starting at dusk. Kona Ice will be available for purchase as well as other food vendors. Family friendly games will be available to play starting at 8pm. Come out and enjoy a family movie night at the park!
Summerfair
June 3-5
Coney Island
Friday 2-8 pm; Saturday 10 am- 8 pm; Sunday 10 am- 5 pm
$10 includes parking, children 12 and under FREE
Fine artists and craftspeople exhibit and sell their works. Music and entertainment. Food vendors. Youth Arts Rocks area with art activities for children.
Great Parks Days
June 4
Woodland Mound
7:30am-8:30 pm
FREE, no motor vehicle permit required
Presented by the Great Parks Foundation. Come out and play in your Great Park! Experience all Woodland Mound has to offer with free park entry, wet playground admission, golf, concerts, nature and fitness programs and more!
Strawberry Spectacular
June 4 & 5
Hidden Valley Fruit Farm
5474 North State Route 48, Lebanon, OH 45036
11 am- 5 pm
FREE
Fresh strawberry pie, shortcake, smoothies and more! Train rides for kids, Barnyard, Bounce House! While savoring the delicious flavors of strawberries prepared any way you can imagine, enjoy the live music of New Outlook.
Bike Rodeo
June 4
Amelia Branch Library
58 Maple Street, Amelia, OH 45102
10 am- 12 pm
FREE
Learn about bicycle safety, rules of road and test knowledge on obstacle course. Bring own bicycle. Representative from Bishop’s Bicycles available to give bike tune-up and provide minor adjustments.
Art in the Garden
June 4
Augusta Art Guild
116 Main Street, Augusta, KY 41002
10 am- 5 pm
FREE
Showcases over 60 local and regional artists, live music, local cuisine and children’s activities. Madcap Puppets and David Tucker Band.
Curiosity Saturdays
June 4- September 3
Washington Park
Saturdays 11 am- 1pm
FREE
Interactive programs designed to foster children’s creativity, feed their curiosity and expose them to many wonders of nature in a unique, urban setting.
Recess In The Stadium
June 4
Paul Brown Stadium
9 am- 12 pm
FREE, Advanced registration required!
Kids ages 4 – 16 and their families can explore the Cincinnati Bengals stadium while learning and playing at interactive stations, including a 40-yard dash, photo station for pictures with Who Dey, health screenings for kids, punt-pass-kick on the field, and special guests and prizes.
National Fire Heritage Muster
June 5
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45232
10 am- 3 pm
FREE
For more than 150 years, firefighters across the United States have mustered, or gathered to show off their firefighting equipment, preserve fire service history, and promote fire safety. In celebration of this grand American tradition, antique fire truck collectors and active fire departments from the tri-state and across the nation are gearing up for this event. Special activities include: fire equipment displays and demonstrations, fire paraphernalia flea market, and tram tours.
Fun Family Fitness Hour
June 5
Mayerson JCC
8485 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
3:15 pm
FREE; Advanced registration required!
Work out as a family! Fitness instructor Adi Nulson will lead an hour-long class that incorporates exercises for all ages. Children must be ages 5 and older, and a parent or caretaker must be present.
Puppets For Lunch
June 9
Grove Park
9150 Winton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45231
12-2 pm
FREE, suggested donation of $2/child
What?! Puppets for lunch! We can’t eat the puppets!!! No, of course not – but plan to pack your picnic lunch and favorite blanket for an entertaining lunchtime Madcap Puppet Show performance on the lawn at The Grove, located behind the Springfield Township Fire Station at 9150 Winton Road. After the show, stay for a make it – take it craft and enjoy an afternoon in the park.
CMB Summer Park Playdate Series
June 9
Cottell Park
5847 Irwin Simpson Road, Mason, OH 45040
10 am- 12 pm
FREE
The Cincinnati Moms Blog is hosting a three part playdate series this summer and we hope you will join us for one or all three events! The events will be free (except for the third one which has a minimal fee from the park itself) and the CMB team will work to get some fun adds for those who are there. Join this event page to stay up to date on all details, plan to meet-up with friends at the events and day of announcements about how to find us. We are SO excited about summer!!
Italianfest
June 9-12
Festival Park Newport
Riverboat Row, Newport, KY 41071
Thursday 5-11 pm; Friday 5-11:30pm; Saturday 12-11:30 pm; Sunday 12-9 pm
FREE
Italianfest was named a Top 20 Festival Event by the Southeast Tourism Society. Enjoy authentic Italian food and live Italian music performances by entertainers from around the nation.
Oakley After Hours
June 10
Oakley Square
Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
6:30-10 pm
FREE
Join us the second Friday of every month for live music, kids entertainment, guest vendors, local businesses and MadTree beer!
BalloonFest: Bands, BBQ and Beer
June 10-12
Rising Star Casino & Resort
777 Rising Star Drive, Rising Sun, IN 47040
Friday 4-10 pm; Saturday 12-10 pm; Sunday 9 am- 1 pm
Advance reservation required for balloon rides – $225; FREE shuttles and parking
Hot air balloon rides, tethered rides, live music, food and beverages. Balloon glow each night at 9:30 p.m.
Schwabenfest
June 10 & 11
Donauschwaben Park
4290 Dry Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH 45252
Friday 6 pm- 12 am & Saturday 1 pm- 12 am
$3
Oktoberfest-like atmosphere. Homemade German oxen and sausage dinners and desserts. Live entertainment and dance performances. Stein holding competition on Saturday evening.
Cincinnati Pops Presents: E.T. in Concert
June 10 & 11
Taft Theatre
Friday 8 pm & Saturday 2 pm
$15-$75
Cincinnati Pops performs John Williams’ entire Academy Award-winning score from Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece about boy and his alien friend, live-to-picture, on HD screen.
Shandon Strawberry Festival
June 11
Historic Shandon Business District
Ohio 126 between Ross and Brookville, Cincinnati, OH 45063
10 am- 5 pm
FREE
Picnic supper with fresh strawberries, homemade shortcake and ice cream. Outdoor vendors and artists. Local historic houses for antiques, country crafts, original art, pottery and furniture. Antique tractor show, antique car parts swap meet and more.
1869 Queen City Base Ball Festival
June 11
Heritage Village Museum inside Sharon Woods
11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville, OH 45241
Games begin: 9 am; Village opens for guided tours: 10 am
$3/day or $10/year Great Parks Parking Pass; ball games are FREE; tours are $5 ages 12 and up; $3 ages 5-11; FREE for members and 4 and under
What’s summer without base ball? Bring your blankets and chairs to cheer on two vintage base ball teams compete against each other — the 1869 Red Stockings and the Cincinnati Buckeyes. It’s a different kind of battle on Heritage Village’s fields!
Bike Rodeo
June 11
Campbell County Public Library – Fort Thomas
1000 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas, KY 41075
11 am- 1 pm
FREE
Bring bike to library and practice bike safety on special course. Fort Thomas Police discuss helmet and bike safety. Reser Bicycle does bike safety checks.
Sayler Park Sustains
June 11
Nelson Sayler Memorial Park
Parkland Avenue and Monitor Street, Cincinnati, OH 45233
12-10 pm
FREE
Festival focuses on community, stewardship, and sustainability. Live music, hands-on demonstration in sustainability, vendors, raffles, food trucks, local beer and wine, art installations, kid-friendly fun, and more. Bring blanket or chair.
OTR Performs
June 12
Washington Park
7-9 pm
FREE
Recurring arts programming for the whole family. The performance for June 12th will be Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ride Cincinnati 2016
June 12
Yeatman’s Cove
805 Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202
6:30 am- 12 pm
$40, Registration recommended
For nine years, thousands of cycling participants of all abilities and ages enjoy bike riding in the annual non-competitive, family-oriented Ride Cincinnati event, while at the same time, raising important funds for Breast Cancer Research.
MainStrasse Village Original Goettafest
June 17-19
Mainstrasse Village
Main Street, Covington, KY 41011
Friday 5-11:30 pm, Saturday 12-11:30 pm, Sunday 12-9 pm
FREE
Goetta, arts and crafts, live music, entertainment, children’s activities.
Bonnybrook Farms Country Fair
June 18
Bonnybrook Farms
3779 Ohio 132, Clarksville, OH 45113
9 am- 9 pm
$10, $5 ages 5-12, FREE ages 4 and under
Bands, bike race, BBQ, brew, music with American Idol discovery Alexis Gomez. Must register for bike race and singing competition.
RoeblingFest
June 18
Roebling Point Entertainment District
Court Avenue and E. Third Street, Covington, KY 41011
9 am- 5 pm
FREE
Educational tours and lectures by experts, historical exhibits, tasty refreshments, arts and crafts vendors, silent auction, bluegrass music with Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, and photo contest with cash prize.
Summer Solstice Lavender Festival
June 18
Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm
2387 Martinsville Road, Martinsville, OH 45146
10 am- 6 pm
FREE
Experience overwhelming beauty of acres of organic lavender in full bloom. Lavender food, vendors, u-pick, wreath and wand workshops, yoga in field, massage therapy, children’s activities, music and more.
The City Flea
June 18
Washington Park
10am-4pm
FREE
The City Flea is Cincinnati’s original curated, urban flea market that takes place once a month at Washington Park. Since its conception in 2011 The Flea has seen dozens of vendors grow from hobby to full time business and it is with much pride that we consider ourselves not only a monthly market, but a small business incubator, community organization, and city advocate. The Flea is a place to keep your dollars local, support small business and experience YOUR city in a unique and engaging way.
Fatherhood Community Celebration
June 19
Sawyer Point
11 am- 4 pm
FREE
Dads and families enjoy day of free food and beverages, games, arts and crafts, live music, sports activities, and fun. Talbert House is one of Cincinnati’s leading advocates for promoting fatherhood.
CinciDaddy Father’s Day Celebration
June 19
Coney Island
10:30 am- 7 pm
FREE; $9 parking for non-pass holders
We’ve taken many of the things Dads love – Bacon, Burgers, Brews, and Bands – to create the biggest Father’s Day Celebration in Cincinnati! The day kicks off with The Rusty Races, followed by live music from The Rusty Griswolds, Naked Karate Girls and more! Taste all your favorites served by food trucks from all around Cincinnati and beyond. Quench your thirst at the craft beer booth or try our Bloody Mary Bar. Kids are sure to love Touch-A-Truck where they can explore, climb and touch over 20 trucks and vehicles.
Deerfield Towne Center Kid’s Concerts
June 22 & 29
Deerfield Towne Center
Mason Montgomery Road, Mason, Ohio
Wednesday 10-11am
FREE
Soak up summer at Deerfield Towne Center! Enjoy the outdoors with live music, great shopping, amazing restaurants and family and friends! Our Summer Concert Series features live entertainment that is always family friendly. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and meet us in the Commons, next to Yankee Candle. (Joanie Whittaker 22nd & Zak Morgan 29th)
Panegyri Greek Festival
June 24-26
Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
7000 Winton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45224
Friday 5-11 pm, Saturday 3-11 pm, Sunday 1-8 pm
$2, 12 and under FREE
Authentic Greek cuisine, pastries, music, dancing, raffles, games and amusement rides. Free parking at and shuttle from St. Xavier High School. Portion of admission price donated to Freestore Foodbank.
O.F.F. Market
June 25
Oakley Fancy Flea Market
2890 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
10 am- 4 pm
FREE
Small businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, scavengers, bakers, chefs, artisans, fashionistas, food vendors, music and beer.
Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival
June 25
Sawyer Point
11 am- 9 pm
FREE
Two-hour parade with famous grand marshal, main festival with music, drag queens, beer and spirits, and Family Fun Zone.
3rd Sunday Funday: Big Top Fun
June 19
Taft Museum of Art
1-4 pm
FREE
Get ready for some circus-style fun under the Taft tent! Get your face painted like a clown or your favorite circus animal, explore painting tools at the Art Cart, make a circus-y craft to take home, and enjoy a guided or self-guided tour of the Museum. Performers from My Nose Turns Red youth circus will delight kids of all ages and teach a few tricks beginning at 2 p.m.
Family Festival: We’re Going Places!
June 25
Contemporary Arts Center
12-3 pm
FREE
Do Ho Suh’s exhibition Passages allows visitors to walk through recreations of the hallways and houses he’s lived in from all over the world. Let’s use his work as inspiration for a trip around the UnMuseum as we focus on the many ways we travel through life. Join us as we design suitcases (and think about what to pack), paint wooden airplanes and build giant bridges like Do Ho Suh’s to unite the continents.
Opera in the Park
June 26
Washington Park
7 pm
FREE
Join us as we celebrate our 96th Summer Festival with a magical evening of music in Washington Park. This free outdoor concert for the community will feature a selection of opera and musical theater favorites performed by stars from the 2016 season, the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Sun-Day Sunday Sundae
June 26
Cincinnati Observatory Center
3489 Observatory Place, Cincinnati, OH 45208
10 am- 4 pm
$7
The Sun is the star attraction today — learn all about our nearest stellar neighbor with short talks, tours of the Observatory, and safe viewing of sunspots and solar flares from the historic telescopes (weather permitting). Then follow it up with a free sundae!
Pops in the Parks
June 29
Miami Whitewater Forest – Harbor
9001 Mt. Hope Road, Crosby Township, OH 45030
8:15 pm
FREE
Enjoy the arts in the great outdoors with a FREE concert featuring the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by John Morris Russell. Bring a blanket and the whole family to hear hits from Broadway and the big screen, American anthems and more! The harbor snack bar will be open for grilled sandwiches, ice cream, cold beer and drinks.
International Butterfly Show: Butterflies of the Caribbean
Through June 19
Krohn Conservatory
10am-5pm, daily; Family Nights Wednesdays, June 1 & 15, 5-7:30 pm
$7 adults, $4 ages 5-12, free ages 4 and younger
Dozens of countries and scores of cultures, all with one thing in common — a beautiful blue sea. Dive into the Krohn’s annual Butterfly Show, presented by Macy’s and featuring butterflies of the Caribbean, along with whimsical oceanic displays, hundreds of flowers, and plenty of exciting events throughout the duration of the exhibit.
Da Vinci: The Genius
Through September 25
Cincinnati Museum Center
$19.50, $17.50 seniors, $12.50 child; $12.50 members, $8.50 member child
This exhibit features 17 themed galleries with over 200 pieces, including life-size reproductions of over 70 machine inventions, educational animations of da Vinci’s most notable works and an eye-opening, in-depth analysis of his most famous work, the “Mona Lisa.” Push, pull, crank and interact with many of these exhibits for a hands-on understanding of the scientific principles behind them. The interactive, hands-on exhibit presents the timeless blend of science, technology, engineering, art and culture in a way that will challenge you to pursue knowledge and dare to dream.
Seahorses: Unbridled Fun
Through September 30
Newport Aquarium
10am-6pm
A new, interactive exhibit where guests can discover 10 species of seahorses, sea dragons, trumpetfish, shrimpfish and pipefish. With a head like a horse, snout like an aardvark and belly pouch like a kangaroo- seahorses are anything but ordinary. The way the exhibit is designed; guests will be completely immersed in the world of seahorses with something new to experience around every corner.