From fall-themed fests and haunted houses to a Bengals tailgate and the Midwest's largest coffee festival, there's plenty of things to do in Cincinnati this weekend.
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Photo: Armin Lotfi
Cincinnati Coffee Festival
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23
Need a pick-me-up this weekend? If there’s one place to go for a serious caffeine kick, it’s the Cincinnati Coffee Festival at Music Hall. There you can enjoy tastings from some of the city’s best coffee roasters and baristas, along with samples from local bakers, pastry chefs and chocolatiers. There will be live music, competitions, presentations and even latte art lessons (bonus points if you can make a swan on your first try). $30-$35 weekend pass; $16.50-$22.50 daily admission; $18-$23 early admission. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine.
Read CityBeat's story about the Midwest's largest coffee festival.
Photo: Patty Salas
Tie Dye for Tails at Queen City Radio
4-8 p.m. Oct. 21
Rhinegeist is hosting this "charitable suds" event with Queen City Radio to benefit Cincinnati Animal CARE, Hamilton County's humane society and animal shelter. Buy a Rhinegeist t-shirt for the tie dye workshop and a $10 donation goes to the shelter. There will also be adoptable pets on site, a raffle and more. Free admission. Queen City Radio, 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine.
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Photo: Alias Imaging/Bluestone Creative
USS Nightmare
7 p.m.-1 a.m. Oct. 21 and 22; 4-6 p.m. lights-on matinee Oct. 23
The USS Nightmare features some fantastic freaky characters including evil Captain Mitchell, as well as his daughter, Anna, and her demented clowns; the "lady in red;" and the ruthless galley cook. The experience delves deeper into the history of the haunted boat and explores its sad*stic lore, including mysterious accidents and deaths that occurred on board, and possible crew exposure to radioactive chemicals. There are multiple ways to experience the USS Nightmare, including a lights-on event for kids and people who hate haunted houses taking place this Sunday. $23-$30 general admission; $36-$50 fast pass; $50-$70 front-of-line. 101 Riverboat Row, Newport.
See a list of 9 other haunted houses to freak yourself out in this Halloween.
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Photo: Emerson Swoger
An Evening with Greg Sestero and The Room Screening
7:30 p.m. Oct. 22
Oh hi, Mark. Greg Sestero, star of cult-classic movie The Room — the best, worst film ever made — will be at the Esquire this weekend for a double feature. The theater will be screening Sestero's new horror, Miracle Valley, which he wrote, directed and stars in. It's described as being about "an obsessive photographer and his girlfriend are invited to a desert getaway in search of an ultra-rare bird." Sestero will host a Q&A after the film. Then fans can stick around and watch The Room. $20. Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave. Clifton.
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Photo: Michelle Peters, The Cincinnati Zoo
HallZOOween
Noon-5 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23
The Cincinnati Zoo is getting adorably spooky with a weekend HallZOOween party. Bring your own bag to visit various trick-or-treat stations, watch fun animal enrichment activities, ride the Hogwarts Express train or the Scare-ousel or catch a show at Phil Dalton's Theater of Illusion. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes. Free with admission ($20-$21 adults; $14-$15 children). Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale.
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Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Fall Fest Weekend
11 am.-4 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23
Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park is hosting a Fall Fest Weekend this weekend with a number of artistic activities for the whole family to enjoy. The fest will showcase handcrafted pieces and baked items from local vendors and live music from local bands. There will also be a plethora of children’s activities, such as upcycled tie-dye art, hands-on STEM, a beat-making workshop and animal encounters. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
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Photo: Aidan Mahoney
Ohio Renaissance Festival
10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23
It's the penultimate weekend to enjoy all the jousting, mead and turkey legs the Ohio Renaissance Festival has to offer. This weekend's theme is "Feast of Fools," so expect jesters of all stripes to be wandering the recreated 16th-century English village, along with lords, ladies and Queen Elizabeth I herself. $28 adults; $10 ages 5-12; free for 5 and under. 10542 OH-73, Waynesville, Ohio.
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Photo: Facebook.com
Jack-O-Lantern Hike at Cincinnati Parks Magic Forest
7-10 p.m. Oct. 22
Instead of walking in a winter wonderland, you can stroll through something slightly scarier. Take a hike through Cincinnati Parks’ Caldwell Nature Preserve and enjoy the trail of jack-o-lanterns and assorted holiday luminaries on display. Come dressed accordingly for this outdoor event. Note: The trails are not stroller-friendly due to uneven footing. This hike requires online registration for groups of up to five. $5 ages 3 and older. Caldwell Nature Preserve, 430 W. North Bend Road, Carthage.
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Photo: Imitator of Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), "Man Leaning on a Windowsill," probably early 1700s, oil on canvas. Taft Museum of Art, Bequest of Louise Taft Semple, 1962.1
Fakes, Forgeries, and Followers at the Taft Museum of Art
Oct. 22-Feb. 5
Fakes, Forgeries, and Followers displays and examines rare instances of art that was once thought to be original, authentic in a certain way or attributed to a specific artist, but was found to be something else entirely. Of the 800-plus works in the museum’s collection, only about 14 have been given such a status, which doesn’t necessarily render them useless, unattractive or less valuable. In fact, the Taft is seizing it as an opportunity to educate by putting these works on display and publicizing the journey that solved their mysterious origins. Among the pieces are paintings, decorative works of art and furniture, which have all be de-authenticated and many have been held in storage, away from the public's eye.
Read CityBeat's interview with the exhibit curator.
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Photo: Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons
Kevin Hart at the Heritage Bank Center
5:30 p.m. doors Oct. 22
Comedian Kevin Hart may be short, but he's big on laughs. The Philly-born jokester is bringing his "Reality Check" tour to Cincinnati. The Emmy-nominated actor is well-known for his roles in films like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Ride Along and Night School. In 2020, Hart released a stand-up special, Zero Fu*ks Given, which topped Netflix's charts and helped earn him a Grammy nod for Best Comedy Album. Tickets start at $49.50. Heritage Bank Center, 100 Broadway, Downtown.
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Photo: Facebook.com/5PointsAlley
Nite Lewks x Cincy Nice Pop-Up Market
6-11 p.m. Oct. 22
This night market features "cool-weather vibes" and a collaboration between local creative culture agency Cincy Nice and pop-up event Night Lewks. There will be vendors selling vintage goods, as well as DJs and snacks. Keep your eyes peeled for a costume contest and runway show. Free admission. 5 Points Alley, 2425 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills.
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Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Fall Food Fest at Findlay Market
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 23
Fall Food Fest at Findlay celebrates the season with tons of tastings from market vendors, as well as family-friendly games and live music. Purchase tickets to sample goodies like pumpkin chocolate chip bars from Cherbourg Cyprus, beer bacon chili from Eckerlin Meats and spiked hot cider with bourbon from Jane's. There will also be a wine toss, scavenger hunt, photo booth and tunes from Tracy Walker & Friends. $10 for 5 tasting tickets; $20 for 12 tasting tickets. Findlay Market, 1801 Race Street, Over-the-Rhine.
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Photo: Adam Doty
Bengals Pregame at the Banks
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 23
Happy Who Dey. The Bengals are taking on the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. and The Banks is hosting a pregame party to prep fans for some football. The tailgate is family-friendly and includes games, music, food and drinks. The Banks is a DORA district, so you can take your Budweiser to go and wander the strip to catch music from the Kenny Welch Band or a DJ. A "Jungle Zone" includes fun for kids, like face painting and inflatables. Free admission. The Banks, Downtown.
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Photo: Provided by Mi Cozumel
Cincinnati Taco Week
Through Oct. 23
Taco lovers rejoice: a week of $2 tacos is right around the corner for the fifth annual Cincinnati Taco Week. For the entire week, 50 participating restaurants all around the Queen City will serve $2 specialty tacos. Your co-pilot on this taco journey? The official Taco Week App. Download the app from Google Play or the Apple Store and use it to navigate your way to $2 tacos. Check in at participating locations as you go to earn points and win prizes.Visit cincytacoweek.com for menus.
See all the tasty $2 tacos you can eat during Taco Week.
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Photo: Provided by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
The Living Dead at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Through Oct. 29
In 1968 filmmaker George A. Romero invented the modern zombie movie with his apocalyptic Night of the Living Dead. More than half a century later, the undead will devour human flesh onstage in The Living Dead, a play inspired by the film. According to Isaiah Reaves, the 24-year-old playwright responsible for this adaptation, the play pays homage to Romero’s original film while going in a new creative direction to reflect current events, making for a totally new experience if you’ve already seen the classic black-and-white movie. Tickets start at $14. Otto M. Budig Theater, 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine.
Read CityBeat theater critic Rick Pender's interview Cincy Shakes about zombie tale.
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