46. Greater Anderson Days
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 474-0003
Address: 6910 Salem Road
Description: Anderson’s annual community festival is organized on a bit larger scale than your average neighborhood block party. The famous Rozzi family (think Riverfest) explodes $35,000 worth of fireworks across the skies above the mall, and that’s only part of the fun. The annual Anderson Fireman’s Festival is held concurrently with carnival rides, games, and live bands such as Ooh La La and the Greasers, Brothers First, and Clyde Brown of the Drifters. It’s free, though there are charges for individual rides.
47. Newport Arts and Music Festival
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (859) 441-3139
Description: Local and regional art and music are the highlights of this festival, along with food and walking tours. There also is a kids art zone.
48. St. Rita School for the Deaf
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 772-7005
Address: 1720 Glendale–Milford Road
Description: This event during the first weekend of the month is the crown prince of the over 70 Catholic church festivals held throughout the year in the area. More than 100 booths and great rides are set up on the school campus, with local celebrities leading emceeing events and working the booths. Prizes totaling more than $50,000 are given away.
49. U.S. Air and Trade Show
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (937) 898-5901
Description: The home of the Wright brothers and birthplace of aviation (no apologies to North Carolinians) goes supersonic each year with its air show. The Blue Angels, the army’s Golden Knights precision parachute team, wing walkers, stunt pilots, endless flybys—that’s just what’s going on in the air. On the ground are hundreds of military planes spanning several generations. Parking at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and stopping in for a tour before catching a shuttle bus makes for an even greater aviation experience. Admission is $19 for adults, $16 for seniors age 65 and older and kids ages 6 through 11. Parking is $7 and shuttle rides from the Air Force Museum are $3. The show is only an hour north of Cincinnati off Interstate 70.
50. Vent Haven ConVENTion
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (859) 341-0461
Description: Normally, we wouldn’t urge you to spend the weekend with a bunch of dummies. But make an exception for the annual Vent Haven ConVENTion, the world’s oldest and largest gathering of ventriloquists. Talent shows, workshops, and collectibles dealers are featured as well as public performances. Tours of Fort Mitchell’s Vent Haven Ventriloquism Museum are included. It’s $50 per day to attend selected workshops, the museum tour, and evening shows; $125 for the entire convention, $95 for each additional family member.
51. Brew Ha-Ha
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 579-3124
Description: A new festival that includes 50 comedians over a weekend along the river. There also are more than 60 types of domestic beers at the event, combining two of America’s pastimes: drinking and laughing. Admission is free. Beer Samples cost 10 for $10. Larger beers are available for $3.
52.
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: You’ll find just about everything you ever wanted in a fair—tractor pulls, grandstand entertainment, demolition derbies, rides, carnival events, animal exhibits, arcades, and plenty of food—at any of the area’s abundant events. They include the Ohio State Fair in Columbus; Kentucky State Fair in Louisville; Hamilton County Fair in Carthage; Boone County Fair in Burlington, Kentucky; Kenton County Fair in Independence, Kentucky; and Campbell County Fair in Alexandria, Kentucky.
53. County and state fairs
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: You’ll find just about everything you ever wanted in a fair—tractor pulls, grandstand entertainment, demolition derbies, rides, carnival events, animal exhibits, arcades, and plenty of food—at any of the area’s abundant events. They include the Ohio State Fair in Columbus; Kentucky State Fair in Louisville; Hamilton County Fair in Carthage; Boone County Fair in Burlington, Kentucky; Kenton County Fair in Independence, Kentucky; and Campbell County Fair in Alexandria, Kentucky.
54. Delhi Skirt Softball Game
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 956-7000
Address: 5125 Foley Road
Description: For more than two decades, cigar-chomping, beer-chugging members of the Delhi fire and police departments, Price Hill Lions Club, and Delhi Athletic Association have dressed in skirts and played a softball game against celebrity teams. There is a pregame activity with the Bengals cheerleaders and fireworks after the game. The hilarious event raises over $20,000 annually for Delhi families in need.
55. Great Inland Seafood Festival
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (859) 477-3320
Description: Greater Cincinnati is 14 hours away from the ocean. Still, 15 top local restaurants show how good area seafood dishes can be at this festival. Live entertainment joins the culinary extravaganza. Admission is free; nibbling will cost you. Food runs from $1.00 for a sampling to $9.95 for a full lobster dinner.
56. Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 742-9378
Description: This massive celebration of African-American heritage, culture, and pride draws people from all over the region. The two-day event, which is organized by the National Council of Negro Women, features a parade, food, festivities, and national and local entertainment celebrating the legacy of the African-American family. The midmonth event, which draws 250,000 people along the riverfront, is free.
57. Renaissance Festival
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 897-7000
Description: Belly-up to the Round Table for a leg of mutton or steak on a stake every weekend between late August and mid-October. Jousting, 16th-century costumes, strolling minstrels, shows on five stages, more than 130 craft booths, food and drink fit for a king, and everything from the Renaissance period except the crown of Henry VIII go into the festival. Tickets are $16.99 for adults, $8.99 for children ages 5 through 12, and free for children younger than age 5.
58. River Days
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 684-1253
Description: Rides, arts, crafts, entertainment, and plenty of food are part of the river celebration in this old river town. A 5K run, the largest fireworks display in Clermont County, and hydroplane races on the river top off the two-day event, usually held at the end of the month.
59. Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 651-0303
Description: During the first two weeks in August, the men’s tennis world turns to Cincinnati for the $2.45 million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. The 64-player field regularly draws the sport’s top 10 male players, as well as massive crowds of about 160,000 during its weeklong stay in Cincinnati.The Tennis Masters added a women’s event in 2004. Playing the week after the men’s tournament, 30 women compete to win $170,000. This was not the first time women played in the tournament. They played from 1899 to 1973 and returned for one year in 1988. Tickets are between $10 and $46 per session.
60. Union Centre Boulevard Bash
City: Cincinnati, OH
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (513) 579-3187
Description: It was only matter of time before the northern suburbs of Cincinnati got a festival of their very own. The three-day music and food festival is coordinated by the Downtown Council. It was started in 2003.