Shhh…don’t tell the munchkins, but school starts in just a few weeks! Yikes! Where did the summer go? Lucky for them though, August is full of fun stuff going on around town! Concerts, festivals, crafts and more….we are here to help you plan some fun for the whole family.
Family Friendly Things to Do in Cincinnati & NKY {August 2015}
August 1 ~ 9
Zoot Suit Riot 7:30 p.m. August 1, 2015 Kentucky Symphony Orchestra www.kyso.org Devou Park Bandshell, Covington, KY Free (though donations encouraged) The Swing Revival of the 1990s jumps and jives its way to Devou Park with the new KSO subsidiary group — The Covington Devou-Doo Daddies. Expect hits by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Brian Setzer, The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, and Crown Royal Revue. Bring your dancing shoes.
BB Riverboats Super Hero Cruise ~ Saturday August 1st, Boarding Time: 11:00am Sailing Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm ATTENTION ALL POTENTIAL SUPER HEROES! BB Riverboats requests your presence for this 2 hour cruise complete with official Super Hero Training. Bring the whole family to learn the ins and outs of being a Super Hero and test out your skills as you learn them. After you have mastered your special powers, show them off on the dance floor as we throw a DJ Dance Party with all the Super Heroes! Visit the BB Riverboats website for all the details: http://www.bbriverboats.com/super_hero_cruise.html
Incline District Street Fair Saturday, August 1st ~ 3001 Price Ave Cincinnati, OH 45204 A collection of local artisan vendors in support of the community. www.facebook.com/InclineDistrictStreetFair
Handcrafters Market 8/1/2015 Calvin A. Perry Community Center 8236 West Main St Alexandria KY 41001
Crafters: We will be having a handcrafters market on August 1st 2015, at the Calvin A. Perry Community Center 8236 West Main St Alexandria KY 41001. The fee is $35.00 for a 8×8 booth, we will be holding a raffle auction the day of the event with all proceeds going to CAT (Adoption & Rescue of Northern Ky and Southern Ohio).
If you make handmade items such as wreaths, crochet items, hand painted items, woodworking, candles, hairbows, tutus, key chains, jellies/jams, blankets/quits or anything considered a craft we would love to have you!!! Please email [email protected] for an application
ProKids 19th Annual Superhero Run for Kids ~ August 7, 2015 @ 7 p.m. (Registration at 5:30) St. Xavier Church downtown $35/person Grab your cape and gear up for the 2015 Superhero Run for Kids! The 19th annual event will be held at St. Xavier Church downtown on August 7th and will feature a host of family-friendly activities, including the popular kids run, face painting, refreshments and entertainment. This is a can’t-miss event in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, celebrating family and benefiting the mission of ProKids.
BB Riverboats Princess Cruise ~ Saturday August 8th, Boarding: 11:00am Sailing: 12:00pm – 2pm We respectfully request that all Royal Princesses come aboard for an enchanting afternoon with your favorite fairy tale princesses aboard our Princess Cruise. On select Saturdays this summer, enjoy a unique cruise featuring a DJ, dancing and some of the memorable princesses that we all love. Bring your “Little Princess” onboard and enjoy an afternoon that will truly be a “Royal” experience. Visit the BB Riverboats website for all the details: http://www.bbriverboats.com/index.html
Second Saturday Street Faire Aug. 8, 2015 Waynesville, OH Waynesville Merchants Association is hosting the Second Saturday Street Faire on the second Saturday of June from 10am-5pm. The festival includes booths where artists, crafters, and authors display and sell their creations. Over forty artisans will feature everything from woodworking to fiber arts.A Plein Air Art Contest is free to enter to compete for cash prizes. Krafty Kids Market is a great place for young artisans ages 7-16 to sell their creations. There will be a free Book Swap and a Cruise-In as well as local entertainment www.secondsaturdaystreetfaire.com
August 10 ~ 16
OverDrive Digital Bookmobile stops by the Reading Branch Library August 14, 2015 , 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. OverDrive, Inc. www.CincinnatiLibrary.org Reading Branch Library, 8740 Reading Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45215 Free Learn how to get eBooks, audiobooks, and more from the Library on the Digital Bookmobile. This event will include instructional videos, interactive computer stations and a fully-loaded gadget gallery. Readers of all ages will experience new ways to enjoy digital books and more from the Public Library.
The City Flea August 15th: Washington Park 10:00am-4:00pm; The City Flea is one of the most interesting and unique markets around. Check out the works of awesome crafters and vendors while chowing at the food trucks and listening to fine tunes by the DJ. Take the whole family! Read more in this post: http://www.familyfriendlycincinnati.com/2014/06/08/city-flea-washington-park/
Family Class: Cosmic Compost August 15, 2015 | 10:30 am – Noon Civic Garden Center http://www.civicgardencenter.org/classes-events/classes/ 2715 Reading Road Cincinnati, OH 45219 $5 Amazing adventures lie just below the soil! Join us as we learn the secret lives of worms and how we can make “black gold” for the garden from composting our kitchen scraps.
Meet Jenny Offil and Chris Appelhans, author and illustrator of Sparky!, and meet some of Sparky’s zoo animal friends! Sat. August 15th @ 12:30-2:00 blue manatee children’s bookstore www.bluemanateebooks.com blue manatee children’s bookstore free l author signing with the purchase of Sparky! What an amazing day we have planned!! Meet author Jenny Offill and illustrator Chris Appelhans – creators of Sparky! – as they read and sign this fantastic story about a girl who wants a pet… She doesn’t get just any kind of pet. She gets a sloth… a three-toed, slow moving sloth! A few of Sparky’s animal friends from The Cincinnati Zoo will be joining us to welcome Jenny Offil and Chris Appelhans and celebrate Sparky. Come dressed as your favorite animal for this wild and wonderful book signing event!
August 17 ~ 23
DevouBrew Tapping at Braxton Brewing Company (Date Night Idea!) ~ The DevouGrass Music and Arts Festival may be a little more than a month away, but fans can support the cause starting Friday, August 21st from 6-9pm at Covington’s Braxton Brewing Company during the tapping release party for DevouBrew—Braxton’s Golden Cream Ale, Storm, infused with cucumbers, lime, and mint. The refreshing, end-of-summer beer will be available in the taproom, while supplies last, until the DevouGrass Music and Arts Festival takes place in September. Braxton Brewing will donate $1 from the sale of every DevouBrew pint to the DevouGrass festival’s charities. The DevouBrew tapping release party will be held at Braxton’s taproom located at 27 W 7th St., in Covington. Local Bluegrass/Newgrass favorites Blue Caboose will take the stage at 7:00pm, and Sushi Cincinnati will be on hand from 5 to 9pm with $5 create-your-own sushi rolls. Find out more about The DevouGrass Festival and get the latest updates on Facebook, or online at www.devougrass.com.
Indie Craft Market 8/21 Fountain Square ~ Handmade Indie crafts and music rock the square. Find artisans carrying handcrafted fabric arts, upcycled gems, handmade soaps, lotions and more. Artisans include Barbara’s Atlas Oils, Dear Pennyroyal and more.
Art Around Towne August 21, 2015 Towne Center Fort Thomas, KY We are excited to announce the Art Around Towne event in the beautiful Towne Center District spanning the cross sections of Highlands Ave and North Fort Thomas Avenue to the City Building in Fort Thomas, KY! Every third Friday from June through September, Fort Thomas businesses’ will open their doors to the community to celebrate in the cultural arts. As you walk from business-to-business and vendor booth-to booth, all of your senses will be engaged in great art, artisan creations, art demonstrations, food, music and entertainment along the art hop route that makes this the place to turn your Friday night into great fun and memories! www.artaroundtowneft.com
BB Riverboats Princess Cruise ~ Saturday August 22nd, Boarding: 11:00am Sailing: 12:00pm – 2pm We respectfully request that all Royal Princesses come aboard for an enchanting afternoon with your favorite fairy tale princesses aboard our Princess Cruise. On select Saturdays this summer, enjoy a unique cruise featuring a DJ, dancing and some of the memorable princesses that we all love. Bring your “Little Princess” onboard and enjoy an afternoon that will truly be a “Royal” experience. Visit the BB Riverboats website for all the details: http://www.bbriverboats.com/index.html
Taste of Mission ~ August 22, 2015 1318 Nagel Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45255 Stop by “”Taste of Mission”” to learn more about the Comboni Missionaries and our work around the world. Enjoy authentic food from Italy, Africa, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, and many other countries while watching live performances. There will be dancers and music from Africa and the Americas, other live entertainment, international beers and wines, a mission market, art and artifacts exhibits, face painting, and other activities for all ages. www.combonimissionaries.org
End of Summer Celebration 8/23 Krohn Conservatory ~ Come celebrate the ed of Summer with the Krohn Conservatory and local artisans. Bev’s Bees and Barbara’s Atas Oils are only two of the great artisans to be showcased.
August 24 ~ 31
Beer Wine Food Festival Aug 28th 5pm – midnight Aug 29th 12-12 The Cure Starts Now www.beerwinefood.org Downtown Wyoming Green Kids Free; Adult Admission $10-50 The Beer, Wine and Food Festival will return for its sixth year with a special “Chalk Street Art” on August 28-29, 2015. With over 80 craft ales and wines, entertainment lineup featuring The Websters on Friday night with Ricky Nye and The Carter New Band on Saturday. New this year, street Chalk Art Exhibition! Groups of artists will recreate masterpieces on the festival’s streets while attendees can watch art in action. There will also be an opportunity for children to add their mark on a masterpiece and will receive free Graeter’s ice cream for their participation.
Taste of OTR Sat 8/29 Washington Park Local food trucks, restaurants and artisans will be out celebrating OTR and supporting Tender Mercies. Stop down, eat lunch or dinner, listen to some music, visit with friends and shop.
Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire returns to Cincinnati Museum Center Aug 29 & 30 ~ Drag racing power tools. Robots. Race cars. 3D printed prosthetics. Inspiration. Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire is back at Cincinnati Museum Center August 29 & 30 for a weekend of explosive exhibits, interactive displays and live demonstrations. Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire is a community-organized event and is part of the national Maker Faire created by MAKE Magazine. MAKE describes the event as “the greatest show (and tell) on Earth – a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.”
Imagination and innovation start young and Cincinnati Museum Center is helping to kick start that development with programming in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum. Children will have an opportunity to paint with lasers, make bird mobiles, play with puppets, build cities out of paper and more. For older children and adults, the Cincinnati History Museum and Museum of Natural History & Science will have a variety of programs to share the history of innovation in Cincinnati and the impact science has on helping to understand the world around us.
Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire will take place at Cincinnati Museum Center August 29 & 30. The event is included with an All Museums Pass and is free to Cincinnati Museum Center Members. To purchase tickets visit www.cincymuseum.org.
Ludlow “Trains and Tracks” Railroad Memorabilia Show and Craft Fair ~ August 29 9am-3pm. Start your day on Davies Street browsing through tables of railroad memorabilia and craft items. There’ll be something to satisfy both railroad enthusiasts and shoppers alike. If you are a craft vendor and would like to participate in “Trains and Tracks” please contact Ken Wynn at 859-912-5806.
BB Riverboats Super Hero Cruise ~ Saturday, August 29th, Boarding Time: 11:00am Sailing Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm ATTENTION ALL POTENTIAL SUPER HEROES! BB Riverboats requests your presence for this 2 hour cruise complete with official Super Hero Training. Bring the whole family to learn the ins and outs of being a Super Hero and test out your skills as you learn them. After you have mastered your special powers, show them off on the dance floor as we throw a DJ Dance Party with all the Super Heroes! Visit the BB Riverboats website for all the details: http://www.bbriverboats.com/super_hero_cruise.html
Musikgarten Open House/Sample Classes August 29, 2015 | 10:00am-1:00am Little Songbird Music Studio www.LittleSongbirdMusic.com 240 Main St. Florence, KY 41042 FREE Get ready for a new year of music-making at Little Songbird Music Studio! For kids we will have crafts, instruments, games, songs, snacks and more. Parents can explore our materials, ask questions, play with their children, enter a raffle and see all we have to offer.
We will be offering two FREE demonstration classes so you can get a really clear feel for what we do each week. Our first demonstration will begin at 10:30 and our second at 11:30. These are both geared towards children 0-4 and their caregiver, so come ready to have fun!
Animal Adoption Foundation Craft Show August 29, 2015 11336 Tamarco Dr. Blue Ash, OH – The Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill animal rescue, will be hosting a Craft & Vendor Show at the new United Pet Fund Resource Center in Blue Ash. The event will take place on Saturday, August 29th from 12:00-4:00 PM at 11336 Tamarco Dr. and will showcase local crafters and vendors and support the adoptable cats and dogs at the Animal Adoption Foundation. Free to the public, this event will include booths from over 30 local artists and vendors, offering handcrafted jewelry, turned wood pens, quilted items, stationery, gift items and more. The show also includes vendors selling products from 31, Origami Owl and others. Shoppers will also have the opportunity to interact with adoptable pets from the Animal Adoption Foundation. This event is sure to be a fun day of shopping, raffles, prizes and pets — great for all ages! The Animal Adoption Foundation hosts events such as this annual craft show to help raise much-needed funds for the pets in our care. aafpets.org
Shakespeare Arts Festival (Free, Fun, Family-friendly) August 30, 2015 | 1:00PM – 9:00PM Arts Council of West Chester & Liberty http://artscouncilwcl.org/ Keehner Park (7211 Barrett Road, West Chester, OH 45069 FREE “ROMEO & JULIET TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN WEST CHESTER AUGUST 30TH!
Join the Arts Council of West Chester & Liberty for its annual Shakespeare Arts Festival. This free, family-friendly event will be held near the amphitheater at Keehner Park in West Chester. This fun-filled event will feature artisan booths, strolling entertainers, stage performances, activities and food.
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) will perform “Romeo & Juliet” beginning at 7:00PM to wrap up the Shakespeare Arts Festival. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets, grab some delicious bites from local food vendors and enjoy the outstanding talent of CSC’s Resident Ensemble in a gorgeous park setting. The 2-hour production, featuring new costumes and contemporary, scenic designs, is suitable for children and families of all ages. ACWCL’s Shakespeare Arts Festival is family-friendly, FREE and open to the public… rain or shine. For more information about attending the event as well as for how to become a sponsor, vendor or featured artist, please contact Angela Anderson at 513.659.6297 or via email at [email protected].
Ongoing Events in August ~
Newport Aquarium is making a splash this summer with the return of its Summer Family Hours promotion, when up to two children (ages 2-12) receive FREE admission between 4-7 p.m. with the purchase of one full-priced adult ticket. This cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons. This family-favorite offer is available for purchase online only, at newportaquarium.com, for visits now through Aug. 31, Sundays through Fridays. Guests will have even more opportunities to enjoy a million gallons of fun as Newport Aquarium has extended its operating hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. now through Aug. 31. With the earlier opening time, the daily Penguin Parade will begin at 9:15 a.m. during this period.
BB Riverboats Pirates of the Ohio Cruise ~ Every Friday, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Boarding Time: 2:30pm Sailing Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm and Saturdays: June 20th, July 18th, August 15th, September 19th. Boarding Time: 11:00am Sailing Time: 12:00pm – 4:30pm Ahoy Mateys! Board the Captain’s boat for an afternoon cruise full of fun and games for the entire family. The kids will pick up their free pirate hat and eye patch before boarding this popular cruise on the Ohio River. Get your pirate tattoo or participate in one of our pirate games to see if anyone will have to “Walk the Plank”. See if you can use your treasure map to collect your bounty before the cruise pulls back into dock. Ever wonder why BB Riverboats flies the “Jolly Roger”? Listen to the Captain’s commentary as you cruise by all of the sights!
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to announce the dates of the 2015 FREE Shakespeare in the Park Tour! This year’s tour has over 22 performances stops (and growing) of brand new productions of “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area at localcommunity parks and venues. These performances are FREE and open to the public. The cast features six actors from CSC Resident Ensemble. Both shows are suitable for children and families of all ages and are under 2 hours each. For a complete list, including show titles and info on the venues, visit Cincy Shakes. Admission to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare in the Park Tour is free and there is no ticket or RSVP required. All performances are open to all and are general admission, open seating. Arriving early is recommended for best seating and lawn chairs and blankets are recommended. For questions regarding inclement weather or for details and rules regarding outside food and drink (including or excluding alcohol), please contact the individual parks and venues. Special thanks to Kroger as the Community Sponsor.
FREE Summer Movies : Be sure to check out our post about Free Movies this summer. We know it costs a small fortune to take a family to the movies, so save a few bucks this summer with all the wonderful free movie events going on around town!
Dining Outdoors ~ Summer has arrived and it’s the perfect time to go out to eat and eat OUTSIDE! Check out our list of Outdoor Dining in Cincinnati & NKY for new places to check out!
The Cincinnati Reds are back in town, and you can watch their games for FREE on the big screens at Fountain Square! Visit the Fountain Square website for more details
Farmer’s Markets: With the warmer weather it’s the perfect time to visit a local Farmer’s Market! We have a HUGE list of local Farmer’s Markets you can check out: Farmer’s Markets in Cincinnati & NKY ~ cook fresh, cook local!
