A Little Chili

If You Go

Chili Fest at Findlay Market
Sunday, Jan. 16, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sample chili and foods from merchants around the market.

Tickets can be purchased at the Market Center located in the Market House or online. 

As winter settles over the Tristate, it’s the perfect time to think about the ultimate warm-up – chili.

Whether you need supplies to whip up your own world-famous batch for the cold days ahead or want to sample chili-inspired foods made by experts, make a visit to Findlay Market’s Chili Fest this Sunday.

Since 2005, Findlay Market has celebrated our particular and peculiar local delicacy with Chili Fest each January.

“Besides the obvious, to enjoy so many warm, tasty foods on a cold January day, Chili Fest is an awesome way to support small businesses and try a variety of foods from different places,” says Kelly Lanser, director of communication & strategic initiatives at Findlay Market.

In the past, Chili Fest featured an old-fashioned chili cook-off. But given the state of things, this year’s event puts the spotlight on Findlay Market merchants rather than competition.

With more than 20 participating vendors, attendees will be able to choose samples and try various dishes from merchants by purchasing ticket packages in bundles of 5 for $10 or 12 for $20 to sample dishes.

“Ticket packages allow people to visit places they love, as well as try out new stops at the market,” says Lanser. “Live music and warm cocktails top-off the day at the market.”

Among the samples are

• Eckerlin Meats – Texas Beer Bacon Chili

• Em's Bread – 5 Cheese Banana Pepper Stuffed Loaf

• Harmony Plant Fare – Cincy Style Chili Grilled Cheese

• Makers Bakers Co. – Mango Habanero Cheesecake

• Maverick Chocolate – Fahrenheit 513 Hot Chocolate

• The Empanadas Box – Cinci-Chili Empanada

“We work with our merchants to come up with interesting themes, such as like Chili Fest, that provide interesting ways for them to showcase and sell their products,” says Lanser. “Chile Fest encourages people to come to the market on a specific time, enjoy the delicious food the market has to offer, all while supporting our dozens of small businesses.” 

Totally Gaga

Party like a rock star this New Year’s Eve!

Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is hosting a Lady Gaga inspired party to ring in 2022, so show off that Poker Face.

The first 4,000 guests will receive Lady Gaga themed sunglasses, beginning at 7 p.m.

Local artists will be live painting Lady Gaga murals throughout the casino. Live DJ all evening long and a performance in the Hard Rock Cafe by Cassette Junkies, beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Lady Gaga look-alike models will be on the casino floor for photos and selfies.

Casino restaurants will have extended hours, though you find a meat dress on the menu.

Visit www.hardrockcasinocincinnati.com for details.

The Middle of Everything

If You Go

The Regional
Dec. 10, 2021 – March 20, 2022
Contemporary Arts Center
44 E. Sixth St.
FREE admission
www.cincycac.org

The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) and Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (Kemper Museum) in Kansas City, MO have worked together to curate the first major exhibition dedicated to artists living and working throughout Midwestern America. 

The Regional features new and recent work, including several site-responsive commissions, by more than 20 artists working across painting, photography, installation, and performance throughout the Midwest.

Showcasing artists that represent a wide variety of backgrounds, concerns, and approaches—including Conrad Egyir, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Gisela McDaniel, Devan Shimoyama, Alice Tippit, and Jordan Weber—The Regional celebrates the artistic and cultural complexity of the Midwest, offering audiences a more comprehensive understanding of this moment in America’s heartland.

The Regional is co-curated by Amara Antilla, senior curator at the CAC and Jade Powers, assistant curator at Kemper Museum. 

“The Regional is a testament to the range of creative practices and rich cultural heritage alive in the Midwest and is an important opportunity to support and celebrate local artists,” says Antilla. “The exhibition offers audiences a long glance into the heart of America, which is as complex, varied, and evolving as the artists and works on view in this show. At a time when the concerns of the middle of the country are ever more visible and urgent, this exhibition is a chance to spark dialogue and connection, providing audiences a deeper understanding of the historical foundation and contemporary concerns that ultimately unite us.”

Loosely defined as the area that stretches from the Dakotas in the west along the Great Lakes to Michigan and Ohio in the east and from the north in Minnesota adjacent to the Mississippi River through Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, the Midwest is a construct bounded by geography as well as shared social and cultural legacies. Partially encompassing the “Rust Belt,” a site of 20th century industrial growth marked by subsequent declines and more recent resurgences, the Midwest is linked by histories that include the early abolition of slavery and the underground railroad network, as well as immigration, namely by Germans, Irish, and Scandinavians in the mid-19th century, and more recently by asylum seekers from countries as varied as Vietnam, Iraq, and Somalia.

“The intersections that emerge between artists working all across the Midwest in this exhibition are truly exciting,” says Powers. “Working with artists based in the region and understanding the cultural landscape of America’s heartland brings ideas of self, community, and purpose to the forefront. It has been energizing to see how the artists respond to these themes in their practices. I look forward to the unique experiences of the work that each venue will present and the dialogue that they will surely inspire related to both shared and individual experiences within the Midwest.”

The Regional Artists

• Hellen Ascoli (b. 1984, Guatemala City, Guatemala; lives and works in Madison, WI)

• Lyndon Barrois Jr. (b. 1983, New Orleans; lives and works in Pittsburgh)

• Jonathan Christensen Caballero (b. 1988, Salt Lake City; lives and works in Lawrence, KS)

• Rachel Cox (b. 1984, Irving, TX; lives and works in Iowa City, IA)

• Mara Duvra (b. 1989, Silver Spring, MD; lives and works in Minneapolis)

• Conrad Egyir (b.1989, Accra, Ghana; lives and works in Detroit)

• Isa Gagarin (b. 1986, Guam; lives and works in Minneapolis)

• Rashawn Griffin (b. 1980, Los Angeles; lives and works in Kansas City, MO).

• Dan Gunn (b. 1980, Prairie Village, KS; lives and works in Chicago)

• Matthew Angelo Harrison (b.1989, Detroit; lives and works in Detroit)

• Pao Houa Her (b. 1982, Laos; lives and works in Blaine, MN)

• Anissa Lewis (b. 1974, Covington, KY; lives and works in Cincinnati)

• Dakota Mace (Diné) (b. 1991, Albuquerque, NM; lives and works in Madison, WI)

• Gisela McDaniel (b. 1995, Guam; lives and works in Detroit)

• Lorena Molina (b. 1985, San Salvador, El Salvador; lives and works in Cincinnati)

• Huong Ngo (b. 1979, Hong Kong; lives and works in Chicago)

• Yvonne Osei (b. 1990, Hamburg, Germany; lives and works in St. Louis)

• Natalie Petrosky (b. 1989, Akron, OH; lives and works in Cleveland)

• Devan Shimoyama (b. 1989, Philadelphia; lives and works in Pittsburgh)

• Alice Tippit (b. 1975, Independence, KS; lives and works in Chicago)

• Jordan Weber (b. 1984, Des Moines, IA; lives and works in Des Moines, IA)

• Margo Wolowiec (b. 1985, Detroit; lives and works in Detroit)

• Nikki Woods (b. 1990, Cleveland; lives and works in Cleveland)

Reflecting and responding to this range of social and historical contexts, The Regional scans the diverse cultural landscape of the region and provides a snapshot of the creative ecology blooming within it. The exhibition brings together new and recent work by artists from a variety of backgrounds who are currently based in Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City, Madison, Minneapolis, and St. Louis, among other locales throughout the Midwest. 

The Regional celebrates the range of cultural origins and creative approaches in the middle section of America by uniting artists working across creative disciplines to explore some of the most pressing issues of our time.

As an initiative dedicated to showcasing and engaging with local cultural communities, The Regional will evolve as it tours to each location by inviting additional local artists to participate in related programming and installations at each venue. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a digital catalogue highlighting featured works and exploring a range of historic and contemporary themes informing the show. Together, the exhibition, publication, and related programs will invite audiences to participate in a dynamic discourse about the past and future of the Midwest and the artists working within it.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the CAC and Kemper Museum are developing a robust digital catalogue, which will be made available as a free downloadable PDF on each of the institutions’ websites. The catalogue will revisit older histories of the region while also inviting speculation about its future, highlighting certain works in the exhibition, and engaging a range of subjects including gentrification, propaganda, Jazz, joy, failure, and freedom. The catalogue will include new essays by the exhibition’s curators as well as contributions from scholars, artists, and thought leaders.

Welcome Back

Not sure when Holiday Pops is? Looking for Santa? Wondering where to grab a bite to eat?

Local experts are eager to help – the Fountain Square Visitor Center Cincinnati has re-opened!

Staffed by volunteers who have completed the Certified Tourism Ambassador training, the Visitor Center had been shuttered at the beginning of the pandemic when travel saw sharp declines. 

“Leisure travel to the Cincy region has made a strong recovery, and weekend hotel business is strong,” said Julie Calvert, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Reopening our Visitor Center on Fountain Square now to support the winter and holiday events gives our guests more ideas on ways to enjoy the region.”

Located in the north area of Fountain Square, near Chipotle and behind Via Vite, The Visitor Center will be open Fridays through Sundays, and the schedule will continue into the new year. 

“The Holidays are such a special time to visit Cincinnati, so it makes sense to re-open while people are returning to so many cherished experiences,“ Calvert added. “We encourage locals to reconnect with the region as well, and bring your out-of-town guests to these events and the Visitor Center.”

Light It Up

If You Go

JCC: Hanukkah at Fountain Square
Sunday, Dec. 5, 4 ­– 5:30 p.m.
Fountain Square, 520 Vine St.

Celebrate the end of Hanukkah with the Cincinnati Jewish Community! Details at www.jewishcincy200.org.

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights comes at the time of year when we need it the most, as the nights grow longer.

This Sunday, several local Jewish organizations are inviting the community to celebrate the final night of Hanukkah on Fountain Square.

“Fountain Square is the heart of Cincinnati. It’s one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city and is the central gathering place for the Cincinnati community,” says Devra Silverman, youth and family programming specialist at the Mayerson JCC. “Fountain Square is the centerpiece of the city’s major festivals…its centrality and prominence are unmatched.”

The menorah lighting ceremony will be led by Rabbi Yosef Kalmanson of Chabad of Southern Ohio. He will share the story and traditions of Hanukkah as well as offer a modern context about hosting this holiday celebration on Fountain Square. Representatives from the event’s sponsors and organizers, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Mayerson JCC, The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial, The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Camp Livingston, and Chabad of Southern Ohio, will also light candles.

“We felt that it was important to honor the diversity of our community by showcasing many of the organizations that make our community so rich and vibrant,” says Silverman.

The evening will also include a presentation from Jackie Congedo, the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, about the Shine a Light campaign (see below). She address the the rise of antisemitism nationally, as well as here locally, and offer resources available in the community so we can dispel the darkness of antisemitism. 

“It’s important to our Jewish community, particularly in our 200th year of Jewish life in Cincinnati, to host the last night of Hanukkah because we are a vibrant and important part of the Cincinnati culture—and we want to include all of Cincinnati in our celebration,” says Silverman.

Shine a Light

Shine A Light is a comprehensive initiative to illuminate the dangers of antisemitism through education, community partnerships, workplace engagement, advocacy, and media. Through Dec. 6, Shine A Light will spotlight modern forms of antisemitism, raise awareness, and inspire action to fight it at every turn across America—in workplaces, schools and campuses, and online.

Using the powerful story of Hanukkah, Shine a Light works to champion the message that light can dispel darkness. It seeks to catalyze conversations within and across communities, on school campuses, and in the workplace, so that people will better understand what constitutes antisemitism and take steps to respond. Find out more at shinealighton.com.

On the List

Men are notorious for waiting until the last minute to do their holiday shopping. When you factor in gift wrapping, it can be even more of a buzzer-beat. But fear not! Dads of all ages (and types of offspring!) can take care of all their holiday shopping needs with one visit to The Banks.

Hosted by 1530 ESPN, The Banks and its partners offer a “Season of Saturdays” for dads to have a beer, watch a game and shop at The Banks for the entire family.

Packages include gift cards to:

• Ruth’s Steakhouse, Taste of Belgium, E+O or Moerlein Lager House with an overnight stay at the AC Hotel

• An “unplugged adventure” with a gift card to The Escape Game and a tour of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

• The perfect “in-laws” gift with a $100 gift card to E+O Kitchen and tickets to a show at the ICON Music Center

• Gift cards to the Cincinnati Cyclones, a pre-game stop at the Holy Grail and nightcap at The Stretch.

Pro-tip: Gift cards require almost no wrapping.

Other packages include a gift card for Cincinnati Bengals 2022 tickets, Bengals hat and pre-game gift card to Jefferson Social and exclusive “Dad’s Guide” Cincinnati Reds deals including tickets, an autographed baseball from Pete Rose, admission to the Reds Hall of Fame and other exclusive gifts.

Add convenient parking just steps from The Banks, and the holidays couldn’t be easier. Visit TheBanksCincy.com for more great holiday shopping ideas.

Article of Faith

If You Go

Portraits in Faith Book Launch
Dec. 4, 6 p.m.
Summit Hotel, 5345 Medpace Way
with performances by Neshama Carlebach, a Portraits of Faith subject and an award-winning singer, songwriter, and activist

Purchase tickets for the book launch.

For more information on the Portraits of Faith, visit portraitsinfaith.org.

While traveling the globe as a marketing director for Procter & Gamble, Daniel Epstein made time to interview and photograph 500 people across 27 countries documenting the power of faith and spirituality. His eighteen-year exploration, Portraits in Faith, is the world’s most extensive oral history project about faith conducted by a single person. 

Epstein founded the non-profit Portraits in Faith Foundation and has now compiled over a hundred of his inspirational portraits into a new book.

Portraits in Faith documents the role of spiritual experience inside and outside of formal religion, expected and unexpected, told in people’s own words. The multi-media project has been praised by documentarian Ken Burns, television personality Dr. Oz, and many Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders.

Motivated by his own search to fill the “God-sized hole” in his life, Epstein set out on a journey. He felt that if he did not develop some type of spiritual faith, he would die. This led him to interview people of all backgrounds and from all walks of life representing over 50 religions, denominations, and spiritual followings.

Portraits in Faith is raw, personal stories of spiritual healing. Each account is a new perspective: Steve, a gay man in Cincinnati with chemical and sex addictions, finds hope in the simple sign of peace Catholics give to each other at the end of Mass. Anna, the mother of post-modern dance, reveals how dance and movement are deeply authentic forms of spirituality. Danny, an Israeli injured by a terror attack, believes that we must thank God even for bad things and work out what they mean in our lives. Alakananda is a mystic who lives “beyond religion where all traditions shine” in the realm of universal light. Every story is unique, but they are all threaded together by the power of faith. 

Epstein is a marketing and innovation consultant based in Cincinnati, Ohio and a former Harley Procter Marketing Director for Procter & Gamble, the highest distinction and title given to marketers at Procter & Gamble (only 20 in company history). Outside of work, he is dedicated to building bridges across cultures and faith. In 1994, Epstein co-founded and then co-led the Cincinnati African American-Jewish community dialogue. Following the race riots in Cincinnati in 2001, Daniel co-led “Open the Space, Cincinnati!” a unique large group race relations dialogue program. 

Sleigh All Day

Most adults look forward to Thanksgiving all year as a day to relax and enjoy good food and good company, but it’s the day after that kids anticipate.

That’s the day Santa Claus comes to town!

On Friday, Nov. 26, Santa makes his official arrival in the Tristate. If you really want to, you can visit Santa at the mall. It will be crowded, the photos will be expensive, and the whole ordeal will feel a little hectic and unpleasant.

But you don’t have to settle for that. You can find Santa in action, building things and swimming with sharks; tending to his reindeer and taking his place in history!

At first glance, Santa swimming seems a bit off brand with his fur suit and heavy boots. But for the past 19 years, Scuba Santa has been part of Water Wonderland at Newport Aquarium.

You can see Scuba Santa swim with a tank full of sharks and still tell him what you want for Christmas. His scuba bubbles are magic, of course, so every time a bubble pops, a wish will come true for someone throughout the world. Visit the website for exact times!

At Cincinnati Museum Center, Santa makes his grand arrival at 11 a.m. aboard a historic firetruck from the Cincinnati Fire Museum. You can watch his entrance and wave “hello” by the historic fountain at Union Terminal. After that, he’ll settle in by the cozy fireplace set up adjacent to Holiday Junction to hear your holiday wishes.

Did you ever wonder how the elves became such expert toymakers? They learned from Santa. Watch him Santa’s in his workshop at Washington Park on select Saturdays and Sundays beginning Nov. 27, from 12 to 4 p.m. for socially distanced photos with Santa. These events series are free, but you need to bring your own camera.

For the absolute best Santa in the Christmas business, visit Rising Star Christmas Casino. He’s in the Market Village, you can pick up a few gifts, talk to Santa, and even visit with his reindeer. As a bonus, the website offers a “reindeer cam” so you check on your new furry friends whenever you’d like.

Silver Bells

Frosty the Snowman.

Eight tiny reindeer.

Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree.

The holiday season is filled with wonder and magic, inspiring the imagination of children of all ages.

Keeping with that belief, Cincinnati Bell has created the “Imagine the Possibilities” campaign this holiday season, giving back to the community it has served for nearly 150 years.

Part of this campaign is creating special “Imagination Destination” holiday experiences, fulfilling wish lists and donating to local charities, supporting small businesses, and providing special “150” themed offers and “holiday relief” sweepstakes for customers and the community. Cincinnati Bell has a long history of supporting community initiatives, small businesses and local charities, and this year, the company will partner with organizations including 3CDC, Findlay Market, Freestore Foodbank and Ronald McDonald House Cincinnati to kick off the holiday season.

“For nearly 150 years, home has been here,” said Christi Cornette, Chief Culture Officer of Cincinnati Bell. “We’re proud to give back to the city that’s given us so much. And as a thank you, we want to help everyone experience the magic of the holidays.”

Findlay Market
Cincinnati Bell and Findlay Market are partnering to bring back the Shillito’s Elves, which will be set up at Findlay Market from Black Friday at 11 a.m. through the end of the year in the old Leader Furniture building. The Shillito’s Elves will be displayed facing out, so market shoppers and visitors can walk around to view them 6 days per week during market hours (Tuesday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 a.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sundaym 10 a.m.–4 p.m.). They will be animated on weekends.

Taking Care of Business

Cincinnati Bell will support local businesses with the annual digital Small Business Holiday Guide, promoting holiday shopping at area small businesses. Current and new customers of Cincinnati Bell will also see up to $150 in holiday savings on premium TV content, connected home discounts and more. And everyone in the community will be invited to experience new “Imagination Destinations” including free family-friendly activities, chances to win free holiday prizes and gifts, and exciting new interactive holiday window displays to be announced soon.

“We encourage everyone to support the small businesses and great organizations in our community by shopping small and giving what you can,” said Leigh Fox, President and CEO of Cincinnati Bell. “Every time we buy a cup of coffee at a local shop, or donate a coat or can of food to a local food drive, we are making a big difference in the place we call home and in the lives of our friends and neighbors in need.”

Cincinnati Bell will also partner with Findlay Market this holiday season to support the nearly 150 small businesses housed at the market with a special event on Shop Small Saturday, which is Saturday, Nov. 27, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Cincinnati Bell will also sponsor the Holiday Experience in the Leader Furniture space at Findlay Market with a variety of family-friendly activities including: Free raffle prizes, holiday keepsake photos, holiday gift bags for children, and shopping ideas for connected home solutions along with other holiday surprises. The Holiday Experience starts November 27-28 and continues December 4-5 and 11-12. In honor of Cincinnati Bell’s upcoming 150th Anniversary Celebration in 2023, Cincinnati Bell will donate 150 Christmas trees to local families during the Shop Small Saturday event.

Light Up the Square Downtown Dazzle
Cincinnati Bell will partner with 3CDC to bring back Light Up the Square on Friday, Nov. 26, on Fountain Square. The popular holiday tradition will feature the live lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, live music, a special appearance by Santa Claus and a dazzling fireworks display. Cincinnati Bell will also be participating in the return of Downtown Dazzle on Fountain Square on Saturday, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, and Dec. 18, starting at 6:30 p.m. The popular, family-friendly event features Santa and his elves along with Rudolph rappelling down the 525 Vine Building followed by a Rozzi’s Fireworks show.

“We thank Cincinnati Bell for supporting 3CDC and our focus in making Cincinnati’s urban core a vibrant, dynamic, metropolitan center,” said Christy Samad, Sr. Vice President, Event Management. “The return of our beloved holiday traditions on Fountain Square — the lighting of our city’s Christmas tree and Downtown Dazzle gladly welcome the holiday season to downtown Cincinnati.”

Ronald McDonald House Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bell will partner with Ronald McDonald House Cincinnati to fulfill the Cincinnati Bell Holiday Wish List for over 100 families staying at the House. Additionally, employees of Cincinnati Bell will serve meals over the holidays and help bring the magic of the season to the Ronald McDonald House by transforming common areas to winter wonderland displays and Imagination Destinations. Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House provides a home for critically ill children and their families while they receive life-saving medical care.

“We thank Cincinnati Bell for helping to make the holidays away from home for our families as comfortable and as magical as possible,” said Jennifer Loeb, CEO of Ronald McDonald House.

Freestore Foodbank
This holiday season, Cincinnati Bell will donate 150 turkeys to the Thanksgiving food drive for those families served by the Freestore Foodbank.

“Freestore Foodbank believes that every family deserves to share a holiday meal together,” said Kurt Reiber, President and CEO of Freestore Foodbank. “Cincinnati Bell is in the business of connection, and there is no more important connection than family during the holidays.”

Train of Thought

If You go

Tickets for Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains are limited and timed entry is required. Reserve tickets in advance at cincymuseum.org/holiday-junction. Tickets are $10 each or $5 when added to any other museum experience.

Maybe you remember winding through the CG&E lobby to see the trains on a school or family outing, with the impossibly old men giving you a cookie at the end of the display. Perhaps you’ve taken you own children to see the trains in their new home at Cincinnati Museum Center. But for 75 years the Duke Energy Holiday Trains have been as much a part of the Cincinnati holiday celebrations as Santa Claus and UDF egg nog.

The Duke Energy Holiday Trains continue to evoke childlike wonder in kids of all ages as they celebrate their 75th year. A blizzard of custom-built LEGO bricks returns, featuring whimsical scenes and characters from your favorite books and movies. Historic trains and new technology fill the galleries with moments of winter wonder.

Since 1946, families have gathered to watch as miniature locomotives and railcars zip around snowbanks and crowded streets. They’ve pored over the scenes of people dragging home freshly-cut trees, pushing cars up snow-covered hills and crowding the rail station. This year, adults will once again bend down to share the same eye-level views they remember from their childhood and hoist a new generation onto their shoulders for a fresh look at a Cincinnati holiday tradition. Children who grew up visiting the trains downtown now bring their grandchildren to see the same trains at Cincinnati Museum Center. Generations can even reminisce together over an interactive storybook featuring photos of the iconic trains over the decades.

“Year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation the Duke Energy Holiday Trains have delighted families during the holidays,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “Some people will fall in love with the trains for the first time this year, others for the 75th time, but for everyone we are delighted to once again stoke the fires and send this beloved holiday tradition along their 1,000 feet of track for past and present generations alike.”

The Duke Energy Holiday Trains are surrounded by other incredible train layouts, some dating back over 100 years. The Carlisle & Finch Company, based in Cincinnati, produced the world’s first toy electric train in 1896. Their 1904 version click-clacks through Holiday Junction showcasing meticulous craftsmanship and detail in its metal trains, cars, buildings and bridges. Nearby is a pre-World War II Lionel layout and a Lionel Super O layout from the 1960s, complete with ready-made structures designed to complement the O-scale trains.

Back again is Brickopolis, a blizzard of LEGO bricks crafted into fantastical scenes from the magical worlds of Disney, Marvel, DC Comics, Harry Potter and more. The whimsical display is a seek and find treat surrounding a stunning LEGO metropolis complete with running trains, active seashores and hijinks by the local residents.

Speaking of seek and find, a holiday scavenger hunt featuring CMC-themed objects hidden in the garden railway layout begs you to walk around, peel your eyes and scour every detail for flying pigs, polar bears,  and more tucked away in the snowy hills.

Of course, no holiday is complete with a visit to Santa. Santa makes his grand arrival Friday, Nov. 26 aboard a historic firetruck courtesy of the Cincinnati Fire Museum. Regardless of which list you’re on, he’ll be sitting by his fireplace eager to hear what you want for the holidays or ready for you to plead your case in the Public Landing adjacent to Holiday Junction.

Light and Shadow

If You Go

Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick
Cincinnati Art Museum
Nov. 5, 2021 – Jan.17, 2022
Visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org for more information.

Tickets are $12 for general admission, with discounted rates for students, children and seniors. Admission is free for members. Photography is allowed with no flash. On social media, use #CAMWalker.

Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from The Rosenthal Family Foundation. Special exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free.

A leading contemporary artist and MacArthur genius grant recipient, Kara Walker re-examines archetypes from American history which continue to shape the structures of modern culture, and the mechanisms of power under which these images were produced and consumed. Using an incisive command of form and starkly contrasting shades of black, gray and white, the artist investigates the prevailing legacies of violence, racism, sexism and imperialism that manifest themselves so openly within the daily American experience.

Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation is now on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Those familiar with Walker’s cut paper silhouettes will be struck by the multiple media also represented in the exhibition, including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, and printing techniques. Engaging the experience of the nineteenth century panorama, Walker creates narrative arcs that travel from the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the contemporary moment. Her powerful and provocative images interrogate America’s historical memory with tropes that are both comfortably familiar and unsettling. These sites of inquiry offer space for contemplation without predetermined resolution.

Through more than 80 works created between 1994 and 2019 from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation—premier American collectors of works on paper—Cut to the Quick demonstrates both Walker’s artistic mastery of medium and the urgency and power of her message.

Due to the difficult themes Walker addresses in her work, and depictions of physical and sexual trauma, A Community Care Space is included in the gallery. Designed by Kara Pierson, founder of Cincinnati’s Lilac & Indigo, the space offers resources for reflection mindfulness and rest.

In Cincinnati, Cut to the Quick will be guest curated by Nashville-based poet and writer Ciona Rouse with Cincinnati Art Museum site curator Trudy Gaba.

Photos by Shae Combs

Rouse co-curated the exhibition for its debut at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, alongside the Frist’s executive director and CEO Dr. Susan H. Edwards. Selections of Rouse’s poetry inspired by Walker’s artwork will be displayed in the gallery along with QR codes directing guests to audio versions of the poems.

“Entering into Walker’s work, we step into a world that appears almost whimsical but that invites us to lean in and notice something far more grotesque, troubling and necessary to wrestle with. As a poet, I see Walker's work much like I read a poem. I find new imagery and make new meaning every time. And each time it calls me into seeing myself more clearly in the midst of the larger American narrative,” said Rouse. "Cincinnati has such strong roots related to abolition and freedom. I'm excited to reimagine this exhibition for this city and join Ohio in grappling with the questions Walker presents in her work through this particular collection, which spans most of her career.”

Cut to the Quick includes several of the artist’s most renowned series, including The Emancipation Approximation (1999–2000), Testimony (2005), Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) (2005), An Unpeopled Land in Uncharted Waters (2010), and Porgy & Bess (2013). The most recent work in the exhibition is a small-scale bronze model of Fons Americanus, the allegorical monument installed in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in 2019.

In the gallery the series take on an immersive experience, conveying to the viewer a sense of being part of the scenes before them, implicated by presence, both participant and observer. Walker’s work engages the viewer in a disruptive awareness, boldly colliding the reality of history with the artificiality of fictions.

Integral to Walker’s artistic process is her extensive research in history, literature, art history, and popular culture. Her signature room-sized installations of silhouettes in tableaux are heavily influenced by forms of storytelling from mythology to fantasy, and were inspired by her study of colonial portraiture, animated films, and the popular nineteenth-century craft of cut-paper silhouette portraiture.

“The silhouette lends itself to avoidance of the subject, to not being able to look at it directly,” Walker has said of her signature style. “Yet there it is the whole time, staring you in the face.”

Bank on Fun

If you weren’t one of the lucky ones from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to get tickets to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s game against Mexico, you can still enjoy the match.

Join FC Cincinnati at The Banks on Friday, Nov. 12 to cheer on the the Team USA in this 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match/ The party starts at 7 p.m., with the match kick off at 9 p.m.

Enjoy music from DJ Prymtime and activations from the U.S. Army and TQL. Stop by the FC Cincinnati table for free giveaways and register to win a jersey signed by former USMNT player Geoff Cameron.

The most anticipated game in the region every four years, this is the sixth-consecutive time the state of Ohio has hosted the USA-Mexico qualifier. These meetings have produced some of the most significant moments in U.S. Soccer history in a rivalry that dates back to 1934.

While Mexico had historically led the series, competition between the teams has grown into a proper rivalry since 2000 during which time the U.S. has held the edge, amassing a record of 15-9-6 against its neighbors to the south. The most important meeting in the modern era came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan in the Round of 16.

The epic encounters continued last summer when the USMNT was crowned champion of the inaugural Concacaf Nations League after twice coming from behind to defeat Mexico 3-2 in a match that required 30 minutes of overtime to determine a winner. Nearly two months later and with a roster that included 19 changes from the Nations League, the USMNT once again stood atop the winner’s stage after Miles Robinson headed home the game-winner in the 117th minute of a 1-0 shutout of Mexico before a sold-out crowd of 61,514 fans at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Since 2000, the series is an even 4-4-2 in World Cup Qualifying contests.

Check out food and drinks at 18 Banks establishments, walk throughout the DORA and watch the match on the big screen hanging from the Red’s Hall of Fame Museum.

As part of their end of season awards, The FC Cincinnati Foundation will also present the P&G Humanitarian Award to Nick Hagglund and the TQL Cares award to The Children’s Home.

Fangs A Lot

How to Watch…If You Dare!

Veteran Mighty Wurlitzer theater organist Trent Sims performs for the pre-recorded virtual performance of the spine-tingling film, Nosferatu.

The film is available for streaming through Nov. 7 at https://youtu.be/ifaDVg34o48.

You could spend your Halloween endlessly scrolling through Netflix, never deciding on a scary movie (or Scary Movie) to watch. But the Friends of Music Hall have ordered up a guaranteed spine-tingler with a Cincinnati spin with a special showing of Nosferatu with music from acclaimed organist Trent Sims on the Mighty Wurlitzer.

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was directed by F.W. Murnau, with Max Schreck starring as Count Orlok, a vampire with an interest in both a new residence and the wife of his real estate agent. This legendary 1922 silent German Expressionist film tells the story of a creepy count who is hunting for a new home and takes an unwelcome fancy to his real estate agent’s wife. The film, inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula, was ranked 21st in the “The 100 Best Films of World Cinema.”

Organist Sims, a native of Dayton, Ohio, developed a love of music at an early age. He has played classical and theater organ concerts across the United States, England, and Germany. Sims has been particularly associated with Music Hall’s Mighty Wurlitzer, having made the inaugural recording on that instrument in 2010.

The film is part of the Friends’ Silent Movies Made Musical with the Mighty Wurlitzer series. In the spring, the Friends of Music Hall presented Girl Shy (1924), starring Harold Lloyd as a shy, stuttering bachelor who works in a tailor shop – yet he's writing a guide book for bashful young men! He meets and falls in love with a rich young woman who is engaged and about to wed an already-married man! He has to become her hero and prevent the wedding – but how? Master organist Clark Wilson took viewers back to a time when the bells and whistles of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre organ provided the soundtrack to film entertainment.

Find learn more about the Friends of Music Hall and additional programming, visit friendsofmusichall.org.

Tumbling Dice

Get ready to (rock ‘n’) roll! After months of renovations, including new games, new murals, and the installation of decades-worth of music memorabilia, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati officially opens to the public on Friday, Oct. 29.

On Oct. 29 at 11 a.m., Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati will re-open as the iconic brand with their famous Guitar Smash led by celebrities and members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida as well as Hard Rock Casino executives. 

Following the Guitar Smash, baseball legend Pete Rose will place the first bet at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati and autograph the official Hard Rock Casino guitar specially made for the casino’s memorabilia collection.

The first live performance at the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati will be by Earth, Wind & Fire, the GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B band that spans decades of top hits from “Shining Star," "Sing a Song," “September” and "After the Love Has Gone."

“We know our Grand Opening will be a big hit with the Hit King Pete Rose and Earth, Wind & Fire here to celebrate with our guests,” said George Goldhoff, president of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. “The Hard Rock Casino brand is globally recognized as a leader in gaming and entertainment. We know our guests will be delighted with our new restaurant, retail, and gaming experiences.”

Over the last few months, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati has introduced new restaurant and retail experiences to guests. On Oct. 25, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood opened. In July, the Hard Rock Cafe Cincinnati opened, and in April, the Rock Shop® opened.

Squad Goals

Even if you don’t know a “false nine” from a “big four,” you know the World Cup is a very big deal. This week, the 2026 Cincy Local Organizing Committee is hosting the FIFA and US Soccer Delegation for a site visit of Paul Brown Stadium, soccer training facilities and Fan Fest locations.

Cincinnati is one of 17 U.S. cities vying to host FIFA World Cup in 2026 with 10-11 American cities to be chosen in early 2022. In 2026, the field of teams will expand from 32 to 48 making it the largest sporting event in the world.

On Friday, Oct. 22, the 2026 Cincy LOC will hold a free Street Festival on Freedom Way at The Banks to encourage the community to welcome FIFA to Cincinnati.

The first 500 who register at 2026Cincy.com will receive two free tickets to the FCC match on Nov. 7, be eligible to win two free tickets to USA vs. Mexico on Nov. 12 and get a free Soccer City commemorative T-shirt.

The community is encouraged to wear their favorite soccer jersey or red, white and blue gear.

The schedule of events:

2 p.m. – Free LaRosa’s pizza on Walnut at Freedom Way, first beer free (21+) at the Moerlein Lager House, live music by the Cincinnati Music Accelerator and the DORA District at The Banks is open

2:45 p.m. – FC Cincinnati supporters gather at Walnut and Freedom to march the 32 country flags of the last World Cup played in 2018 to Paul Brown Stadium. All welcome to join the march

3–3:30 p.m. – FIFA Press Conference at Paul Brown Stadium, Gate D, at Elm Street

3–5 p.m. – 2026 Cincy Street Party continues

Into the Woods

Hear some of the most talented voices the Cincinnati region has to offer at the Winton Woods Amphitheater on Oct. 16.

Kick things off with rich, authentic performances from Elementz, Cincinnati’s premier Hip Hop cultural art center.

Then catch the smooth, confident vocals of rising star Lauren Eylise, who was highlighted as a standout on NPR’s 2020 Tiny Desk Contest.

Each month, Enjoy the Arts @ Parks, presented by Macy's, showcases the diversity and excellence of Greater Cincinnati’s arts at parks across the region.

When you make a first-time $75+ donation to ArtsWave, or increase your donation by 10%+ if you’re already a donor, you’ll get a Great Parks of Hamilton County Motor Vehicle Permit as our thank you gift. You can use that permit throughout the year as you “enjoy the arts @ parks” with us.

Teenage Dream

If You Go

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Now Oct. 8 – Nov. 13

Otto M. Budig Theater
1195 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202

For tickets and information visit cincyshakes.com/event/romeo-and-juliet/.

With 580 days since the last audience attended a performance, Cincinnati Shakespeare is thrilled to be re-opening the Mainstage of The Otto M. Budig Theater with Romeo and Juliet.

The production is directed by longtime Company-member Darnell Pierre Benjamin and features a cast of 16 Resident Ensemble Members. 

William Shakespeare's timeless tale of two star-crossed lovers and the feuding families who tear them apart, returns in all of its everlasting grandeur. Revel in lavish masked balls, rousing street brawls, tragic young love, and some of the most exquisite poetry ever penned, all in a traditional Elizabethan setting. Fall in love again for the first time.

The star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet are Courtney Lucien and Crystian Wiltshire.  Both actors frequently appear at CSC, with Lucien last appearing in Pride and Prejudice, and Crystian Wiltshire appearing last in The Merry Wives of Windsor and All the Way. Wiltshire has also recently joined Cincinnati Shakespeare as its new Associate Artistic Director.

This production’s design is generously sponsored by Marcene and Jim Kinney.  Romeo and Juliet is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

At this time, all ticketholders must be masked as well as show proof of a full COVID vaccination status OR provide a negative COVID test to enter The Otto M. Budig Theater. More details on the exact procedure will be shared with with theatregoers prior to the performance. 

By Design

If You Go

Luba Lukova: Designing Justice 
Freedom Center’s Skirball Gallery
Opens Oct. 8, continues through March 22, 2022.
Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for Freedom Center Members.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit freedomcenter.org/designingjustice.

“The power of art is the power to transform. Luba Lukova’s artwork encourages viewers to look inward as they stand before her images, revealing as much about individuals as it does society,” says Woodrow Keown, Jr., president & COO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

In their continuing fight for social justice, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is turning to art with Luba Lukova: Designing Justice, a portfolio of social commentary prints and posters.

Luba Lukova: Designing Justice addresses essential themes of humanity and injustices worldwide through images embedded with thought-provoking messages. Lukova’s artwork helps viewers develop empathy for social and cultural issues through the use of metaphors and bold, succinct symbols that communicates universal truths about desire, fear, creation, hope and man’s endless capacity for love and hate. Among the themes addressed are peace, censorship, immigration, ecology, hunger and corruption. By the time guests leave the exhibition they will have been reminded that social issues across the globe demand to be addressed – and changed – through the commitment of well-intentioned individuals. In all, Lukova’s images help provide inspiration for each of us to be a force for good in the world.

“Designing Justice is a powerful addition to our museum experience and adds another critical step in guests’ personal journey as they reflect on the world around them and who they are in it,” says Keown, Jr.

The exhibition is curated by New York-based artist Luba Lukova, regarded as one of the most original image-makers working today. In her art, less is more – more effect, more message, more expression. She works in saturated colors, sharp lines and clear compositions to create elegantly streamlined images that is both aesthetically beautifully and intellectually powerful. Her art is on display in permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Denver Art Museum; Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris; Hong Kong Heritage Museum; Centre de la Gravure et de l'Image imprimée in La Louviere, Belgium; and the Library of Congress and the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Her solo exhibitions has been displayed in Paris, Japan, Taiwan, New York, Boston and Atlanta. Lukova has been nominated for a Grammy for best recording package design for her cover of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington at the Cote D’Azur and has been awarded Grand Prix Savignac/World’s Most Memorable Poster at the International Poster Salon in Paris; the Gold Pencil from The One Club in New York; Honor Laureate at the International Poster Exhibition in Fort Collins, CO; and a grant from the Reisman Foundation.

Fast Pitch

If You Go

U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Paraguay
Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.
TQL Stadium, 1501 Central Pkwy
Ticket information.

On TV: FS1, TUDN

Following a decisive victory over Paraguay in Cleveland, the U.S. Women’s National Team is looking for continued success in Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on Sept. 21.

Meg Ryan, chief marketing officer, FC Cincinnati

“When we built and opened TQL Stadium, we did so with events like this in mind,” says Meg Ryan, chief marketing officer with FC Cincinnati. “The passion and dedication of our city, our fans and our team has put us at the forefront of the American soccer landscape, and we’re honored that both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National teams have chosen to play at TQL Stadium.”

At the game in Cleveland, legendary forward Carli Lloyd led the team, tying a team record with five goals in a single match, as the USA defeated Paraguay 9-0 in the USA’s first match after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This was Lloyd’s fourth to last game for the U.S. Women’s National Team ahead of her retirement.

The USWNT’s home unbeaten streak now stands at 59 games, which includes 54 wins and five draws. During that stretch, the U.S. has outscored its opponents 213-27, including an 83-3 margin during its last 20 matches at home

“We anticipate seeing a lot of Red, White and Blue, in addition to the typical Orange and Blue at our FC Cincinnati home matches,” says Ryan. “We are expecting a crowd of over 22,000 for the U.S. Women’s National Team match, and it is sure to be a great environment.”

In their first season at TQL Stadium, FC Cincinnati has enjoyed strong fan support, despite a losing record.

“We have seen the passion that our fans have for FC Cincinnati, and we are excited to see that passion on display again for the U.S. Women’s National Team in their match on Tuesday night,” says Ryan.  “We are committed to growing the game of soccer in our city and bringing the best female soccer players in the world to Cincinnati and this match is a great catalyst for that.”

Of course, fans aren’t coming just to see the four-time World Cup winning women’s team. They have a special, homegrown, reason to go to the game.

“Rose Lavelle is a Cincinnati legend and quickly becoming a U.S. Soccer legend,” says Ryan. “We are excited for her to come back to her hometown and play in this world-class stadium.”

Stars and Stripes Forever

If You Go

DAV Centennial Celebration
Tuesday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Music Hall, 1241 Elm St.

Tickets are $28 and are now on sale at www.dav.org/pops.

DAV (Disabled American Veterans) will mark their Centennial Celebration with the Cincinnati Pops.

Led by Pops Conductor John Morris Russell, the performance will feature a dozen musical tributes telling the story and milestones of military history from World War I through modern service. The West Point Glee Club and “American Idol” star Melinda Doolittle will also perform with the orchestra.

This event will celebrate this special milestone in DAV’s history and honor the millions of brave men and women they have helped to live with respect and dignity after being injured while serving our country.

Founded in Cincinnati in the aftermath of World War I, DAV has assisted veterans of all generations and their families in the ensuing century.

“When Judge Robert Marx and a handful of other World War I veterans founded DAV in 1920, they couldn’t have known the scope of its impact over the next century,” said Marc Burgess, CEO of DAV. “They couldn’t have imagined that the organization would go on to assist more than 1 million veterans and their families each year.

"We are deeply grateful for our friends at the Harold C. Schott Foundation, Diane J. and Robert A. McDonald Family Foundation, Chisholm, Chisholm, and Kilpatrick LTD, Crosby Marketing Communications, and Ford Motor Co. whose generous support helped to make this special event possible. We are also deeply appreciative of the Cincinnati Pops, West Point Glee Club and Melinda Doolittle for their performances in honor of DAV and the heroes we serve.”