If life has felt like a circus lately, well, this weekend is about to replace that craziness with a little fun.
With so many options to choose from -- including a wine-soaked pool party and the 75th anniversary celebration of a local icon -- your only source of stress will be deciding which WVXU "Do" List event to hit first. Still not satisfied? Be sure to check out Around Cincinnati host Lee Hay's "Music Notes" column for more.
Thursday, August 23
- Berachah Valley, a band of bluegrass- and gospel-loving friends from Dayton, plays the summer concert series at Uptown Park in Oxford (4 North Main Street) starting at 7 p.m.
- Washington Platform (1000 Elm Street) debuts a new music series, Jazz at Dusk, starting at 5:30 p.m.
- The Cindependent Film Festival kicks off at the Woodward Theater (1404 Main Street), featuring idependent and short films from directors from all over the world. Tickets for the four-day event start at $25, but some events are free so be sure to check the schedule.
- The Merchantile Library (414 Walnut Street) holds a talk with Jerald Cooper, a Cincinnati native and co-founder (with hip-hop mogul Young Guru) of The Era of the Engineer, an enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between music, technology and education to get more people interested in what goes on behind the scenes with music. A reception takes place at 6 p.m. with the program kicking off at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to Merchantile members and $10 for everyone else. Registration is required.
- Old Mill Campground in Friendship, Ind., (7249 First Street) hosts the Whispering Beard Folk Festival today through Sunday, featuring such bands as Hooten Hallers, Young Heirlooms, The Tillers and more. Tickets are $80 in advance; $90 at the gate and camping rates are also available.
- It's the opening night of the UniverSoul Circus (pictured), which takes place through Sunday at the Cincinnati Gardens (2250 E. Seymour Avenue). In this family-friendly celebration of UniverSoul's 25th anniversary, you'll see circus arts, theater and music that spans genres like pop, classic R&B, latin, hip-hop, jazz and more. Tickets start at $26.
Friday, August 24
- Urban Artifact (1660 Blue Rock Street) hosts BeWILDerfest, featuring 46 beers and 35 bands over two days. Day tickets are $16 in advance and $20 the day-of. Check out the website for the full schedule.
- At Art Beyond Boundaries (1410 Main Street), local abstract artist Mary Barr Rhodes will show some of her works in an exhibition called Uncomplicated. The artist will be available during a meet-and-greet that evening from 6-9 p.m. The show runs through September 10.
- The Bacchanalian Society puts on a pool party at Ziegler pool (1233 Sycamore Street) from 7:30-11 p.m. Each sale of a $20 ticket benefits Ziegler Park's "Everbody In" program, which offers free swimming lessons and teams to join. Two wine tickets are included, and a cash bar also will be available.
- Cincinnati jazz great Mandy Gaines sings at The Härth Lounge (125 W. 4th Street) with the Steve Schmidt Trio from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
- Songwriter Scott Fairchild visits Herzog Music (811 Race Street) for a free in-store performance and record release party starting at 7 p.m.
- Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra principal violist Heidi Yenney and pianist Christopher O'Riley perform songs by Radiohead and Sun Kill Moon at The Redmoor (3187 Linwood Avenue) starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 ($10 for students) and include a drink ticket.
Saturday, August 25
- Folk band Delta Rae plays Fountain Square starting at 7 p.m.
- Sharon Woods (11450 Lebanon Road) gets a visit from the U.S. Air Force's Band of Flight for a free outdoor performance of songs by everyone from Bach to The Beatles, starting at 7 p.m.
- King Records honors 75 years of the record label with a "Celebrate The King" gala at Memorial Hall, featuring artists, live performances, storytellers and lifetime achievement awards. A portion of tickets sold will go toward saving King Records' original building at 1540 Brewster Avenue.
- During "NASA @ My Library: Space Day," the Cincinnati Observatory and The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County will let guests tour the universe through virtual reality. The all-ages event takes place from 10 a.m.-noon at the Main Library (800 Vine Street).
- The Ohio Valley Indigenous Music Festival goes through Sunday at Patricia Allyn Park (7266 SR 48 in Springboro) and features music, vendors, workshops and food. Around Cincinnati host Lee Hay recently spoke with the festival's founder, Douglas Blue Feather to learn more about the two-day event.
- Sayler Park holds its second annual Oktoberfest beginning at 2 p.m., featuring music and, of course, beer.
Sunday, August 26
- The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden opens early for the 8 a.m. kick-off of its Cheetah Run/Walk 5K, which has runners wind their way through the zoo grounds. Regular admission applies for non-runners.
- At OTR Performs in Washington Park, the Young Professional Choral Collective sings songs like "And So It Goes" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" starting at 7 p.m. A guest from the Cincinnati Opera also will join to debut an aria from the next season's opera, Blind Injustice.
- From 1-4 p.m., Covington's Braxton Brewing Company (27 West 7th Street, Covington) is offering a smoked meats and beer pairing in partnership with Crafts & Vines in its private event space, The Loft. Tickets are $30.
