Cincinnati Special Events

Cincinnati USA's full calendar of festivals devoted to music, food and hospitality comprises one of the best collections of annual events found anywhere in the nation. Dating back to its roots as a rowdy town full of German immigrants who celebrated life with song, food and drink, Cincinnati has a standing tradition as a great place to have a good time. Cincinnati's calendar of festival fun is packed year around.

20 Days and 20 Nights
To kick off the annual arts season, Enjoy the Arts/START presents Greater Cincinnati's annual 20 Days & 20 Nights Festival of Arts & Culture. A funky 20-day and 20-night, non-stop arts extravaganza, the 20/20 Festival takes place at venues across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky neighborhoods.

Bockfest
Cincinnati is the home to the world's oldest Bock festival, a tradition developed among the breweries to release all of their bock beer on the same day. Bock beer is a rich, complex, robust lager that marks the end of the Winter brewing season and the beginning of Spring. Every year, Cincinnati's coolest, underground festival celebrating bock beer, the Renaissance era, Over-the-Rhine, and the coming of Spring begins with this city's funkiest parade.

Brew Ha-Ha
50 comedians on 3 stages and 60 beers: Cincinnati USA's newest and latest festival event. Patrick Sheeran, VP of The Downtown Council at the Chamber, recognizes the originality of the event by explaining, "To our knowledge, this is the first beer and comedy festival of its kind."

Cincinnati Flower Show
"The king of all flower shows" according to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, March 2002. The Cincinnati Flower Show is the only North American flower and garden show endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain, producer of the world renowned Chelsea Flower Show. Staged on the banks of Lake Como at historic Coney Island, the Cincinnati Flower Show is one of the premier flower and garden events in the world, featuring hundreds of landscapers, growers, floral designers and artists. The event also features a Fine Food show where visitors sample gourmet foods made from the freshest ingredients from more than 50 local and national vendors. The "Green Living" home at the Cincinnati Flower Show showcases latest in eco-friendly garden design, sustainable and living energy-saving building materials. Bringing beautiful and practical solutions to the challenge of green living, the green home is anchored by a garden of native plants on one side and easy to grow and care for organic garden on the other side.

Cincinnati May Festival
Established in 1873, the Cincinnati May Festival is the oldest continuous choral festival in the Western Hemisphere and one of the only true festivals that remain in our country today. Featuring the May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Festival presents marvelously concentrated choral repertoire rarely found in the usual concert season.

Cincinnati Wine Festival
Seventeen years young and aging like a fine wine, the Cincinnati International Wine Festival is a grand celebration of wine, food and music. The Festival is made up of four prominent events: the Winery Dinners, the Charity Auction and Luncheon, the Grand Tastings and the Russ Wiles Memorial Golf Tournament.

Cincy-Cinco
This spectacular Cinco de Mayo celebration has made history twice - with the world's longest taco and the world's largest pinata! Come celebrate this famous Mexican holiday at the Midwest's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration. The festival features a parade, traditional costumes, the Fiesta de Pueblo, fireworks, and of course great food and music!

Festival of Lights
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens will flip the switch on over 2.5 million dazzling lights and more than 100 lighted displays in the city's longest-standing holiday tradition.

Flying Pig Marathon
The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon has made a mark being the third-largest first-time marathon in the country. Welcoming athletes of all running abilities, this is a race where you can find personal reward.

Fringe Festival
Eleven days of performance, arts, film, music, and everything in between.

Macy's Music Festival
Enjoy an electrifying combination of R&B, Hip-Hop and Jazz at the Macy's Music Festival.

MidPoint Music Festival
Cincinnati's largest music festival, featuring numerous bands in multiple locations throughout the city. The festival features unsigned bands, thereby drawing considerable attention from labels in scouting for fresh talent.

Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion
This outdoor event continues to grow and is now one of Cincinnati's largest family-focused events, drawing over 100,000 patrons. The Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration was inaugurated in August 1989 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is held annually the 3rd weekend of August at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove. Through the generous support of our sponsors we are able to offer the event to the public at no charge. The event has grown form the early days of 1989 to over 100,000 people of all ages on hand each year to enjoy the three days of activities.

Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati USA
Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati showcases the rich German heritage of Southwestern Ohio, as well as tasty samples of German-style music, food and beer. First held in 1976, the event has grown to be North America's largest Oktoberfest with over 500,000 people attending each year.

Opening Day and Findlay Market Parade
The season start of America's National Pastime is an unofficial city holiday in Cincinnati USA. Home of the baseball's first professional team, Opening Day festivities kick off with the Findlay Market Parade and continue through the traditional afternoon game. For most of the 20th century, the Reds' first-team status earned them the honor of playing the first National League game of each season. During recent seasons, other teams have played the first game, but the Reds still get to open at home each year. The Findlay Market Parade route begins at the market's location on Race and Elder Streets in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, heads downtown towards Fountain Square and ends at Fifth Street and Broadway. Traditionally, there are 178 parade entrants, including 18 marching bands and 25 floats. There also are drill teams, classic cars, local dignitaries, and thousands of fans lining the parade route.

Party in the Park
Party in the Park rocks the river at Yeatman's Cove with Cincinnati USA's hottest bands and the coldest beer in town - all set against the Ohio River and the new Great American Ball Park.

Riverfest
A fireworks extravaganza set to music over the beautiful Ohio River.

Tall Stacks Music, Arts, and Heritage Festival
Cincinnati celebrates its river heritage with the world's largest paddlewheel festival. Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove overflows with music and fun along the banks of the Ohio River.

Taste of Cincinnati USA
Taste of Cincinnati USA is held every Memorial Day weekend in downtown Cincinnati by The Downtown Council and the Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Association. Started 1979, it is now the nation's longest running culinary arts festival. The event is held on Fifth Street to spotlight the $42-million renovation of Fountain Square. Approximately 500,000 attend the annual food extravaganza, making Taste one of the nation's largest street festivals. Taste of Cincinnati was named Food Event of the Year for 1997 by Events Business News, the recognized authority of the special events business in the United States, selecting it out of 40,000 special events across the nation. Taste of Cincinnati USA features more than 40 fine restaurants serving up delicious and delectable menu items. In the weeks leading up to Taste each year, menu items are previewed and judged for prestigious Best of Taste Awards. Taste of Cincinnati Rock Stage Taste of Cincinnati USA is also a music festival, with continuous live entertainment featuring local and national recording stars performing on multiple stages throughout the event.