Whenever I see the name Joey Votto I am refreshed. Not only did he hit the tie-breaking homerun today, increasing his Triple Crown chances, but he looked damn good doing it! You don’t see players that look Italian anymore. 'Cause, I mean, wow. He’s really Italian looking.  

Imagine what "blue ash" would taste like ... yuck. Luckily no one will be forcing anything in your mouth at this year's festival, which instead features a weekend of wonderful local food and Classic Rock. Performances begin Friday with Atlanta Rhythm Section and Little River Band, continue Saturday with Player, Night Ranger and The Guess Who and conclude Sunday with Justin Moore and Phil Vassar. Admission is free, with all food dishes priced under $4.50.  

I mean, goetta is sausage. That’s pretty much it. They put oats in there, but bottom line: It’s sausage. So it’s weird that 100,000 people come to this festival, right? And it’s weird that people from all 50 states and over 40 countries are expected to attend, right? And that the festival is "Bigger than Las Vegas New Year’s Eve" for "goetta devotees," right? No! It's not weird!  

Drop by Fountain Square Friday night for another free Midpoint Indie Summer Series concert, this week featuring You, You're Awesome supported by Pop Empire, The Flux Capacitors and The Western. As always, the weekly event features munchies, draft beers and cocktails as well as MidPoint Music Festival T-shirts and discounted MPMF wristbands for late September.  

Drop by Fountain Square tonight for another free Midpoint Indie Summer concert. This Friday features You, You're Awesome supported by Pop Empire, The Flux Capacitors and The Western. All are local and represent different types of Indie music. The fun kicks off at 7 p.m.  

The Cincinnati Pops is pulling no punches with its 4th of July celebration. There will be dancing, fireworks, corn hole, and, of course, patriotic music. The festivities will begin with a selection of family friendly activities including instrument-making, face painting, some sort of hot air balloon lottery, and corn hole.  

This weekend some of the region's finest wakeboarders will be practicing their art in order to break some sort of wakeboard-for-a-long-time record. They won't be going the fastest or the flashiest or behind a boat, but this team of wakers will be going almost all day Friday and Saturday to set a total distance record.