Laying in bed on a warm summer evening, I'm sure we've all dreamed of being in an exotic place with captivating scenery. We might not be able to hop on a plane and fly to Brazil or the Mediterranean, but we can bring a little exotic back home. CityBeat's sister publication A-Line takes us on The Great Getaway for a trip around the world Thursday night at Eden Floral Boutique.  

Frustrated from work? Looking for an exciting place to take a date? Tired of doing the same old thing every Saturday night? What better way to blow off some steam than to take out a hot somebody or switch up the usual weekend plans than with a monster truck show. Picture 12 feet and five tons of metal soaring through the air, battling on the track below and crushing enemies in unique competitions right before your eyes.  

Picture yourself sitting at a table filled with your best friends, sharing laughs over cocktails made to perfection. Meanwhile, six beautifully bronzed and bulked up men parade around you, singing and dancing in their tighty-whities without shirts on. A dream? I don't think so. Boogie Nights' '70s and '80s dance club inside Hollywood Casino is home of Men Without Shirts on the final Friday of each month.  

Every summer we celebrate our country's independence on July 4. However, for hundreds of thousands enslaved people, this was just the beginning of almost a century-long battle for their freedom. June 19 has become known as "Freedom Day" because on this day in 1865 the first slaves in the South became free people. Cincinnati's Juneteenth Festival celebrates the anniversary of our freed ancestors and the essence of the African-American culture.  

Whether you're a girl or a guy, young or old, chubby or skinny, we've all thought about what it would be like to strip down to our birthday suits and flaunt what our mommas gave us, especially in this 95-degree weather. Would you believe me if I told you there was a place all this is possible right here in the Queen City? Well there is … and it's totally legal. Paradise Gardens Family Nudist Resort is hosting an Open House for all shapes, sizes, ages, colors and genders.  

For over 30 years, the Taste of Cincinnati has been filling bellies, supplying music and providing hangovers to locals and tourists alike every Memorial Day weekend. What started out as equivalent to an oversized frat party is now 100 times larger and alive, literally. From 5,000 attendees the first year to an expected 500,000 this year, even Charlie Sheen would have trouble partaking in this fiesta all weekend long.  

Cute and cuddly, wet and slimy or fat and furry, this year's Zoo Babies are definitely “awww”-worthy. Six-foot-tall pink-and-blue stork statues will lead the way at the Cincinnati Zoo to all the baby faces paired with live performances for your own little ones. This season's most popular Zoo baby is Zuri, the one-month-old giraffe, but she's not the only addition to the Zoo family. Newbies range from pancake tortoises, penguins, naked mole rats, manatees and a variety of other animals.  

Pasta, meatballs and pizza — oh my! And I'm not talking about that week-old, not-quite-sure-if-that’s-edible junk from a sweaty man slingin' pizzas for minimum wage. Friday evening kicks off the Cincinnati Italian Festival, which was started by a local church and turned into a bash even the nuns can't turn down. Authentic Italian foods will be showcased from restaurants such as Gabby’s Cafe, Noce’s Pizzeria, Doce Vita Café, LaRosa’s and Pompilios.