It’s spooky szn, Cincinnati. There’s plenty of festive events for everyone like a National Apple Day celebration, costume contests or Ohio’s largest plant sale. Check out a musical at the Aronoff Center or attend a virtual bread-making event. Check out some of our weekend picks below.

If you’re looking for even more to do every day of the week, visit the CityBeat events calendar, which is free to use if you have something planned that you’d like to advertise to CityBeat readers.

No. 6 Best Overall Bar: Ludlow Garage 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton Photo: Steve Ziegelmeyer
Cincinnati Coffee Festival When: Oct. 21 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. & Oct. 22 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Music Hall, Over-the-Rhine What: All things coffee, tea and delicious treats. Who: “World-class” roasters, coffee shops, purveyors of fine food and professional baristas. Why: Free samples! Caffeinated fun! (And the festival benefits the Ohio River Foundation). Photo: Provided by Cincinnati Coffee Festival
No. 4 Best Bookstore: The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse 8456 Vine Street, Hartwell Photo: facebook.com/cincylibraryfriends
Barks and Books When: Oct. 21 from noon-4 p.m. Where: Roebling Books & Coffee, Newport What: A storytelling and book signing event with dog adoption options and information. Who: Adventures of Hope, Fetch, Dog Love Bakery, Pet Wants and 3 Mutts on Wheels Why: Dogs and books. Why not? Photo: Katie Griffith
Fall Festival and Costume Contest When: Oct. 21 from 2-4 p.m. Where: St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wyoming What: Outdoor festival celebrating fall fun for the family. Who: St. Paul Lutheran Church Why: It’s an opportunity to try out your Halloween look. Photo: Matt Uubbew via Unsplash
National Apple Day Festival When: Oct. 21 from 3-11 p.m. Where: Northwood Cider Company, Norwood What: Celebration of National Apple Day. Who: Northwood Cider Company and participating vendors. Why: Apple cider. Dogs are welcome. Apple pie. Photo: instagram.com/@sneakypanda
Halloween Carnival & Carpool Cinema When: Oct. 21 from 5-10 p.m. Where: Clifton Recreation Center, Clifton What: A Halloween carnival and movie night. Who: Clifton Cultural Arts Center Why: *points finger* “E.T. phone home.” Photo: Natalie Krebs
Cincinnati Plant Party When: Oct. 22 from 1-7 p.m. Where: Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR StillHouse, Over-the-Rhine What: A plant market featuring handmade goods. Who: Local plant vendors, propagators, plant shops and local artists. Why: 20-plus local plant vendors. Photo: Vadim Kaipov, Unsplash
United for Ukraine Benefit Concert & Marketplace When: Oct. 22 from 2-4 p.m. Where: Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Cheviot What: Music for Ukraine concert series Who: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music students and musicians Why: The project exists to raise awareness and funds for disaster relief for Ukraine. Photo: Casey Roberts
Girl From the North Country When: Now through Oct. 29 Where: Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts, Downtown What: Bob Dylan songs with a musical twist. Who: Broadway in Cincinnati Why: See CityBeat’s take on the show here. Photo: Matthew Murphy
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Fifth at Music Hall 11 a.m. March 24 7:30 p.m. March 25 2 p.m. March 26 Russian conductor Anna Rakitina leads works by two composers who have lived with hearing loss: Beethoven, whose hearing struggle began years before the premiere of his Fifth Symphony and British composer Richard Ayres. Cellist Sterling Elliott will lead the CSO in a night of classics. Tickets start at $15. 11 a.m. March 24; 7:30 p.m. March 25 and 2 p.m. March 26. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org. Photo: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
OutReels Cincinnati Film Festival When: Oct. 20-22 Where: Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, East Price Hill What: A film festival featuring 19 films centered on LGBTQ+ experiences. Who: OutReels and participating filmmakers Why: See CityBeat’s post on the event here. Photo: Provided by OutReels Cincinnati Film Festival
Cincinnati Storytelling Festival When: Oct. 19-21 Where: West Side Brewing & Madcap Education Center, Westwood What: Spooky and “weird” stories told live by professional writers, comedians and artists. Who: Storytellers Paul Strickland, Megan Hicks and Antonio Rocha Why: Storytime can be for adults, too. Photo: Mikki Shaffner
The Convening When: Oct. 20 & 21 Where: Mecca in OTR & the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on The Banks & the Contemporary Arts Center, Downtown What: Talks and performances featuring national and local artists and activists. Who: FotoFocus and Creative Time Why: “The Convening is a significant collaborative effort designed to discuss thinking about land-use and self-determination through contemporary art practices, including photography,” according to its website. Photo: Kaique Rocha/Pexels
The Adventurers Club Murders When: Oct. 20 & 21 at 8 p.m. Where: Sharonville Cultural Arts Center, Sharonville What: An interactive murder mystery event for adult audiences. Who: Sharonville Center Stage Performing Arts Inc. Why: Costumes are encouraged. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=708380080742265&set=a.567709271476014
Devou Park’s Gravity Hill Ridgeway Court, Covington Has gravity in Covington gone haywire? On Ridgeway Court in Devou Park, it’s said if you stop at the second telephone pole, put your car in neutral and take your foot off the brake, your car will roll uphill. While the phenomenon seems supernatural, it’s actually just an optical illusion. Gravity hills, like the one in Covington, are created by an obstructed horizon, which makes it difficult to determine the slope of a surface. So, it may appear the slope goes upward when you’re still really just working with the force of gravity and not the force of the paranormal. Photo: Jesse Fox
Breaking Bread with Nancy Hand When: Oct. 20-22 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Where: the Internet What: A live, 3-day virtual bread-making, life-coaching event and tutorial. Who: Life coach and author Nancy Hand Why: “Connect like you’re in the kitchen at a good party, even if you’ve been stressed out, and discover how to build meaningful friendships without ever leaving home,” the event listing reads. Photo: Provided by Nancy Hand
Fern is hosting a summer pop-up market at its College Hill location. Photo: facebook.com/fernstudiocincinnati

Katie Griffith is CityBeat’s arts and culture reporter. She proudly hails from the West Side of Cincinnati and studied journalism at the University of Cincinnati. After freelancing for CityBeat for many...