Cincinnati has big plans this weekend. There will be beer and German wieners everywhere with the return of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. The National is hosting its Cincinnati-exclusive music festival, Homecoming Fest. There’s a pop-up blind date event that actually might create meaningful connections, or a clothing swap to help update your fall wardrobe. Ride a bike to benefit cancer research, pick from a number of gallery openings to check out Cincinnati’s rich art scene or geek out at the Mothman Festival. Scroll through our selections below to find something to liven up your weekend.

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.

Homecoming Fest When: Sept. 15 and 16 Where: The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park (The Andrew J Brady Music Center) What: Two-Day Music Festival Who: The National & Star-Studded Musical Acts Why: It’s a Cincinnati exclusive event. The National (from Cincinnati) will be performing their albums High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me from beginning to end. Also, Patti Smith, Pavement, Snail Mail, The Walkmen and more are scheduled to perform during this one-of-a-kind, two-day event. Stay tuned for CityBeat’s review of the show. Photo: Josh Goleman
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati When: Sept. 14-17 Where: 5th Street, Downtown What: Cincinnati transforms into a Bavarian village to celebrate Oktoberfest Zinzinnati Who: Sponsored by Samuel Adams and produced by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber Why: German food and beer. Need we say more? Just in case further convincing is needed, there will be a “Running of the Weiners” event and a Bengals pep rally and viewing party among other Oktoberfest programming. Photo: Sean M. Peters
Opening Receptions at The Weston Art Gallery Tobi Ewing: The World Is (Not) My Home Rebecca Nava Soto: Ritual of Imagination and Reconnection M. Carmen Lane: In This House (We Forgot About the Cycle of Things) When: Sept. 15 from 6-8 p.m. Where: Weston Art Gallery What: Opening Receptions Who: Artists Tobi Ewing (Dayton), Rebecca Nava Soto (Cincinnati) and M. Carmen Lane (Cleveland) Why: A triple-feature of gallery openings that promises exploration of Black creative expression, themes of ritual, language and landscape and mixed-media projects that fuse sound and imagery from three Ohio artists. The Weston Art Gallery always delivers meaningful experiences in its elegant and transformative space. Photo by John Carrico for the Weston Art Gallery
Mothman Festival When: Sept. 16 & 17 Where: Main Street, Point Pleasant in West Virginia (roughly 2.5 hour drive) What: Two days dedicated to all things Mothman, including other tall tales, legends and lore. Who: Presented by Meta Zoo and countless vendors, artists and cryptid enthusiasts Why: This red-eyed, winged legend is one of the most well-known and told tall tales. Like Bigfoot or Cincinnati’s own Frogman, the Mothman is a celebrated and mysterious cryptid that people from all over the world come to investigate. Honoring its citing in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in 1966, the Mothman Festival is an annual event that attracts thousands of people. Photo: Ashley Moor
Cincinnati Nature Center 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford The Cincinnati Nature Preserve has 15 trails with assorted degrees of length and difficulty. This park also offers the “Hike for Your Health” program. Grab a Hike for Your Health passport and get a stamp at the front desk after every hike. Complete all 15 trails and win a special prize. Photo: facebook.com/CincyNature
Norwood International Art Show When: Sept. 16 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Victory Park, Norwood What: Art show featuring local artists with diverse backgrounds Who: Norwood Together, in partnership with Queen City Clay and Off-Pike Market Why: This show is part of a global network of events called Welcoming Week that unites communities in the name of inclusivity and diversity. Photo: provided by Dyah Miller
Blind Date With a Book Pop-Up When: Sept. 16 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Fable Cafe, Westwood What: A literary match-making event — browse books and find a potential mate Who: Hey Uncle Kate, a local literary matchmaker Why: Ditch the fruitless dating apps, never swipe again – or just find a really good book. A plot twist on the neverending first date dilemma, do something more interesting than “grab a drink,” there’s plenty of time for that. You’ll for sure run into someone with similar interests, maybe a friendship will spark or a book club or even better — you might find love. Photo: Kate Burwanger
Walk to Defeat ALS® Northern Kentucky When: Sept. 16 from 10 a.m.-noon Where: Thomas More Stadium, Florence What: Community event to raise awareness for and honor those living with ALS Who: The ALS Association Why: ALS is a nervous system disease that impacts physical function and has no known cause or cure, according to the ALS Association. Proceeds from the event directly benefit Kentuckians living with the disease. Photo: Provided by ALS Kentucky
Pawty Pawlooza When: Sept. 16 from 2-5 p.m. Where: Otto Armleder Memorial Park, Madisonville What: Party at a dog park to benefit four-legged family members Who: Found House IHN Pet Support Program presented by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation Why: Pawty Pawlooza is a dog-friendly event that benefits a worthy cause. Music, food and entertainment provided all while helping families gain resources and help to keep their pets. Photo: Provided by Found House IHN
Ride Cincinnati When: Sept. 17 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Where:Sawyer Point, Downtown What: A community of cyclists coming together to defeat cancer Who: Ride Cincinnati members and participants Why: Riders will take part in a journey that is 10-64 miles long. Ride Cincinnati is a grassroots organization that rides and raises funds for cancer research and care. Photo: Provided by Holly Kirkpatrick
The Church of All Things Good (…and Nothing Bad) Group Art Show & Performance Kerfuffle When: Sept. 17 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Where: Basement Gallery, RSVP to MuffinheadNYC@gmail.com to get the event’s address What: Group art show and performance that highlights Cincinnati subculture in a psychedelic setting Who: The Church of All Things Good (…and Nothing Bad) Why: Discover an underground art movement at the Basement Gallery, produced by local “visual chef” Muffinheadtv. Photo: Brett Henderson Kreutzer
Queer + You Clothing Swap 1-5 p.m. April 2 It’s like thrifting, but free. The Queer + You clothing swap invites all adults of all genders and body types to contribute to and participate in the 7th biannual clothing swap. Exchange gently used clothes, accessories and small household items for ones new (to you). There is no limit to donations or what you can walk away with. Items brought to the swap will be organized by size and type. Admission is free. 1-5 p.m. April 2. Third Way Peace Fellowship, 4234 Hamilton Ave., Northside. Photo: Becca McHaffie, Unsplash
The Righteous Room 641 Walnut St., Downtown Unwind from a stressful work day by sipping on a happy hour special and enjoying artwork from local artists Shawna Guip and Pall Coors and New York’s David Ellis at the Righteous Room. The bar is in the heart of Downtown’s arts and entertainment district, making it an excellent pre-Aronoff show destination for their happy hour’s half-price drafts and wells and $5 6-ounce pours of Proverb Rosé (4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday). The Righteous Room also has a reverse happy hour on Sundays from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. where you can get half-price drinks, as well as specials offered throughout the week. Photo: facebook.com/therighteousroom

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...