In just a few days, Cincinnati will once again be awash in the glow of colorful murals, shimmering light displays and vibrant art installations as BLINK returns with more of, well, everything — more artists, more artworks, more events and a bigger footprint than ever before. From Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine to Covington in Kentucky and now in Newport, this immersive lights and arts festival will transform the Queen City into an imaginative and vivid playground of creativity that will fuel all the senses and draw an estimated crowd of millions to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s urban cores.

This year, there are over 80 murals, light installations, sculptures, projections and more to see during BLINK — meaning the following list is in no way a comprehensive guide to everything you must see. But we think we captured the spirit of BLINK in just this sliver of suggestions. From murals that come to life when the sun goes down and interactive installations that will bend your imagination to a block party where everyone is invited and an authentic Asian night market experience dropped right into the heart of Cincinnati, here are 20 of our must-see stops for your BLINK experience.

To see all the projects lighting up BLINK this year, as well as a map and more information to help you plan your visit, go to blinkcincinnati.com.  [content-1]

The Music Hall Experience Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine (Over-the-Rhine Zone) Artists: Chaske Haverkos, Susan Kosti, Lightborne and AVextended For lovers of BLINK precursor Lumenocity, the Music Hall Experience is for you. For the first time since 2015, there will be projection mapping on Music Hall, with four projection shows, each by a different artist, including original Lumenocity collaborator Lightborne. It’ll truly feel like BLINK has come full circle from its earliest days. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Celestial Serenade 1706 Pleasant St., Over-the-Rhine (Findlay Market Zone) Artist: Spotted Yeti Like The Little Mermaid come to life, Celestial Serenade tells the story of a curious mermaid desperate to escape her home in the water when she finds a magical orb that allows her to traverse the galaxy. The projection utilizes an existing mural created by Amsterdam-based artists The London Police and will glow in the colors of both the ocean and night sky, merging the mermaid’s two worlds. There will also be an operatic score, in partnership with the Cincinnati Opera as the the mermaid delights visitors while going on both underwater and celestial adventures. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Supernova Light Bridge Smale Riverfront Park, 166 W. Mehring Way, Downtown (The Banks Zone) Artist: VTPro Design As much as BLINK is about light and art, it’s also about connection — with art, with each other and with our communities. Supernova Light Bridge will literally bridge the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Covington with light, representing the connection between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and how our communities’ collaboration — for BLINK and in other ways — is essential for all who live here. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Asianati Night Market Court Street Plaza, Downtown (Downtown Zone) Produced by: Asianati A fan favorite is returning for this year’s BLINK. Asianati Night Market promises to once again bring tons of delicious food vendors, art installations, experiences and games to BLINK-goers. Guests can expect Court Street Plaza to be transformed into an authentic, bustling night market, offering a vibrant energy and displaying the cultural richness of Asia. The culinary offerings will showcase a diverse array of street-style cuisine from Asian restaurants across Cincinnati, ranging from skewers and dumplings to desserts. In addition to food, the market will also feature immersive visual elements like colorful lanterns and art installations that were inspired by traditional Asian night markets. See which food vendors will be at the Night Market here. Photo: Ron Valle
Coming of Age Mural Series #1 “You Got Me,” 1500 Vine St.; #2 “If I Ruled the World,” 1600 Vine St.; #3 “Things Fall Apart,” 1714 Vine St. (Over-the-Rhine and Findlay Market Zones) Artists: Gee Horton, Chroma Projects (and Greg D’Amico on “You Got Me”) To experience a true coming-of-age tale at BLINK, look no further than Gee Horton and Chroma Projects’ mural series, Coming of Age. These three murals are located along various stops on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. Horton says the locations are important: They’re overlooked spaces that the murals can breathe life into. The murals tell stories of transition, growth, struggle and triumph that can resonate across cultures and bring our communities together. “In this process, I see murals as powerful tools for community empowerment. They foster a sense of pride and ownership, inviting residents to reimagine their surroundings and take an active role in shaping their shared environment,” Horton shared in his artist statement. “Through murals, these drawings transcend paper to become catalysts for change in neighborhoods and communities.” Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Barter Boat 147–199 Park Place, Covington (Covington Zone) Produced by: Radar Art Barter Boat is an interactive installation that is sort of like a carnival game, but it costs no money and everybody gets a prize. Bring an object with you to BLINK that has meaning to you (and that you don’t mind carrying around), and bring it to the Barter Boat. The artists there will then try to barter with you for something they received from a previous Barter Boat stop. The idea behind the installation is to reject the U.S.’s single-use consumer culture and learn more about how people find emotional, artistic or personal value in objects. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Biomimicry Thompson House, 24 Third St., Newport (Newport Zone) Artist: Hotaru Visual Guerrilla Biomimicry is one of the most anticipated installations in Newport, BLINK’s newest zone. The art projection explores the intersection of nature and technology, how life’s principles apply to people and nature as well as art and how we can look to nature to help solve complex problems in fields like architecture sustainably. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
On Her Mind 1537 Pleasant St., Over-the-Rhine (Over-the-Rhine Zone) Artist: Mz Icar A series of animations, On Her Mind, will be projected on the mural RIP Rapes by Ernest Zacharevic, which features the painting of a local girl and honors the late Jason Brunson, a local tattoo and graffiti artist who passed away in 2017. Mz Icar’s animations imagine the world of a girl exploring her ancestors, dreams and aspirations, highlighting the boundless potential of youth. The artistic style features various tattoo styles as a nod to Brunson, as well as animated photos, drawings and AI-generated imagery. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Feel It Cincinnati Toy Heritage Mural, 23 W. Court St., Downtown (Downtown Zone) Artist: GraffMapping When the sun goes down for BLINK, the iconic toys of the Cincinnati Toy Heritage mural will come to life thanks to Feel It. With the help of projection art, the toys will change color and interact with each other, bringing an even more dynamic energy to a mural beloved by many in the city for its calming nostalgia, incredible attention to detail and playfulness. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Crescendo Lytle Park, 501 E. Fourth St., Downtown (Lytle Park Zone) Artists: Kyle Eli Ebersole and Ian Molitors While most pianos only create sound, the piano at the center of Crescendo turns sound into light as well. The piano is open for anyone to play, and as you play, the music will also illuminate the lights of the piano, creating a unique dance of light for every performance. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Clive 25 E. Fifth St., Covington (Covington Zone) Artist: Mark Phelps Clive is just a curious guy from another planet who’s interested in learning more about Earthlings and our creativity. This sculpture in Covington’s Midtown Parking Garage features a large green alien (Clive) who uses his big magnifying glass to study us. He’s one of a dozen unique art installations that are part of the city’s Quality of Place grant program, which aims to enhance the appearance of Covington’s business districts through public art and other creative elements on fixtures like benches and bike racks. And with Clive’s interest in creativity, we’re sure he’ll love BLINK and all the Earthlings who will stop by to say hello to him. Read Clive’s origin story here. Photo: facebook.com/CliveTheAlien
hoco house 98 E. Mehring Way, Downtown, adjacent to Paycor Stadium and Andrew J Brady Music Center (The Banks Zone) Artist: Weft School hoco house will be a different experience every time you walk through it. This installation is made from woven chip bags into an airy, house-like frame, which creates a reflective surface with fractal edges. Inside will be fiber optics, UV and multicolored lighting, which will create a dynamic space that can range from energetic to softly radiant, says the artists. BLINK-goers are encouraged to put on reflective, neon and glow-in-the-dark clothing to really amp up the hoco house experience. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Midwest Block Party 1707 Pleasant St., Over-the-Rhine (Findlay Market Zone) Produced by: Warmth Culture There’s nothing like Midwestern hospitality and Warmth Culture’s Midwest Block Party will be the embodiment of it for BLINK-goers. This immersive light and sound installation will showcase Warmth Culture curator and hip-hop artist Stallitix’s top collaborations from the last decade, with dynamic DJ and live music performances and a “living room” stage to pull together the themes of community gathering and warm-heartedness. At the Midwest Block Party, you can dance, unwind and connect in the glowing heart of BLINK. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Loophole 502 Scott St., Covington (Covington Zone) Artist: Calidos Loophole is a large-scale, interactive light installation inspired by the torus shape of the Earth’s magnetic field. The field protects life from solar winds, and when these particles collide with the field, they burn and create the colors of the Northern Lights, which many of us are now familiar with thanks to Thursday night’s celestial spectacle. And not only is it pretty to look at, but BLINK-goers can also walk inside Loophole to have an immersive light and sound experience. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Future Findlay Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine (Findlay Market Zone) Artist: Dan Shields Fiber artist Dan Shields mesmerized 2022 BLINK audiences with his interactive yarn-bombing installation String Theory for Dummies. He’s back again this year with another yarn-themed work, Future Findlay, a yarn canopy using soft yarn and varied lines to shift the viewer’s perception of Findlay Market, one of Cincinnati’s most iconic landmarks, by changing its context. Welcome to the future, Cincinnati. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Aqua Olimpia Newport Aquarium, 1 Levee Way (Newport Zone) Artist: Artur Grycuk Go “underwater” at BLINK with Aqua Olimpia. This immersive installation near the Newport Aquarium imitates a pool and provides BLINK-goers with a captivating underwater experience, complete with blue light waves accompanied by music and the sound of water. Smoke will fill the room to imitate the look of water, and as you “swim” through this installation, you’ll bend springs with pulsating light balls that will emulate water droplets and create wave-like motions. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
The Writing On The Wall National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown (The Banks Zone) Artists: Hank Willis Thomas and Dr. Baz Dreisinger The Writing On The Wall offers a deeply poignant component to BLINK. This artwork will feature writings from prisons around the world, curated from the American Prison Writing Archive. This installation’s goal is to “challenge the perpetual systems of oppression within and beyond the art world by exposing the public to warehoused and marginalized voices and minds.” Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Terminal of Time Newport on the Levee near Third Street (Newport Zone) Artist: DecideKit History and the future of the world collide in The Terminal of Time. Where you’ll see a projection of dinosaurs come to life at Newport on the Levee, this work of art is more than that. It’s also a commentary on an Earth that has experienced a lot of trauma, but a lot of hope and healing as well. The ultimate message: The dinosaurs’ fate does not have to be ours. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Vivid Volume 580 Vine St., Downtown (Downtown Zone) Artist: Digital Castaway BLINK is all about the glow and immersive art, and Vivid Volume takes the concept of a simple screen and turns it into a glowing, 3D work of art. With the help of 8,000 LEDs, the display will animate and react to festivalgoers’ movements while rotating between custom-built light designs. Photo: blinkcincinnati.com
Vanishing Portrait 25 E. Fifth St., Covington (Covington Zone) Artists: Drive Media House and JONBOB The citizens of Cincinnati are the stars of Vanishing Portrait. The light installation features a video of Cincinnatians transitioning into one another. The video will be projected onto a cascading wall of fog, creating an experience that festivalgoers can walk through. The artists say their goal is to “represent the Future City in its life, vibrancy, diversity and the spirit of hope that it embodies.” Photo: blinkcincinnati.com

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...