25 Things to Do in Cincinnati When It's Hot AF Outside

Take a dip in a public pool The good news is that many public pools will be opening in Greater Cincinnati this summer. The bad news is that because of staffing shortages, not all of them can. The Cincinnati Recreation Commission is opening eight of its 24 pools, with the goal of hiring additional lifeguards to open more. The pools at Dunham, McKie and Oakley are currently operational and Dempsey, Evanston, Hirsch, Lincoln and Pleasant Ridge open June 6. Daily and season passes are available. Covington’s Goebel Park Pool, Randolph Park Pool and the Latonia Water Park/Splash Pad open June 8 and entry is free for residents (with registration). In Newport, the pool at Veteran’s Memorial Park is open with a $3 entry fee (free for seniors, military and those under age 4). Over-the-Rhine hotspot Ziegler Pool is also open for the season and only requires reservations for early-morning lap swimmers. Entry is $4 per day. Check each pool’s website for amenities — slides, climbing walls, concessions, etc. — and full details. Photo: Provided by Cincinnati Recreation Commission | Pleasant Ridge Pool

Splash through a sprayground You don’t have to be a kid to revel in the fun of a sprayground. Similar to running through a giant sprinkler, these centrally located public splash pads feature fountains, jets and other water elements to cool you down on a hot day. Bonus? They’re free to enjoy and open daily. The Cincinnati Recreation Commission operates nine spraygrounds — Caldwell, College Hill, Dyer, McKie, North Fairmount, Oakley, Oyler, Pleasant Ridge and South Fairmount — featuring fun and colorful sculptural elements. In the heart of the city, there are also spraygrounds at Washington Park, Smale Riverfront Park and Ziegler Park; the Otto Armleder Memorial Aquatic Spray Ground at Sawyer Point is closed this summer for maintenance. Photo: Facebook.com/SmaleRiverfrontPark

Photo: Paige Deglow

No. 1 Best Rooftop Bar: Rhinegeist 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Photo: facebook.com/rhinegeist

Stuff yourself at a food festival Go Greek for the day or gorge on goetta at some Cincinnati favorite food festivals. Follow the link to find 15 Queen City area summer food festivals. Photo: Mackenzie Frank | Panegyri Greek Festival

Play some pickleball Invented in the 1960s by the family of a congressman who used ping-pong paddles and wiffle balls on a badminton court when they couldn’t find their shuttlecock, pickleball seems to be Cincinnati’s new favorite sport. It can be played on tennis courts or regulation pickleball ones. Sawyer Point is in the process of resurfacing its popular pickleball courts through mid-summer, so players will have to find elsewhere to enjoy some friendly competition until then. Locally, the Cincinnati Pickleball Club connects players, has a comprehensive list of places to play, and explains how to sign up to reserve a court. cincinnatipickleballclub.com. Photo: facebook.com/cincinnatipickleballclub

Shop an outdoor pop-up Warm weather means open-air markets, from maker-friendly pop-ups to outdoor antique fairs. Follow the link to find some upcoming summer shopping dates. Photo: Provided by Charm at the Farm

Catch a movie at a public park While Cincinnati has two great drive-in theaters nearby for some outdoor cinema — Starlite Drive-In and Holiday Auto Theatre — plenty of parks in Greater Cincinnati also offer screenings of family-friendly (and not-so-family-friendly) movies throughout the summer. Follow the link to find eight outdoor summer movies series to attend in Cincinnati this summer. Photo: cincinnati-oh.gov

Go berry picking Summertime means berry time, and several local farms offer the public u-pick opportunities throughout the season. Crops can ripen at different rates based on weather, so check with each farm before heading out with your basket in tow. Blooms & Berries Farm Market in Loveland offers the chance to pick blueberries by the pound, typically in June and July. Indian Springs Berry Farm in Fairfield Township lets you harvest your own USDA-certified organic blackberries, generally starting in July. Alpine Berry Farm in Batesville, Indiana, opens around Father’s Day for blueberry picking. And Hidden Valley Orchard in Lebanon offers multiple u-pick options throughout the summer, including strawberries, blueberries, peaches, grapes and apples. As of press time, Bright Star Acres blueberry farm in Kenton County, Kentucky has yet to list its 2022 dates. Photo: facebook.com/brightstaracresberries

Take a tour of creamy whips Is it even summer without a visit to a neighborhood creamy whip? Follow the link to find a list of 23 walk-up ice cream joints sling soft serve, chili dogs and nostalgia with a smile. Photo: Sami Stewart | Putz's Creamy Whip

The Root Beer Stand 11566 Reading Road, Sharonville Opened as an A&W Root Beer Stand in 1957, the now family-owned restaurant makes secret-recipe root beer (available by the jug) using water from the property’s 280-foot-deep well and secret-recipe chili for their famous foot-long coney dogs. At the top of our list is the Timmy Dog, a footlong dog loaded with chili, cheese, onions, mustard, hot sauce, ketchup, relish, slaw and sauerkraut. Photo: Sami Stewart | The Root Beer Stand

Rent a canoe or kayak Spend a Sunday floating down one of Greater Cincinnati’s rivers in a canoe or kayak. Loveland Canoe & Kayak offers a 2-4 hour paddling party down the Little Miami River and past Historic Loveland Castle. Morgan’s Outdoor Adventures has spots in Ft. Ancient on the Little Miami River, in Brookville on the Whitewater River and even in Costa Rica, with trips 3-7 miles long. Green Acres Kayak in Harrison is located on the Whitewater River and offers 3-, 5- or 8-mile trips. Check with each business about reservations, boat rental fees and what you can — and can’t — bring with you (We’re looking at you, ca-brewers). Use your new watercraft skills during Ohio River Paddlefest on Aug. 6. Thousands will take to the Ohio River in canoes and kayaks in the nation’s largest paddling party. Photo: Savana Willhoite | Loveland Canoe & Kayak

Visit a Beach Within Driving Distance of Cincinnati Ohio may not be on a coast, but don’t let that fool you — we have plenty of breezy beach options for when the water is calling your name. Yes, they may be on a lake or riverfront, but they check most of our boxes when we’re in need of a little sand between our toes, sunshine on our skin and a cool, refreshing dip in the water. Follow the link to find some beachy inspiration. Photo: facebook.com/fairportharborlakefrontpark

Snack your way through Cincinnati stadiums The Cincinnati Reds may be having one of their worst seasons in recent memory, but they aren’t the only sports team in town. MLS soccer team FC Cincinnati and Frontier League baseball team the Florence Y’alls are both heating up their respective stadiums. And regardless of whether any of the teams’ performances can entice you, their stadium eats surely can. Great American Ball Park revealed several new menu items this season, from loaded vegetarian hot dogs and a cone stuffed with barbecued meat to the Rookie Cookie Fry Box: french fries smothered in chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, crumbled Oreos, bits of chocolate-chip cookies and miniature marshmallows. TQL Stadium welcomed a new executive chef this season and a bevy of new dining options, including dishes from locals Lucius Q and Fusian. Those with Cincinnatus Club seats can indulge in a Lucho Burger from Blue Ash burger joint Sammy’s. Named for player Lucho Acosta, the sandwich features a special burger grind, cheese, peppers and chimichurri aioli. The Y’alls Thomas More Stadium offers classic ballpark eats and a few fun drinks. The bourbon peach slushie is a popular option. Photo: Allison Babka

Coney Island’s Twister water slides Photo: facebook.com/coneyislandpark

Ride the Loveland Bike Trail Loveland, Ohio Spanning more than 70 miles along the Little Miami River, the Loveland Bike Trail is a haven for cyclists, runners and walkers alike. The paved, flat trail was developed in 1983, replacing what was once the Pennsylvania Railroad. Now, visitors pedal through to immerse themselves in the landscape of Little Miami State Park, grab ice cream at Loveland Sweets or Loveland Dairy Whip, and maybe even learn a thing or two at the Loveland History Museum. Loveland is also a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) district, so if you grab a brew from Narrow Path Brewing, you can take it with you while you wander the quaint downtown. And if you don’t own a bike, don’t worry — rentals are a phone call away. Photo: facebook.com/Loveland Bike Trail

Glenwood Gardens 10397 Springfield Pike, Woodlawn Glenwood Gardens has the Garden Loop Trail and the Wetland Loop Trail. The Garden Loop is 1.1 miles of paved trail leading past a gazebo, the Mill Creek and the stone bridge. The Wetland Loop is a nature trail past grassy meadows, woods and wetlands. Photo: provided by Great Parks of Hamilton County

Go to an outdoor concert With the addition of the festival stage at downtown’s newish Andrew J Brady Music Center and Newport’s indoor/outdoor PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION to the existing Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati is now a prime spot to catch a concert under the stars. Some big-name acts heading through town this summer include Maren Morris (June 25) and Glass Animals (Aug. 3) at the Brady; Bon Iver (June 21), Death Cab for Cutie (July 7) and Wilco (Aug. 16) at OVATION; and Dead & Company (June 22), Rod Stewart (July 12), Jimmy Buffett (July 21), Backstreet Boys (July 26), Alica Keys (Aug. 18) and Wiz Khalifa (Aug. 27) at Riverbend. Photo: facebook.com/RiverbendMusicCenter

Watch Shakespeare in the park The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is bringing its super popular, free Shakespeare in the Park series to public spots across the Tri-State, with productions from Over-the-Rhine to West Chester and beyond. This summer’s show is Twelfth Night, which CSC describes as a “lively rom-com on an island where everyone is in love with someone — and the wrong person loves them back.” The season kicks off July 15 at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park. cincyshakes.com.

See Some Costumes from Jane Austin Adaptations at the Newly-Restored Taft Museum of Art 316 Pike St., Downtown The Taft Museum of Art is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a full-scale restoration project. They closed for a few months in the spring of 2022 and are reopening in June with an amazing new exhibit. From June 11-Sept. 4, the museum will present Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility, a special exhibition that features costumes worn by Hollywood celebrities in film and television adaptations of Austen’s novels. The costumes are journeying across the Atlantic from Cosprop LTD, an award-winning British costume house based in London, to the Taft to be displayed in North America for the first time. Photo: Kevin J. Watkins

Visit the midway at a church festival or county fair As fish frys are synonymous with the Lenten season in Cincinnati, so too are church fairs with summer. The Catholic Telegraph has a full list of Cincinnati-area fests, full of carnival rides, games, live music, funnel cake, beer and even light gambling. One of the first of the season — All Saints Catholic Church Festival in Kenwood (June 3-5) — has it all, from local craft beer and food trucks to blackjack and bourbon tastings. For a similar vibe, the Hamilton County Fair is back Aug. 11-14 with a midway full of rides and games, livestock displays, demolition derbies, arts and crafts exhibits, tons of fried food, giant tomatoes and all the rest of the wholesome county antics you’d expect. Photo: facebook.com/HCFairOhio

Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Stock up at the farmers market In need of farm-fresh, seasonal produce? Farmers markets abound in Cincinnati, with one happening most days of the week. Here are three favorites, as voted by CityBeat readers in the 2022 Best Of Cincinnati issue. Findlay Market: Ohio’s continuously-operated public market is full of independent vendors and a markethouse stocked with meat, veggies, homemade bread and sweets. On weekends, the shed plays host to area farmers selling their fresh-picked goods, including wildflowers. findlaymarket.org. Hyde Park Farmers’ Market: Held 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays through October on Hyde Park Square, the market features more than 35 food artisans and produce from sustainable farmers. Check the website to see what’s fresh that week. hydeparkfarmersmarket.com. Northside Farmers Market: This year-round market is held 4-7 p.m. on Wednesdays during the summer at North Church. Browse everything from baked goods and farm-fresh eggs to apothecary items and seasonal produce. Pre-ordering is available online. northsidefm.org. Photo: facebook.com/CinciNorthsideFarmersMarket/

Visit one of Cincinnati’s many DORA districts DORA districts — or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas — are popping up in neighborhoods across Greater Cincinnati. In these specific spaces, you can grab a beer, wine or cocktail to sip while you stroll, either from shop to shop or in the great outdoors. Westwood recently hosted the grand opening of its 14-acre DORA along Harrison Avenue and The Banks opened its 85-acre DORA last year. Other neighborhoods including Loveland, Bellevue, Milford, Hamilton and Summit Park in Blue Ash have their very own designated areas where visitors can have an open beer or cocktail, as long as they follow some simple rules: beverages must be in branded DORA cups, alcohol must remain in the boundaries of the district and drinkers must be 21+. Each neighborhood’s DORA hours and regulations are slightly different, so it’s best to check with each before imbibing. Photo: Provided by city of Hamilton

Watch a parade or find some fireworks Two of the most colorful annual parades take place during summer in Cincinnati. After being limited for two years due to COVID, the Cincinnati Pride parade and main celebration takes place on June 25, with floats, dance troupes, drag queens and LGBTQIA+ supporters of all stripes proceeding through downtown and into Sawyer Point. Fest headliners this year are singer/songwriter and transgender rights activist Shea Diamond, pop singer Jordy, Glee’s Alex Newell and Grammy-winner Daya. After a canceled event in 2020 and a house float tour in 2021, the eccentric Northside Fourth of July Parade will be back in full swing this year. Thousands line the streets to see creative handmade floats from vintage stores, bars and community organizations; local marching bands; drill teams; every local politician you’ve ever heard of; ladies dancing with lawn chairs; guys dancing with power tools; and other unexpected and delightful displays of pride and spirit. The event is the centerpiece of a weekend of events down at the Northside Rock N’ Roll Carnival. Blue Ash is bringing live music back to its big Fourth of July party. This year’s Red, White & Blue Ash will be headlined by Pop artist Gavin DeGraw, and Cincinnati’s own Blessid Union of Souls will open the show. The day will also be full of rides, wandering entertainment and food and drink vendors, with an Arthur Rozzi Pyrotechnics fireworks show to close out the night. While details are still being determined for Riverfest , it is the best way to say goodbye to summer in Cincinnati. Launched more than four decades ago to celebrate the 10th anniversary of radio station WEBN, the Labor Day weekend bash features food, music, major traffic jams and one of the largest firework displays in the Midwest. Photo: Hailey Bollinger