This weekend’s roster of activities includes fun for everyone — including a festival for the bookworms, a market for the early holiday shoppers and more. Keep scrolling for just a sampling of events taking place across Greater Cincinnati this 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.
Cincinnati Storytelling Festival
Nov. 13-15 at Know Theatre, Over-the-Rhine
The festival will feature three days packed full of storytelling events from nationally recognized storytellers like Charlotte Blake Alston, Bil Lepp and Paul Strickland, the festival’s artistic director.
Winter at the Mustard Seed Market
Nov. 14-16 at the Clermont County Fairgrounds
The market offers shopping opportunities for every sort of shopper, offering goods from local artists and vendors, vintage curators and specialty food artisans. For those not particularly interested in shopping (i.e. the unenthused person that you drag to the market with you), there will also be food trucks, a free petting zoo, barrel rides, face painting and a live nativity scene. VIP and general admission tickets are available.
Opening Reception for Story Art: Works by Regional Book Illustrators at Art Academy of Cincinnati
Nov. 14 from 5-8 p.m. at the Pearlman and McClure Galleries, Art Academy of Cincinnati
The Art Academy of Cincinnati is debuting their newest exhibition, Story Art: Works by Regional Book Illustrators, this weekend at the Pearlman and McClure Galleries. The exhibition features work by picture book illustrators from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
Joy & Resilience: Uplifting Black, Queer Voices at Christ Church Cathedral
Nov. 15 and 16 at Christ Church Cathedral, Downtown
This concert from the MUSE Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir celebrates Black, queer voices by performing works by Langston Hughes and Ma Rainey. Local musician Siri Imani will also be joining MUSE for a special performance of her original songs.
Duke Energy Holiday Tree Arrival + Tree Trimming Party
Nov. 15 from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. at Fountain Square, Downtown
The tree will be delivered to downtown Cincinnati’s Fountain Square at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15. Spectators are invited to enjoy the Square’s Tree Trimming Party in the brand new Winterhaus, an oversized tent that will host programming throughout the winter, from 9-11 a.m. Saturday. Not Your Average Paint & Sip will lead a free ornament-making event, and there will also be holiday music. Then from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Winterhaus, pianist Ben Levin will play some winter tunes, and the bar will serve hot chocolate, Coca-Cola products and alcoholic beverages. Visit Cincy will also host the Grand Opening Party at Winterhaus Saturday from 6-10 p.m., with more ornament-making, photo-ops, the chance to win some Fountain District swag and CVG’s Fountain of Lights, a new light installation at the Tyler Davidson Fountain that is reminiscent of the city installations from the ‘50s.
18th Annual Books by the Banks Regional Book Festival
Nov. 15 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library Main Branch, Downtown
Books by the Banks again offers panel discussions, author readings and signings and activities for kids. The festival features works in an array of genres — from biography, fiction, teen and poetry to fantasy, romance, historical and local interest. More than 120 authors are set to take part, including a typically robust lineup of local and regional writers.
Ice Giant Night: A Celebration of Uranus and Neptune at the Cincinnati Observatory
Nov. 15 from 6-9 p.m. at the Cincinnati Observatory, Mount Lookout
Help find the magic in the colder seasons with a look at the coldest and most mysterious planets in the Solar System, Uranus and Neptune. In addition to a potential viewing of the planets, the event will include Solar System trivia, dry ice demonstrations exploring states of matter and planetary conditions, fake snowball toss games, ice cube relay races and an ice-themed scavenger hunt around the observatory.
Art on Vine Holiday Market at Rhinegeist Brewery
Nov. 16 from noon-6 p.m. at Rhinegeist Brewery, Over-the-Rhine
Art on Vine is returning to Rhinegeist this weekend with up to 80 local vendors offering apparel, fine art, handcrafted goods and more, along with food from local vendors and restaurants.
Drag Story Hour with P.H. Dee at Roebling Books & Coffee
Nov. 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Roebling Books & Coffee, Covington
Greater Cincinnati drag queen P.H. Dee will be hosting a story hour at Roebling Books & Coffee.