You may have heard the old adage “April showers bring May flowers.” That seems to be holding true this weekend, with forecasts of rain on both Saturday and Sunday as we dip from the 80-degree temperatures we’ve all been enjoying this week back down to the 50’s. Still, there’s plenty to do this weekend in Cincinnati, rain or shine.
If you’re looking for even more to do on every day of the week, visit the CityBeat events calendar.
Saturday, Kings Island, Mason, 10 a.m.
A good sign that the seasons are changing is the return of Cincinnati’s favorite amusement park. Kings Island reopens this Saturday, with a new ride in tow—”Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare” is the year’s marquee addition, setting up shop in the former “Boo Blasters” space in the Planet Snoopy zone of the park. The first group of riders for “Phantom Theater” will receive a special gift while supplies last.
FC Cincinnati’s Pride Night vs. Chicago Fire
Saturday, TQL Stadium, West End, 7:00 p.m.
The Orange and Blue take on the Chicago Fire in yet another home matchup. This time, the FCC is celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with its annual Pride Night. At the pre-game celebration, historian Jake Hogue will talk about Cincinnati’s queer history while local DJ Kirk Green will entertain the crowd. Local influencer Midwestern Lesbian designed this year’s Pride football scarf.
Sunday, Washington Park, Over-the-Rhine, 12:00 p.m.
Celebrate Mother Earth at Washington Park this Sunday as part of Cincinnati’s annual Earth Day celebration. Several vendors, performances and interactive experiences will be present at the festival as we all come together and learn how to be better stewards of our environment.
Slumber PAWty with Cincinnati Animal Care
Saturday, Cincinnati Animal Care, Northside, 6:00 p.m.
Help Cincinnati Animal Care reach their fundraising goals by spending the night playing with (or even sleeping with, if you so choose) a shelter pet in their facility this Saturday. Guests will participate in several interactive activities, like arts & crafts or Slumber PAWty Bingo.
Thursday-Sunday, Aronoff Center, downtown
To end their 2025-26 season, Cincinnati Ballet is putting on a family-friendly adaptation of “Pinocchio.” In this version of the classic story, two different dancers will portray Pinocchio as a puppet and as a real boy. Additionally, Cincinnati Ballet will transform the Aronoff Center’s lobby into an immersive experience full of puppeteers, games and crafts. CityBeat recently interviewed Cincinnati Ballet director Cervilio Miguel Amador about the show, which you can read by clicking here.
Sunday, Rhinegeist, Over-the-Rhine, 2 p.m.
In a rather unique cook-off benefitting Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, chefs from local OTR businesses (like Juniper Seed and Quan Hapa) will compete against each other using only scraps of discarded food. Guests will get to try each dish and vote for their favorite, alongside the opportunity to drink plenty of Rhinegeist’s famous brews.
Saturday, MadTree Brewing, Oakley, 10 a.m.
Celebrate the changing of the seasons at MadTree with their Spring Fest, which will transform the taproom into a garden wonderland. Alongside new beer releases and live music from Blue Otis, the Cincinnati Zoo will also be doing animal encounters throughout the day.
Saturday, Andrew J. Brady Music Center, downtown, 7 p.m.
Nate Smith is bringing his “Long Live Country Rock and Roll Tour” to the Queen City this Saturday.
Cincinnati Spring Vintage Market
Saturday, Ziegler Park, Over-the-Rhine, 11 a.m.
City Flea is back this Saturday for their first vintage market of the year. Head to Ziegler Park to browse a large array of vendors selling everything vintage.
Saturday, Leapin’ Lizard, Covington, 6 p.m.
The third annual Trans Prom is back once again to benefit Transform Cincy. This year’s theme is 80’s Punk, so attendees should do their best Bad brains or Dead Kennedys impersonations. Local queer icon DJ Boywife will be spinning tunes all night long, and Siri Imani will perform at the official afterparty.
