Friday, Aug. 19
Black Family ReunionThe 34th-annual Black Family Reunion features a weekend-long event that "unites communities and highlights the strengths and values of the Black Family," per a description. Using this year's theme of "Bold & Beautiful," programming includes special speakers, live musical acts, a festival, a parade, a job fair and a Sunday morning prayer service. A bulk of the events — including the festival — take place at Sawyer Point, but Thursday's job fair takes place at the Hard Rock Casino; Friday's breakfast, featuring keynote speaker and local community advocate Iris Roley, takes place at Fountain Square; and the parade steps off from Avondale Town Center at 10 a.m. Saturday, featuring Grand Marshal Orlando Chapman. Saturday's festival at Sawyer Point includes food, fun, activities, health screenings, vendor booths and a concert from Raheem DeVaughn. Sunday's fest features a prayer service and music from Earnest Pugh and The Clark Sisters. Aug. 18-21. Free admission. Sawyer Point, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, myblackfamilyreunion.org.
Western & Southern Open
Tennis, anyone? The Western & Southern Open continues in Mason. The star-studded tennis tournament includes the "world’s top 41 men and 39 women, led by No.1 players Daniil Medvedev and Iga Swiatek," according to a release. Men will be competing for a $5 million prize, while women seek $2.8 million, with singles finals taking place on Aug. 21. And if you're interested in more than just tennis, read CityBeat's story on everything you can eat and drink at the tournament. Through Aug. 21. Multi-day packages are sold-out but single-day tickets are available for $12-$85. Lindner Family Tennis Center, 5460 Courseview Drive, Mason, wsopen.com.
Cincinnati Leather Weekend
Cincinnati Leather Weekend features a flurry of activity, including live shows, happy hours, a vendor market, brunch and the Cincinnati Leather Title Contest. Hosted by Cincinnati Leather, a group with the self-described aim of supporting the leather and kink communities, the main events take place Friday and Saturday night at the Woodward Theater. Friday's kick-off features a chance to mingle with attendees while enjoying a queer burlesque show and leather vendors. Saturday, there will be more entertainment, more shopping and the gender-neutral Cincinnati Leather Title Contest. Other Leather Weekend events include afterparties and happy hours at Bar 901 and the Birdcage, a Kink U event at the Birdcage (Saturday), a fetish happy hour a the Play Library (Saturday) and a Sunday brunch at MOTR Pub. VIP packages are available with reserved seating, a complimentary cocktail and a special pass to skip the line at the bar. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19 and 20; brunch 11 a.m. Aug. 21. $20 nightly; $100 VIP. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatileather.com.
Saturday, Aug. 20
Cincy BeerfestCincy Beerfest is taking its summertime drinking event to a new destination, kicking off festivities at TQL Stadium, home of hometown Major League Soccer team FC Cincinnati. This one-day-only celebration of all things craft beer features two sessions full of samples. Admission include 25 beer tickets. If you opt for early entry, you get four full hours to drink your way through the event, plus special photo ops in the stadium, access to The Pitch View Club and access to the outer walkway of the pitch itself. Basic admission gets you three hours of drinking time minus the stadium-centric perks. Organizers say there will be food available, including Skyline and Montgomery Inn. Early admission 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.; regular admission 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Aug. 20. $40 regular admission; $45 early admission. TQL Stadium, 1501 Central Parkway, West End, cincybeerfest.com.
Ari Lehman at Terror Town
For some horror movie fans, there’s nothing better than meeting the stars of their favorite cult classics, no matter how little screentime they received. Among those stars is actor Ari Lehman, who played a young Jason Voorhees for around 10 seconds in the final act of 1980’s Friday the 13th. Lehman will be signing autographs at local themed haunted attraction Terror Town’s media night. Shop spooky vendors, watch the Friday the 13th series on the big screen, enjoy live music from Spearpoint and take in the haunted old West town’s gatling gun and cannon fire shows. Kick off Halloween season is style — and about two months early. 7 p.m. Aug. 20. $55. Terror Town, 1449 Greenbush Cobb Road, Williamsburg, allhallowsevellc.com.
The City Flea Kids Market
The monthly City Flea pop-up maker market at Washington Park is going to the kids this weekend, or at least part of it is. In addition to the slew of 100-plus regular crafters, vintage shops, apothecary artisans and craft food producers normally at the City Flea, there will be a special kid-focused market featuring mini entrepreneurs promoting and selling their goods. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 20. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, thecityflea.com.
The Regional Gala at the Contemporary Arts Center
The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) hosts a big party and fundraiser on Saturday. Named after the museum's exhibit The Regional, featuring 23 contemporary Midwestern artists — and currently on view a the Kemper Museum in Kansas City — the Regional Gala will include artworks for auction, food and drinks from Fausto, beer from Rhinegeist, portrait drawings by local artist Nikita Gross, a program hosted by local artist Pam Kravetz, guest speaker Mayor Aftab Pureval and plenty of "immersive installations and performances," per an event description. The event asks attendees to dress in "cocktail chic/semi-formal" attire with metallic or floral accents. The gala continues with an afterpary in the CAC's downstairs Black Box space until midnight, featuring a DJ, cash bar and light installations. This event requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test from within the past 24-48 hours to enter. 5-9 p.m. Gala and 9 p.m.-midnight afterparty Aug. 20. $150; $250 VIP; $20 afterparty only. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, contemporaryartscenter.org.
I Love the '90s Bash Bar Crawl
Tap into millennial nostalgia with this Over-the-Rhine bar crawl. Tickets to the I Love the '90s Bash include a color-changing cup (remember Hypercolor T-shirts?), a slap bracelet, DJs playing 1990s music at participating bars, drink specials and a photographer. Dress in your best totally tubular duds and get ready to crawl your way from the Blind Pig to Igby's, O'Malley's in the Alley, Pilar, The Righteous Room and Rosedale OTR. Each bar will have themed discounted drink specials. 3-10 p.m. Aug. 20. $16. Check in at the Blind Pig, 24 W. Third St., Downtown, ilove90sbash.com/cincinnati.
Mimosa Fest
If you take brunch seriously, the Mimosa Fest might be your favorite event. Celebrate the morning cocktail at this festival dedicated to the mix of champagne and fruit juice. Tickets include one mimosa for general admission and three mimosas for VIP. VIP also includes early admission and a T-shirt. Expect DJs and other mimosas for purchase. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 21. $15 pre-sale; $20 door; $39 pre-sale VIP; $50 door VIP. Riverfront Live, 4343 Kellogg Ave., East End, riverfrontlivecincy.com.
Sunday, Aug. 21
Ukrainian Summer FestivalCincinnati's nonprofit Hope4Ukraine is hosting the Ukrainian Summer Festival, a cultural and culinary event and fundraiser at the Kolping Center. There will be live music, Ukrainian food (both fresh and frozen to take home), carnival games, an inflatable play area, Ukrainian-themed arts and crafts and a silent auction and raffle. Look for nalysnyky (crepes), varenyky (pierogies) and holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls). "The funds raised at this event will go towards buying medical equipment for overcrowded and unfunded hospitals in the Kharkiv Region," reads an event description. Noon-7 p.m. Aug. 21. Free admission. Kolping Center, 10235 W. Mill Road, Mt. Healthy, Facebook.com/UkrainianFestivalCincinnati.
Prismatica at Krohn Conservatory
Krohn Conservatory's new summer show, Prismatica, takes guests on a journey into a rainbow of color and light. The space will be full of pivoting prisms that attendees can move and play with to transform the conservatory into "an interactive kaleidoscope," per an event description. The panoply of hues cast by the prisms will be complemented by a bright floral exhibit and different displays dedicated to exploring the science of color and light. Through Oct. 16. $10 adults; $7 ages 5-17; free for 4 and under. 1501 Eden Park Drive, Mt. Adams, cincinnati-oh.gov.
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