FRIDAYEVENT: CINCY WINTER BEERFEST Cincy Winter Beerfest is one of the top 10 craft beer festivals in the nation and one of the Queen City’s biggest beer bashes of the year — and that’s saying a lot (we have a lot of beer festivals). More than 350 craft beers from more than 100 breweries will descend on the Duke Energy Convention Center for two nights of drinking, dancing and dining. This ninth-annual fest not only features samples of all styles, tastes and ABVs of brews, but also live bands, a silent disco and food from dozens of local restaurants. Part of the proceeds benefits the Big Joe Duskin Music Education Foundation. 7:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $45 advance; $55 day of; early bird and connoisseurs packages available. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown, cincybeerfest.com.
DANCE: CINDERELLA This weekend, Cincinnati Ballet’s Cinderella, last seen in 2010, takes the stage at the Aronoff Center. The timeless tale has fresh choreography by artistic director and CEO Victoria Morgan. There are newly refurbished sets and updated costumes, too, as well as the addition of friendly puppet mice and more children’s roles. Carmon DeLeone conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in perhaps the most rhythmically powerful example of Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet music. “Cinderella charmingly reminds us that generosity and imagination can lead to a different and better life,” Morgan says. 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $32. 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cballet.org.
FILM: LOVE ME TONIGHT
Cincy World Cinema hosts their annual Valentine’s weekend movie special, screening Rouben Mamoulian’s Love Me Tonight. As the group notes, “If you like love stories, romantic comedy, great songs, classic cinema and the candid vibrancy of Pre-Code Hollywood, this film is for you!” It’s also for your date. For an additional fee, you can take your honey to dinner at the Highland Country Club. Meal includes buffet, with wine and dessert. 6 p.m. cocktails and dinner; 7:30 p.m. film. $35 dinner and film; $10 film. Highland Country Club, 931 Alexandria Pike, Ft. Thomas, Ky., cincyworldcinema.org.
EVENT: ANATOMY OF A VALENTINE DINNER & DISSECTION
Meddling with Nature, a local artistic taxidermy and photography studio, heads to GOODS on Main for a very special Valentine’s Day weekend. The weekend not only features your typical lovely dinner stuff, but also a real dissection. The evening kicks-off with a hands-on dissection of a heart, followed by casual discussion over a heart inspired meal. Gloves, wine and hand sanitizer will be provided. Come hungry, thirsty and curious. 6:30-9:30 p.m. $50. GOODS on Main, 1300 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/meddlingwithnature.
EVENT: LOVE MOER ON CAROL ANN’S CAROUSEL
Follow up dinner at the Moerlein Lager House with a romantic carousel ride. Moerlein is teaming up with Carol Ann’s Carousel and the Cincinnati Parks Department to provide everyone who dines at the restaurant this weekend with a pass for a complimentary ride. Carousel operates 7-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5-8 p.m. Sunday. Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, moerleinlagerhouse.com.
EVENT: VALENTINE’S DAY AT ORCHIDS
Five-diamond restaurant Orchids at Palm Court serves up Valentine’s Day eats all weekend with two different seatings, including four and six courses respectively. Reservations required. Friday-Sunday. First seating $85; second seating $105. Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, 35 W. Fifth St., Downtown, 513-421-9100, orchidsatpalmcourt.com.
EVENT: VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER AT WASHINGTON PLATFORM
Meal includes fresh oysters, two entrées, salads, a bottle of wine and chocolate-covered strawberries. But that’s not the best part — guests will also enjoy a half-hour horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. Friday-Sunday. $125; $90 without carriage ride. 1000 Elm St., Downtown, 513-421-0110, washingtonplatform.com.
ONSTAGE: CCO PRESENTS LA SERVA PADRONA AND STABAT MATER
The Cincinnati Chamber Opera performs a double bill of works by Giovanni Battista. The night kicks off with La Serva Padrona, a comedic one-act intermezzo often credited with bridging the gap between the Baroque and Classical eras. The second half of the program is a staging of Stabat Mater, which tells the biblical story of Jesus’ crucifixion from Mary’s point of view. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $25 adults; $20 students and seniors. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 100 Miami Ave., Terrace Park, cincinnatichamberopera.com.
EVENT: KROHN BY CANDLELIGHT
The Krohn keeps its doors open a little later for an adults-only date night. Stroll through the conservatory’s current spring show, Hatching Spring Blooms, and stop by the education room to learn about chocolate. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday. $12; reservations required. Krohn Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Drive, Eden Park, 513-421-4086, cincinnatiparks.com.
ART: PASSAGE OPENING AT THE CAC Only a few of us can travel in space like Neil Armstrong or Yuri Gagarin, but we all travel through myriad spaces in everyday life. It’s so common, we rarely even think about it. But the South Korea-born, London-based artist Do Ho Suh thinks about it very much. He approaches public and private spaces with the same sense of exploration that an astronaut devotes to the moon. You’ll be able to see what he’s discovered when the exhibition Passage opens at the Contemporary Arts Center on Friday. It continues through Sept. 11. Using colorful fabric, he has constructed soft, allusive versions of spaces he has known in his 53 years of living and traveling throughout the world. The show features four major fabric sculptural installations, including a stand-out (and stand-up) three-story staircase called “348 W. 22nd St.” Read more about the exhibit here. Passage opens Friday at the Contemporary Arts Center. Do Ho Suh will speak to members at 7 p.m., followed by a public opening at 8 p.m. More info: contemporaryartscenter.org.
ART: TINY TOMES AT THE LIBRARY Tiny Tomes features 71 of the library’s smallest books, on display in six cases through March 13. It’s a quirky and thoroughly charming exhibit. Who knew so many miniature books of all types existed, or that their subject matter could be so unusual and their graphic design so beautiful? Read more about the exhibit here. Tiny Tomes is on display through March 13 at the main branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. More info: cincinnatilibrary.org.
MUSIC: SERATONES Shreveport, La., foursome Seratones began playing together in 2014. After working on its live profile, by the end of 2015, the band had signed a deal with Fat Possum Records, played acclaimed shows at the South by Southwest and CMJ fests and were named one of the 20 best new bands of 2015 by Paste magazine (among other accolades). Considering the band has yet to release an album (its debut is due this year), it’s safe to say Seratones is in a pretty good position to be a “best of 2016” contender as well. Meeting through musical peers in different projects, the group members started out as friends, attending Punk shows together in Shreveport. Read more about Seratones in this week’s Sound Advice. See Seratones with Orchards Friday at Woodward Theater. More info/tickets: woodwardtheater.com.
MUSIC: MIKE STUD As a general rule, adopting the name “Stud” as a Hip Hop handle would be little more than chest-thumping braggadocio. But for Mike Seander, aka Mike Stud, it’s more or less a factual declaration. The Rhode Island native lettered in both baseball and basketball in high school. As a senior, Seander averaged 21 points and seven rebounds per game on the court, but his baseball skills were even more impressive — he earned a 9-2 record and an ERA of 0.91 with 107 strikeouts, and was named the state’s Gatorade and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year. He also received an athletic scholarship to Duke University, where, as a true freshman, Seander notched a 1.61 ERA in nine saves, respectively the lowest and second-highest marks in school history. Read more about the artist in this week’s Sound Advice. Mike Stud plays Bogart’s Friday. More info/tickets: bogarts.com.
SATURDAY
ONSTAGE: THE REVOLUTIONISTS A world premiere at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (simultaneously with another, Native Gardens). In The Revolutionists, up-and-coming playwright Lauren Gunderson assembles a crowd of badass historical women, including Marie Antoinette and assassin Charlotte Corday, imprisoned during the French Revolution. She imagines how they might encourage, inspire and support one another during the horrific “Reign of Terror” as they await the guillotine. Their short-term future certainly distills their conversations about what’s important, but Gunderson leavens her irreverent fantasia with a lot of sassy humor. “The beating heart of the play,” she says, “is that stories matter, that art matters.” Through March 6. $30-$85. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams, 513-421-3888, cincyplay.com.
EVENT: MY FURRY VALENTINE
Cincinnati’s largest pet adoption event returns to the Sharonville Convention Center for its fifth year of connecting animals in need with forever families. Meet a variety of pets, including cats, dogs, rodents, reptiles and birds. More than 500 adoptable animals from 40 local rescue groups, like Adore-A-Bull Rescue, League for Animal Welfare and SPCA Cincinnati, will be in attendance. Vendors will also sell a variety of products for your current furry family members. Last year, the event was attended by more than 10,000 people, resulting in 729 adoptions; organizers hope to see even bigger numbers in 2016. To ensure the safety of all animals involved, attendees are asked to leave their own pets at home. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $3 entry; adoption fees vary per rescue. Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, Sharonville, myfurryvalentine.com.
EVENT: JUNGLE JIM’S BIG CHEESE FESTIVAL Looking for a cheesy way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Jungle Jim’s has you covered. This year’s Big Cheese Festival promises to be the biggest one yet, featuring 40 booths from more than 80 different companies. Choose from 1,400 types of cheeses and pair your selections with meats, olives, breads, condiments and various liquors offered at stations throughout the building. Wine and beer can be purchased by the glass, and VIP and drinking wristbands are also available. Cheese carver Sarah Kaufmann, who holds a Guinness World Record for her talent, will be creating designs onsite; guests can even sample shavings from the cheese blocks Kaufmann carves. Noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $12 general admission; $2 children 16 and under; $16 advance two-day pass; $25 wristband. Oscar Event Center, Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.
EVENT: LUNAR NEW YEAR Celebrate the Lunar New Year and ring in the Year of the Monkey with a fusion of cultures in OTR’s newly renovated historic Gothic church, the Transept. Kick off the night with a cocktail hour and dim sum, including steamed pork belly sliders, sticky rice, rock salt tofu, turnip cakes and create-your-own congee. Main party starts at 10 p.m. with DJs and visuals from Chad Shack. Proceeds from the event will support Asian Food Fest and other Asian cultural events in Cincinnati. 8 p.m. cocktail hour; 10 p.m.-2 a.m. party. Saturday. $30 cocktail hour; free party. The Transept, 1205 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, godaspo.com.
MUSIC: WHITEY MORGAN AND THE 78’S Well, looky here. The CMA Awards derned got turnt around this past November when the corporate Bro-Country boys and girls got to sit in their chairs and watch a true Honky Tonk hero, Chris Stapleton, win three top honors. The pendulum shift is nothing new — the battle between lame Nashville Pop (the mainstream cookie-cutter horseshit mostly heard on the radio these days) and true-grit Country music has been raging for a very long time. It is no coincidence that Stapleton grew up across the Ohio River in Eastern Kentucky (Paintsville), not far from where Kentucky Music Hall of Famer Larry Cordle was raised; Cordle, along with Larry Shell, co-wrote “Murder on Music Row,” a song about the beginning of the devaluing of the true nature of Country music. Read more about the artist in this week’s Sound Advice. See Whitey Morgan and the 78’s with Cody Jinks Saturday at Southgate House Revival. More info/tickets: southgatehouse.com.
EVENT: URBAN HIKE: WINTER EDITION Lace up your trainers for a group urban hike with the folks from Imago and Park + Vine. Trek through Over-the-Rhine, downtown, across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge into Covington and finally into Devou Park for a great view. The hike is about eight miles and will consist of some hills. Hikers will stop at Son & Soil in Covington for shots of ginger or turmeric tonic, zoom balls and coffee. Registration includes a snack, boxed lunch and coffee. 9:30 a.m. Saturday. $20. Park + Vine, 1202 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, parkandvine.com.
EVENT: VALENTINE’S DINNER AT THE ZOO
This wild date night includes special close-up animal encounters in addition to dinner, dessert, a cash bar, wine-and-dine options and complimentary champagne. Guests will learn about the extreme measures some animals take to find a compatible mate in the wild. Saturday-Sunday. $150 per couple. 3400 Vine St., Avondale, 513-281-4700, cincinnatizoo.org.
MUSIC: TIGERLILLIES AND THE SUNDRESSES
Acclaimed local Rock band Tigerlilies is taking over Cincinnati all month long, performing a free show every week in February. On Saturday, the band plays Northside’s The Comet with The Sundresses, honoring Valentine’s Day by taking “prom photos” with attendees — come dressed in your tackiest school-dance attire. 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Free. The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, facebook.com/thetigerliliesusa.
EVENT: ROMANCE IN THE HEAVENS NKU’s Haile Digital Planetarium presents an evening of live music, actors telling romantic constellation lore, dessert and coffee. Adults only. 7:30-9 p.m. Saturday. $20 per couple. Northern Kentucky University, Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, Ky., 859-572-5600.
SUNDAY
EVENT: SPEED-DATING UNPLUGGED AT NEONS
Chill on the Tinder swiping for a second and meet some people IRL. Voted as one of Cincinnati’s best bar for singles, Neons is hosting a series of six-minute speed dates, with some pre-written questions to help get things off to a conversational start. Only the first 30 ladies and gents to arrive will be able to participate. Evening includes romantic food spread from Picnic & Pantry (fruit, chocolate, cheese) and Valentine’s cocktail specials. 6-8 p.m. Free admission. Neons Unplugged, 208 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, wellmannsbrands.com/neons.
EVENT: PASSION: A POLE TROUPE PRESENTS NOIR Couples looking for an artistic Valentine’s night out can head to Northside Tavern for aerial art, acro-yoga and some thematic burlesque by Passion: A Pole Troupe. The show is part of Passion’s mission to promote pole dance as performance art; ain’t no creep joint. Come be awed by some sultry athleticism from ladies dressed as sassy dames and femme fatales in Noir. Includes special guests Ginger LeSnapps of Cin City Burlesque and Jazz singer Samantha Carlson. 8 p.m. Sunday. $15; $20 door. Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside, facebook.com/passionapoletroupe.
EVENT: REVOLUTION ROTISSERIE & BAR’S SINGLE’S BRUNCH
V-Day is not just for couples (although couples are also welcome). Celebrate and treat yourself to a boozy brunch. Includes bottomless mimosas, Cards Against Humanity and hourly gift card giveaways. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. 1106 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-381-0009, revolutionrotisserie.com.
ONSTAGE: CATACOUSTIC CONSORT: THE HEROIC BAROQUE VIOLIN
Spend Valentine’s Day with modern and Baroque violinist Krista Bennion Beeney. Accompanied by harpsichord and bass viola da gamba, Beeney takes on pieces by Leclair, Biber and Bach. 3 p.m. Sunday. $25 general; $10 students; free children 12 and under. Church of the Advent, 2366 Kemper Lane, E. Walnut Hills, 513-772-3242, catacoustic.com.
EVENT: SONIC VALENTINE FOR THE EARTH
This local concert is part of a worldwide event called World Sound Healing Day, which combines sounds to generate peace and harmony. Featured musicians include Audrey Causilla, chant and piano; Vivian Hurley, gongs; Baoku Moses, Nigerian drumming and chant; and Janice T. Sunflower, Native American flutes. 6:30 p.m. Sunday. $15. Grace Episcopal Church, 5501 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, 513-541-2415, gracecollegehill.org.
COMEDY: JOHN ROY John Roy has been touring steadily and plugging away at his podcast, Don’t Ever Change, where he talks to comedians about what they were like in high school. We hear a lot of so-called origin stories from comics, but Roy insists there’s quite a bit of variety in people’s backstories if you know how to dig. “There are only so many times you can hear ‘nerd boy discovers Punk Rock and becomes confident,’ ” he says. “I try to have a diverse range of guests on to discuss what challenges they faced in high school.” Showtimes Thursday-Sunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.
ONSTAGE: NATIVE GARDENS When longtime, waspy residents are proud of their formal garden and the young Hispanic couple moving in next door prefer a more natural “native garden,” the temperature goes up. And when there’s a dispute about the property line, well, then there’s outright warfare. This world premiere by Karen Zacarías will entertain audiences (her Book Club Play did the same in 2013), but they’ll also think about how we get along with people who aren’t just like us. Kudos to the Playhouse for commissioning a new play by this skilled playwright. Through Feb. 21. $30-$85. Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams, 513-421-3888, cincyplay.com.
ONSTAGE: GROUNDED Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s 30th-anniversary season continues with an intense one-woman story told through the eyes of a fierce fighter pilot whose pregnancy “grounds” her. Instead of spending time flying missions, she is stationed in a windowless trailer in the desert outside Las Vegas, flying military drones above the Middle East to hunt down and kill terrorists. Pulled between two worlds, she is trapped in an unsettling pressure cooker. Kathleen Wise, a Cincinnati native with an impressive professional acting career, plays the pilot. Michael Evan Haney, a Cincinnati Playhouse veteran who knows how to shape solo performances into compelling drama, is the director. Through Feb. 14. $28-$44. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-3555, ensemblecincinnati.org.
ONSTAGE: CHAPTER TWO For years, Neil Simon wrote hilarious comedies — Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple. But in 1977, he began to mine his own life for material. Chapter Two, a play about a widowed writer trying to start over while still grieving for his late wife, was rooted in his own experience. Simon’s trademarked one-liners are still there, but woven into the show’s humor is a story about coming to terms with death and moving on. With this whimsical play, Simon began to be taken more seriously. Local director Ed Cohen stages Chapter Two, which increases the odds for a good production. Through Feb. 14. $26; $23 seniors/students. Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glendale Ave., Covedale, 513-241-6550, cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
EVENT: SKATE WITH YOUR DATE AT FOUNTAIN SQUARE
Spend Valentine’s Day on the ice with complimentary 2-for-1 skating. In between skating sessions, enter to win a grand prize package from radio station KISS 107.1. Noon-9 p.m. Sunday.$6; $4 skate rental. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown, myfountainsquare.com.
EVENT: VALENTINE’S NIGHT AT THE OBSERVATORY
Give your sweetie the universe. Evening includes music, drinks, chocolate, flowers and a viewing of the moon through the Observatory’s historic telescope. 8-10 p.m. Sunday. $60 per couple. 3489 Observatory Place, Mount Lookout, cincinnatiobservatory.org.
This article appears in Feb 10-17, 2016.
