A Moms Guide to September: Family Fun in Cincinnati {2016}

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A Mom's Guide to September_FREE Shakespeare In the Park 

September 1
Flagship Park
Corner of Lakemont & Deerchase Drive, Erlanger, KY 41018
7-9pm
FREE

The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Please bring your blankets and chairs for a beautiful night in the park. We will provide free popcorn and lemonade for those in attendance.

Augusta Heritage Days

September 2-4
City of Augusta, KY 41002
Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 9:30am-8pm, Sunday 9am-6pm
FREE

Living history performance, trolley tours, music, art and museum exhibits, wine tasting, custom car show, beauty pageant, baby show, frog derby, wagon rides, petting zoo, inflatables, tree-climbing, sports and raffles.

Dance Under the Stars

September 2 & 3
De La Dance Center
5141 Kennedy Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45213
8-10pm
FREE

Free performance of dance and classical ballet. Bring lawn chairs or blanket. Free parking, outdoor stage and food/drinks available for purchase.

Curiosity Saturdays 

September 3
Washington Park
Saturdays 11 am- 1pm
FREE

Interactive programs designed to foster children’s creativity, feed their curiosity and expose them to many wonders of nature in a unique, urban setting.

Musikgarten Open House

September 3
Little Soungbird Music Studio
240 Main Street, Florence, KY 41042
10am-1pm
FREE

Get ready for a new year of music-making fun in this open house that includes crafts, instruments, games, songs, snacks and more.  Parents can explore materials, play with their kids, enter a raffle, and meet the instructors.  Two free demo classes will be offered to ages 0 – 4 at 10:30 or 11:30 a.m.

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Summer Series: Straussing Out

September 3
Devou Park
1344 Audubon Road, Covington, KY 41011
7:30pm
FREE, $5 suggested donation

A New Year’s style shindig with the family von Strauss. Concessions and restroom available. Bring seating, picnics welcome. TANK Shuttle transports from Covington Catholic High School, 1600 Dixie Highway, Park Hills, 6-7:30 p.m., $1 each way. Free limited parking.

Chuck Wagon Dinner Rides 

Saturdays through September 24
Bonnybrook Farms
3779 Ohio 132, Clarksville, OH 45113
5-9 pm
$40, $28 ages 5-12, FREE ages 4 and under; Reservations required

Food and fun at historic 370-acre working farm. Activities, made from scratch dinner, wagon ride to old chuck wagon at Todd Fork Creek for dessert and s’mores.

Lunken Airport Days  

cincinnatiwarbirds.org
cincinnatiwarbirds.org

September 3 & 4
Lunken Airport
262 Wilmer Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226
10am-4pm
FREE

Color guard ceremony at noon each day, helicopter and airplane rides, fly in WWII B-17 bomber (advance purchase required), see planes on display. Free hot dogs and drinks.

Ohio Renaissance Festival 

ORFSeptember 3 – October 23
10542 E. Ohio 73, Harveysburg, OH 45032
Weekends including Labor Day 10:30am-6pm
$21.95, $9.95 ages 5-12; discounts available online

Cheer your favorite knight to victory as he competes for the queen’s honor in the thrilling full-armored joust. The lanes are bustling with storytellers, strolling musicians, singers, dancers and villagers welcoming you to a festive day of living history. Feast like royalty on juicy roasted turkey legs, fresh-baked bread bowl stews, fish ‘n chips, steak-on-a-stake, and a variety of the finest beers and wines. The sprawling landscape is dotted with 12 stages and a unique open-air shopper’s marketplace with more than 130 merchants and demonstrating craftsmen. Visitors of all ages will be amused by the games of skill and human-powered rides. Try your hand at archery and see if you’re a modern-day Robin Hood, or climb the castle tower and rescue the lovely damsel in distress.

Miller-Leuser Log House Open House 

1st and 3rd Sundays through October 16
Miller-Leuser Log House
6550 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244
1-4pm
FREE

Tour of 1796 historic log house furnished with 18th and 19th century antiques.

Western & Southern / WEBN Fireworks at Riverfest  

September 4
Sawyer Point
Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202
12-10pm
FREE

This traditional, end-of-summer event began more than 30 years ago when WEBN treated the tri-state to a fireworks show in honor of the radio station’s 10th anniversary. The party, held annually at Sawyer Point on Sunday of Labor Day weekend, has grown into an all-day affair with music, food and family fun and entertainment all day. On both sides of the river, nearly a half-million people view the choreographed Rozzi’s Fireworks show while listening to the soundtrack on WEBN (102.7 FM) starting just after 9pm and lasting for about 30 minutes.

Labor Day Picnic 

September 5
Stricker’s Grove
11490 Hamilton Cleves Road, Ross, OH 45013
1-8pm
$12.50, FREE ages 2 and under

Admission includes all rides and soft drinks. Ride hours 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Popcorn, Sno-cones and cotton candy $1.

Oakley After Hours

September 9
Oakley Square
Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
6:30-10 pm
FREE

Join us the second Friday of every month for live music, kids entertainment, guest vendors, local businesses and MadTree beer!

Preparing for Night

September 9 & 10
Cincinnati Nature Center at Rowe Woods
4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150
6-10 pm
$10, $8 members, $6 child, $5 child members, $30 family maximum, $25 member family maximum

Bring your flashlights and discover the secret sights and sounds of nature at night at this fun-filled family event. At this event guests will enjoy:

    • Interactive stations along the trails featuring animals that make use of darkness
    • Live music with the Cash Only Band
    • Encounters with birds of prey from RAPTOR, Inc.
    • Free ice cream donated by United Dairy Farmers
    • Food from P&P Woodfired Pizza, Hungry Brothers and Wicked Hickory Food Trucks available for purchase

MainStrasse Village Oktoberfest 

September 9-11
MainStrasse Village
Main Street, Covington, KY 41011
Friday 5-11:30pm, Saturday 12-11:30pm, Sunday 12-9pm
FREE

Oom, Pah, Pah! Strike up the band for everyone’s favorite Oktoberfest, held the weekend after Labor Day for 37 years. From the First Keg Tapping Ceremony to the close of the day, it’s time to celebrate life with great German and American food and outstanding entertainment. Over 75 Arts and Crafts booths! A perfect fit for the historic German neighborhood of MainStrasse.

Cincy Comicon

September 9-11
Northern Kentucky Convention Center
1 W. RiverCenter Blvd., Covington, KY 41011
Friday 3-7pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
$25-$75; admission to Comicon gets admission to Bricks on the Banks Lego Expo

Celebrating comic creations of all kinds.

Second Saturday Street Faire

September 10
Downtown Waynesville
Main, High and Miami Streets, Waynesville, OH 45068
10 am – 5 pm
FREE

Artists, crafters and authors display and sell creations. Musicians, face painters, and tasty treats.

Touch a Truck 

September 10
Deerfield Towne Center
5503 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, OH 45040
10am-2pm
FREE with donation of a gently-used children’s book

Participants engage with heavy-duty equipment. Petting zoo, car seat inspections, magic show, giveaways.

Grand Opening and Open Swim 

September 10
Goldfish Swim School West Chester
7058 Ridgetop Drive, West Chester, OH 45069
2-5pm
FREE

Facility tours, complimentary snacks, games, raffles, activities and more.

Cincinnati Jazz & BBQ Festival 

September 10
Madison & Whetsel
5800 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45227
4-9pm
FREE

Features jazz and BBQ including The Nasti Nat Brass Band, Triage Featuring Eugene Goss, Jazz Renaissance, Sweets n Meats, Just Q’in, Ron D’s. Blank Slate beer, LaLa’s Blissful Bites, Mazuntes, family games and activities, Art Mart.

Cincinnati Hispanic Fest 

September 10 & 11
Hamilton County Fairgrounds
7801 Anthony Wayne Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45216
12-11pm
$8 per car; $1 walk-in

Food, entertainment, Hispanic culture and more.

Weekend in 1800 

greatparks.org
greatparks.org

September 10 & 11
Historic Log Cabin, Shawnee Lookout
2008 Lawrenceburg Road, North Bend, OH 45052
Saturday 2-6pm, Sunday 2-5pm
A valid Great Parks of Hamilton County Motor Vehicle Permit ($3 daily, $10 annual) is required to enter the park.

Go back in time to visit people from the year of 1800. The cabin and schoolhouse lawn will come alive with early Ohio settlers. Our guests will be reenactors from the Society of Northwest Longhunters dressed in period clothing. This fun event has something for the whole family.

Old West Festival 

September 10 – October 16
1449 Greenbush Cobb Road, Williamsburg, OH 45176
Weekends 10am-6pm
$12.99-$24.99 Adults; $9.99-$19.99 Kids; FREE 2 and under

Western-themed festival takes the whole family down a historic, dusty road to the times of the Old, Wild West. Guests will be treated to gun fightin’, old medicine and magic shows, a saloon with something to wet everybody’s whistle, live bluegrass entertainment, and so much more. Rain or Shine.

Wildlife Wednesdays: Feather Physics & Migration Mysteries 

September 14
Little Miami Scenic River and Trail Center
211 Railroad Avenue, Loveland, OH 45140
10-11:30am
FREE

Ever wonder where the birds go and how they get there? Take a swan dive with Clermont County Park District and Little Miami Conservancy as we uncover the mysteries of flight and migration patterns. Learn why some birds stay and some birds go and how they fly so high! Construct your own bird house to give your feathered friends a new home!

Little Nature Nuts 

September 14
Johnson Hills Park
7950 Bridle Road, Cincinnati, OH 45244
10:00-10:45am
$12, $9 residents

Parents and children participate together in variety of outdoor activities. This month’s theme: Rocks Rock. Dress for weather.

Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati 

September 16-18
Downtown Cincinnati
Second & Vine, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Friday 5pm-12am, Saturday 11am-12am, Sunday 11am-9pm
FREE

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, presented by Sam Adams, is where more than half-a-million herren und frauen will convene on Second and Third streets between Walnut and Elm to eat, sing, mingle, sport lederhosen, listen to polka music, try to speak German and perform the Chicken Dance! Oktoberfest Zinzinnati features seven stages showcasing continuous live German music and more than 30 food vendors serving close to 200 dishes. And don’t forget the weiner dog races on Fountain Square!

Kenton County Farm Harvest Tour 

September 17
13 Farms in Kenton County, KY
9am-5pm
FREE

Thirteen diverse farms have opened their gates for you and your family to experience local agriculture first-hand.

The City Flea 

September 17
Washington Park
10am-4pm
FREE

The City Flea is Cincinnati’s original curated, urban flea market that takes place once a month at Washington Park. Since its conception in 2011 The Flea has seen dozens of vendors grow from hobby to full time business and it is with much pride that we consider ourselves not only a monthly market, but a small business incubator, community organization, and city advocate. The Flea is a place to keep your dollars local, support small business and experience YOUR city in a unique and engaging way.

Family Game Day at The Rook OTR with Cincinnati Moms Blog 

cincinnati.com
cincinnati.com

September 17
The Rook OTR
1115 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
11am-1pm
$10 per family

We are so excited to partner with The Rook OTR to bring you “Family Game Day!” There will be games, prizes, sway, giveaways, and more! In addition, The Rook OTR will be offering their new kids menu to our guests for purchase.

Lantern Lighting Ceremony 

September 17
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45232
5-8pm
FREE

Unique remembrance service to honor those who have passed. Music by Pete Wagner Band as you prepare personalized lantern in memory of loved ones. At dusk lanterns are launched upon Willow Water Lake. A $5 donation to the Spring Grove Heritage Foundation is requested for the use of each lantern. Entertainment and parking are free.

3rd Sunday Funday: Happy Birthday, President Taft! 

September 18
Taft Museum of Art
1-4 pm
FREE

Celebrate the 27th President’s 159th birthday at his half-brother’s home. Discover portraits of William Howard Taft and the other famous faces in the Museum’s collection. Make a cherry blossom tree in honor of Taft’s time as President. At 2 p.m., a park ranger from the William Howard Taft National Historic Site will visit to tell us about Taft’s life.

Cincinnati Zombie Walk  

cincinnatiusa.com
cincinnatiusa.com

September 23
Freestore Foodbank Rosenthal Community Kitchen
1141 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45202
7-8pm
All participants are asked to being non-perishable food items to donate.

Walk ends at Duke Energy Convention Center.

Outdoor Movie Marathon

September 23-25
Washington Park
Friday 5:30-11pm, Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 11am-8:30pm
FREE

Enjoy a wide variety of movies and television shows in the park on a giant LED board. We’ve got something for everyone, from cartoons, to cult classics, to modern comedies and more. Full lineup coming soon.

Great Outdoor Weekend

September 24 & 25
Greater Cincinnati
Various locations, times and events
FREE

Nation’s largest outdoor recreation and nature education sampler, offering free outdoor events for families. More than 120 activities and programs, hosted at 40 different sites across Tri-state region.

Cincinnati Parks Amazing Family Race!

September 24
Smale Riverfront Park
11am-1pm
$35 per team; Registration required

ATTENTION FAMILIES….Get your competitive energy flowing!  It’s our 7th Annual Amazing Family Race and will return to the Smale Riverfront Park.  Everyone’s favorite new park along the Ohio River, Smale, features a variety of engaging playgrounds, Cincinnati themed structures, beautiful gardens, water features and the renowned Carol Ann’s Carousel! Navigate around these features all while competing in our challenges made specially for the whole family.  You’ll have a blast solving riddles and puzzles together to find your way to the next destination!  It will be…..AMAZING!
Teams can consist of up to 5 members and must include a combination of adults and children ages 5 through 17. The race starts and ends in Smale Riverfront Park.

Cincinnati Walks for Kids

September 24
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
4:30pm
Registration required

More than just a fundraising walk, this annual event is a day of fun and celebration for families. All proceeds benefit Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Change the Outcome Campaign. The walk includes a half-mile stroll through the Zoo, followed by fun and festivities.

O.F.F. Market

September 24
Oakley Fancy Flea Market
2890 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
10 am- 4 pm
FREE

Small businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, scavengers, bakers, chefs, artisans, fashionistas, food vendors, music and beer.

Fire Up the Night International Fireworks Competition

September 24
Coney Island
6201 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45228
4pm
$25 per carload, $5 per person walk-in

Competition begins at 8:30 p.m. Pits Phillipines, South Africa and Greece against each other in best-of-the-best fireworks extravaganza produced by Rozzi Famous Fireworks.

Merchants and Music Festival

September 24
Tower Park
950 S. Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas, KY 41075
1pm-12am
FREE

Featuring 125 local merchants and food booths. Music, wine fest, USO tent, children’s area, farmers market.

Weeki Wachee Mermaids

September 30 – October 16
Newport Aquarium
10am-6pm

See mermaids clad in colorful fish-tailed costume, swimming underwater in aquarium’s 60,000-gallon Coral Reef exhibit that features nearly 200 aquatic animals and more than 50 species of fish.

Donauschwaben Oktoberfest

September 30 – October 2
Donauschwaben Park
4290 Dry Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH 45252
Friday 6pm-12am, Saturday 2pm-12am, Sunday 10am-8pm
$3 admission

Features continuous live German music and dance performers, wide selection of food and drink including over 25 German and domestic beers, pit-roasted Bavarian pig and chicken and sausage. Convenient shuttle parking.

Da Vinci: The Genius

Through September 25
Cincinnati Museum Center
$19.50, $17.50 seniors, $12.50 child; $12.50 members, $8.50 member child

This exhibit features 17 themed galleries with over 200 pieces, including life-size reproductions of over 70 machine inventions, educational animations of da Vinci’s most notable works and an eye-opening, in-depth analysis of his most famous work, the “Mona Lisa.” Push, pull, crank and interact with many of these exhibits for a hands-on understanding of the scientific principles behind them. The interactive, hands-on exhibit presents the timeless blend of science, technology, engineering, art and culture in a way that will challenge you to pursue knowledge and dare to dream.

Seahorses: Unbridled Fun

Through March 31, 2017
Newport Aquarium

A new, interactive exhibit where guests can discover 10 species of seahorses, sea dragons, trumpetfish, shrimpfish and pipefish. With a head like a horse, snout like an aardvark and belly pouch like a kangaroo- seahorses are anything but ordinary. The way the exhibit is designed; guests will be completely immersed in the world of seahorses with something new to experience around every corner.

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Lisa Springer
I am a native Cincinnatian, born and raised on the West Side and currently settled across the river in Northern Kentucky. I’m a former Highlander, Bearcat, Falcon, and Fulbright Scholar. My greatest challenge hitherto is the one I love the most: being a Mom to an energetic eight-year-old boy. When not working full-time at one of the city’s great hospitals, I’m trying to fit in all there is to do in this wonderful city – and there is certainly A LOT to do! As one who loves to read, I am an advocate for the public library and go multiple times a week. You can often find me at Music Hall enjoying the ballet, opera, and orchestra. I am an introvert, a bit of a foodie, an NPR listener, a pessimist who likes to think she’s a realist, a middle child, an ex-wife and amicable co-parent, a fiancée, and much, much more. I feel lucky to have grown up in Cincinnati and to be raising my own child in this wonderful city.

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