Cincinnati Chili Week Returns Bigger and Better Than Before
Cincinnati’s most iconic dish will be on the menu for an entire week this February with the return of Cincinnati Chili Week. The inaugural Chili Week in 2024 was a huge hit and is back for a second round of all things Cincinnati chili. Chili Week is happening Monday-Sunday, Feb. 24-March 2 and will feature…
Warm Up This Weekend at Findlay Market’s Annual Chili Fest
Cincinnati is going to be painfully cold this week, so it’s the perfect time to warm up with some delicious chili at Findlay Market’s annual Chili Fest, which will also be featuring the return of a special event this year. The ticketed Chili Fest Tasting is happening Sunday, Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4…
Go Vote! CityBeat’s 29th Annual Best Of Cincinnati® Readers Poll is Live
Get ready to cast your ballot to determine the best of the best Cincinnati has to offer. CityBeat’s 29th annual Best of Cincinnati® Readers Poll is now live. Your votes will determine the area’s best Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife, Arts & Culture, Sports & Recreation and City Life. Here are the basic…
A Rare Bird: ‘Goose’ is Cincinnati Musician Mol Sullivan’s First Full-Length Effort
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 24 print edition. Mol Sullivan has been making and performing music for 20 years. Put in perspective, that’s the same amount of time Barack Obama has been a household name and longer than Netflix has existed as a streaming service. Yet the Cincinnati born-and-bred singer-songwriter has never released…
Review: CityBeat’s Dining Critic Explores Cincinnati’s Newest Fine Dining Options, Colette and Atwood Oyster House
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 24 print edition. My love affair with France took off like a meteor when, at the impressionable age of 17, I spent two weeks in Paris at a five-star hotel a couple of blocks off the Champs-Élysées. I’ve returned to Paris many times since then. One thing I…
James Baldwin’s ‘The Amen Corner’ Sings the Blues at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 24 print edition. James Baldwin, the powerful Black writer and civil rights activist, is best known for his novel Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953). But, from an early age, he was fascinated by the theater and yearned for success as a playwright. A year after publishing…
Sound Advice: Country Folk Duo The Montvales Release Moving Sophomore Effort
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 24 print edition. Originally from Knoxville, Tenn. until a recent move, Cincinnati is lucky enough to claim rising country folk duo The Montvales — at least for now. The duo is set to release their cinematic and resonant new record, Born Strangers, with a celebration at the Woodward…
Will Liverman Makes His Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Debut with Brahms’ ‘A German Requiem’
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 24 print edition. Will Liverman is a mainstay of contemporary opera, but after two years of groundbreaking lead roles, he’s taking a deep dive into more intimate classical works. Earlier this month, Liverman sang a solo recital that included his own compositions for Cincinnati Song Initiative. Liverman makes…
Sound Advice: Indiana Jam Band Umphrey’s McGee to Perform at MegaCorp Pavilion
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 24 print edition. Formed in 1997 at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., jam/fusion group Umphrey’s McGee now consists of members Brendan Bayliss, Jake Cinninger, Joel Cummins, Andy Farag, Kris Myers and Ryan Stasik. They named the band after a real person named Humphrey Magee.…
You Can Now Try Bourbon Proofed With Water From Fountain Square
Sure, downtown Cincinnati’s Fountain Square is pretty to look at, but did you know that its Tyler Davidson Fountain also supplies fresh drinking water? Now, you can even get a bourbon that was proofed using water from the fountain. Cincinnati Distilling is now accepting pre-orders of its Fountain Square Reserve Bourbon, a 96-proof bourbon that…
Arnold’s Bar and Grill to Host Bockfest Beefsteak Dinner to Support Annual Bockfest Parade
In just a few short months, it’ll be spring again, and Cincinnati can’t celebrate the season without Bockfest, an annual debaucherous celebration of dark beer, springtime and goats. And one of the most crucial parts of the festival is the kickoff: the Bockfest Parade. To help support this unique tradition, Arnold’s Bar and Grill will…
Cincinnati Will Get Freezin’ for a Reason at the Polar Plunge This Weekend
This Saturday, those who can withstand the cold will get “Freezin’ for a Reason” at the annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Ohio and Special Olympics Kentucky at The Banks in downtown Cincinnati. Cincinnati’s Polar Plunge, happening at 150 E. Freedom Way, is one of eight scheduled in Ohio communities from January through March. Participants…
Guest Commentary: Ohio House District Primary Shows How Low the Bar Has Fallen for Principled Politics in the MAGA Era
A juicy drama is going on between Republicans in a northern Ohio legislative district that hugs Lake Erie. It’s a perfect microcosm of the low-bar politics afflicting our state and country. The incumbent right-winger from Ohio House District 89 is state Rep. D.J. Swearingen. He walks the MAGA party line on everything from anti-trans bullying…
Ohio’s Republican U.S. Senate Candidates Spar in First Televised Debate
The three Ohio Republican candidates competing for their party’s U.S. Senate nomination met Monday in the race’s first televised statewide debate. State Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose, and Cleveland-area businessman Bernie Moreno tussled over issues like immigration, abortion and the economy. Each insists they should be the state’s Republican…
How Cincinnati Pride Wants You to Help the Trans Community Right Now
Transgender Ohioans, healthcare providers and allies are fighting to keep gender-affirming care legal as state Republicans continue to steamroll healthcare rules. After Gov. Mike DeWine appeared to support medical autonomy by vetoing House Bill 68, which bans all gender-affirming care for minors, he proposed two new rules that would make accessing the care harder, even…
Newport on the Levee’s 16 Lots Southern Outpost May Be Closing For Good
A Newport brewpub may be closing for good, so this week may be your last chance to visit 16 Lots Southern Outpost. 16 Lots Southern Outpost posted the announcement on social media Friday, writing, “Hey, friends, many of you know, things aren’t looking great for us. Are we closing? Are we not? Truth: this could…
Confessions of a Twenty-Something in Cincinnati: From Extremely Introverted to Editorial Intern
Something I don’t think a lot of people know about CityBeat is that their office is somewhat tight-knit, physically and people-wise, as well. I guess that’s largely why Ashley — CityBeat editor-in-chief, and my boss — trusted me to write this column for her, as her new editorial intern for the University of Cincinnati’s spring…
Greta Van Fleet and Kane Brown to Headline Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Fest in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio, will turn into Flavortown this June as it hosts the inaugural Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Fest, a weekend full of food, music and fun. Flavortown Fest is happening Saturday-Sunday, June 1-2 at The Lawn at CAS. The festival aims to redefine the traditional festival experience by fusing food and funk in Fieri’s signature style.…
Summerfair Announces New Home After Coney Island Closure, But It’s Not Moving Far
Beloved Cincinnati art show Summerfair is staying put after its location was in question following the closure of Coney Island. In December, Coney Island announced it had sold its historic amusement park to Music & Event Management Inc. (MEMI), a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that also operates the park’s neighbor Riverbend Music Center.…
Cincinnati Nabs Spot on MovieMaker’s Top Cities to Live and Work In for Seventh Year
Cincinnati is continuing its transformation into a Midwest Hollywood as it, for the seventh year in a row, snagged a spot on MovieMaker Magazine’s “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” list. The Queen City remains in the No. 11 spot where it first landed in 2022. MovieMaker ranks cities based on surveys,…
Ohio Launching $20-Million, Decade-Long Study to Improve Behavioral Health Outcomes
This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. The state of Ohio is embarking on a decade-long study to better understand the root causes of mental illness, substance use disorders and suicide. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is providing a…
Public Comment Period on Ohio Gov. DeWine’s Gender Transition Rules Brings Strong Opposition
The ongoing public comment period for administrative rules Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine drafted related to gender transitions in the state has already brought opposition from Democratic lawmakers and various advocacy groups. DeWine proposed new rules related to gender-affirming care, even as he vetoed House Bill 68, which prohibits all gender-affirming care for minors in Ohio. The…
In ‘Origin,’ Ava DuVernay Turns Nonfiction Into a Gripping Feature Film
Watching Origin, the mind-stirring new film from writer-director Ava DuVernay, I found myself leaning forward, the way you do when a friend you haven’t seen in a long time relates an intensely personal tale of loss or love or both. University students no doubt do the same when Isabel Wilkerson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and…
Cincinnati Zoo Offers Ultimate Hippo Giveaway in Honor of Fiona’s Seventh Birthday
The Cincinnati Zoo’s beloved hippo Fiona is turning 7 years old on Jan. 24, and to celebrate, they’re offering a chance to win a meet-and-greet with Fiona and the rest of the hippo bloat. “She is indeed a lucky hippo, having survived a premature birth against the odds,” Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard said in…
Gorilla Cinema’s New ’90s Pop-Up Bar is All That and a Bag of Chips
We can hear the dial-up tone from here. Cincinnati’s Gorilla Cinema, the immersive experience masters behind Overlook Lodge, Tokyo Kitty and more, has built a time machine and is taking us all back to the ‘90s with its new pop-up bar in Over-the-Rhine. That 90’s Bar will be located in the space behind Gorilla Cinema’s…
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown Touts Bipartisan Deal to Boost Child Tax Credit, R&D and Housing
Ohio business leaders joined Ohio Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in calling for passage of a $78 billion tax deal this week. Tax committee chairs in the House and Senate — one a Republican, the other a Democrat — agreed on the plan which expands the child tax credit as well as tax deductions for…
Ohio Chamber of Commerce Supports Pharmacies in Opioid Lawsuit
In connection with a lawsuit alleging pharmacies are creating a “public nuisance” by dispensing opioid prescriptions, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce stood behind pharmacies in the state. The chamber argued it should instead be a “product liability” claim. The lawsuit is one of many across the country that allege that “opioid manufacturers, opioid distributors and…
CityBeat Asks Greg Landsman Why He Voted With Republicans on Border Policy Bill
Congressman Greg Landsman was one of fourteen Democrats in the House of Representatives who voted alongside Republicans to denounce President Joe Biden’s border policy. Resolution 957, which was passed 225-187 on Jan. 17, urges Biden to “end his administration’s open-borders policies,” according to the bill’s text. While the bill doesn’t change immigration law and only…
CVG Adds Seven New Food and Beverage Concepts to Concourses
Fliers at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) will have some new food and beverage options to enjoy before takeoff. CVG is partnering with SSP America and Tailwind Hospitality to bring seven new concepts — four full-service restaurants and three coffee and snack stops — to both concourses. These include a mix of local, national…
Young Buck Deli to Open Brick-and-Mortar Store, Commissary Kitchen in Over-the-Rhine
A Cincinnati delicatessen pop-up will be making a new home in Over-the-Rhine with its first brick-and-mortar storefront. Cincinnati culinary couple and butcher/chef duo Brian and Caitlin Young, who met on the set of season 16 of Bravo’s Top Chef, will bring their Young Buck Deli to the former Holtman’s Donuts shop on Vine Street. They’re…
Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Gives Classic Fairytale ‘Cinderella’ a Southern Twist
A one-woman show that reimagines the classic fairytale Cinderella is coming to the Fairfield Community Arts Center. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) will present Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots for one night only on Jan. 26. The traveling show is for children ages 4 and up and promises “knee-slapping” comedic moments and heartwarming life lessons.…
To Combat Chronic Absenteeism, Bipartisan Ohio Lawmakers Propose Paying Kids to Go to School
The bipartisan sponsors of a new bill to target chronic absenteeism want to model a piece of advice from novelist Jean Shepherd: “In God we trust, all others pay cash.” In a proposed two-year pilot program, Republican state Rep. Bill Seitz and Democratic Rep. Dani Isaacsohn, both of Cincinnati, said cash transfers would be sent…
Ohio Transgender Adults Speak Against Proposed Administrative Rules That Would Change Health Care
Ohio transgender adults are deeply concerned Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed administrative rules would make it harder for them to access gender-affirming care. DeWine announced two proposed rules earlier this month that would collect data on transgender medical care and modify the treatment of those with gender dysphoria, including requiring patients under 21 to undergo six months…
Northern Kentucky Comedy Club Commonwealth Sanctuary to Host ‘The Roast of Bob Belcher’
“Oh my god.” Bob Belcher, main character, burger chef and patriarch of the Belcher family on the Emmy Award-winning show Bob’s Burgers, is perfect roasting material. Fans of the show might be able to think of a lot of things to make fun of Bob for: his struggling restaurant, his body odor (“You smell like…
Public Feedback Wanted at College Hill Transportation Safety Panel Discussion
Headway is being made on a project to improve traffic safety in College Hill, and now’s the time to review the data and get involved. That’s the pitch from those behind the College Hill Safety Project, a collaborative initiative to calm traffic for pedestrians and cyclists. Since December 2021, groups The Devou Good Foundation, the…
Great Parks Completes Master Plan for New Westwood Park
The master plan for the park at the former Gamble estate in Westwood is now complete, says Great Parks, Hamilton County’s parks system. The master plan focuses on turning the 22-acre park at 2918 Werk Road into a highly accessible greenspace for the community with new amenities that will establish it as a local resource…
Guest Commentary: Tax Dollars are Wasted in States with School Vouchers
Like salmon swimming home to spawn, lobbyists are again roaming the hallways of the Kentucky State Capitol. This year, big-dollar lobbyists representing corporate-run private schools and churches are pushing House Bill 208 to change the state’s constitution to allow politicians to throw billions of tax dollars into private and religious schools. The bad news is,…
Study: Ohio One of Nine States with ‘Age-Based Pay Discrimination’ for Teen Workers
A national study of the pay for youth workers showed Ohio was among the states who allow “pay discrimination” when it comes to employment of young Ohioans. The Economic Policy Institute’s study of “youth subminimum wages” showed 34 states and DC engaged in practices that paid young workers less than minimum wage and also kept…
Increase in Flu Detected Through Wastewater Monitoring in Cincinnati
If it seems like everyone in your circle is sick lately, recent test findings from the Cincinnati Health Department (CHD) may explain why. CHD, who actively monitors untreated wastewater in Cincinnati in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health and the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, has found consecutive detection of Influenza A viral…
Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Swift Live Band Tribute is Coming to Huber Heights
Swifties of Greater Cincinnati and beyond: If you couldn’t get tickets to The Eras Tour (or you just want to relive your epic experience seeing Taylor Swift live) you can shake it off at a new event coming to the Dayton area. On Saturday, June 1, Let’s Sing Taylor – A Live Band Experience will…
Asian Cuisine Week Returns With Meal Deals and a Kickoff Party Next Week
Asian Cuisine Week, featuring more than 50 Asian Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky restaurants, is back for its fifth year next week. From Jan. 22-28, diners at participating restaurants can choose from chef-curated meals, secret menu items and dishes with special pricing. Guests can also track the restaurants they’ve visited and food and drinks tried…
World-Renowned Pompeii Exhibit Coming to Cincinnati Museum Center
A devastating volcanic eruption. A city frozen in time and forgotten for 1,700 years. The tragedy of Pompeii will come to the Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) in February in a new exhibit. POMPEII: The Exhibition will premiere at CMC on Feb. 16 and feature over 150 artifacts from the historic city on loan from the…
Anti-DEI Bill Seeks to Remove ‘Trauma-Informed Approach’ for Kentucky Schools from State Law
A bill aimed at preventing education funding to go to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging frameworks in K-12 schools would also remove language protecting “trauma-informed” methods in Kentucky schools if the bill remains unchanged as it makes its way through the General Assembly. Part of recently-filed Senate Bill 93 from Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, would…
Guest Commentary: National and Ohio Republican Lawmakers Don’t Govern, They Just Parade Hate-Filled Extremism
Embarrassing. Infuriating. Oppressing. Take your pick. They all describe the performative do-nothings in Columbus and Washington. Dodgy politicians who aspire not to serve the greater good but to grandstand in the extreme for notoriety. It’s not for nothing that Ohio’s General Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives (both under the loosely defined management of…
Protest Scheduled for Giant “Big Indian” Sign at Carthage Auto Dealer
A group of Cincinnati locals are calling on MotorTime Auto Sales in Carthage to take down a racist sign they say the dealership has displayed for decades. Werner Lange created a Change.org petition calling on MotorTime Auto Sales to take down the “utterly racist” 42-foot tall metal structure. “Erected by a wealthy racist car dealer…
As Veto Override Heads to State Senate, Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center Says it Will Comply With State Law
Local families and organizations are still processing the recent news out of Columbus that threatens young Ohioans’ right to access gender-affirming care in the state. On Jan. 10, the Ohio House voted 65-28 to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto on House Bill 68, a bill that would outlaw gender-affirming care for minors in the state.…
Paper or Plastic: How Many Times Can Regina George Get Hit By That Bus?
Since we’re back in class – again – how about a little Mean Girls history lesson? Get in, loser. First, there was the 2002 New York Times bestselling book “Queen Bees and Wannabes,” which served as the inspiration for the 2004 hit film Mean Girls which then served as the inspiration for the Broadway musical…
Cincinnati Couple’s Love Story Goes Viral on TikTok
On Thursday, Dec. 28, Julie Shore and Scott Gaede prepared for their wedding. The day was cold (a high of 43 degrees) and overcast, not unusual for Cincinnati, Ohio. It would be a small ceremony in Over-the-Rhine at Memorial Hall. The venue, which usually sees saxophonists, comedians and musical productions, was host to Shore and…
Ohio Republican Compared Gender Dysphoria to People Who Think They are Animals
Republican Ohio state Rep. Beth Lear compared gender dysphoria to people who think they are birds during Wednesday’s House Higher Education Committee meeting while she was talking about a bathroom ban bill she is co-sponsoring. “If I had a child who thought he was a bird, am I going to take them to a doctor…
DeWine Responds to Ohio House Override of House Bill 68 Veto
The transgender community is grappling with disappointment while Ohio House Republicans celebrate overriding Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers. Wednesday’s 65-28 vote sends House Bill 68 to the Senate where it needs 20 votes to override DeWine’s veto. If both chambers…
UPDATE: What We Know About the Dismembered Jane Doe Found in North Fairmount
A dismembered head found earlier in January is a confirmed match to the torso of a woman found in North Fairmount in November, Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco announced during a Jan. 11 press conference. The coroner and Cincinnati Police still don’t know the identity of the woman who was found dismembered in the woods…
‘Sh!t Show’ Art Exhibit Hopes to Raise Awareness for Public Restroom Access in Northside
The Cincinnati chapter of nonprofit organization PHLUSH (Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human) is hosting a group exhibition to raise awareness surrounding public restroom accessibility. “PHLUSH is excited to be a part of this creative effort to bring awareness of the need for 24-hour public restrooms,” Justin Jeffre, co-founder of Cincy PHLUSH, said in a…
Review: ‘All of Us Strangers’ is a Ghost Story and a Love Story
In its entwining of a love story and a ghost story, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers is scarcely without precedent, with forebears including The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Truly, Madly, Deeply and, of course, Ghost. Those films, however, involved romances between the living and the dead, with all of the inevitable complications. All of…
‘A Dark Day:’ Ohio Lawmakers Override Gov. DeWine’s Veto, Move Closer to Banning Health Care for Trans Youth
This story was originally published by the Buckeye Flame and republished here with permission. Members of the Ohio House voted 65-28 to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto on Ohio House Bill (HB) 68 Wednesday evening – taking one step closer to banning health care for transgender people under the age of 18 and preventing transgender girls…
Report: State and Local Taxes in Ohio (Still) Fall Most Heavily on the Poor
When the United States adopted an income tax in 1913, a major purpose was to make the system progressive and ease growing inequality. More than a century on, Ohio’s system of taxation is having the opposite effect — it’s taxing poor residents much more heavily than the rich and driving further inequality, according to a…
Get Help Navigating the Hellish Cincinnati Housing Market at This Homeownership Expo
The housing market right now might seem like a desolate hellscape (because it is), but if you’re interested in navigating the obstacles toward owning a home, the City of Cincinnati and Union Savings Bank are hosting a free workshop this month to help. The homeownership expo will be held Saturday, Jan. 27 from 9:30 a.m.…
Northern Kentucky University Reels in Special “Moby Dick” Art Collection
Northern Kentucky University has reeled in a white whale that no one knew it was looking for. NKU announced on Jan. 10 that the university acquired 66 charcoal drawings that interpret Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick from retired Boston College art professor and artist Aileen Callahan. The works add to the university’s existing collection of art about…
Rhinegeist to Host Showcase Featuring Upcycled Apparel from Jet Black Vintage
Old merch from Over-the-Rhine’s Rhinegeist Brewery is getting a second life in a special showcase happening this month. The showcase will feature unique, upcycled Rhinegeist apparel that was designed and manufactured by the team at vintage clothing store Jet Black Vintage (JBV) and interns from the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP college. It’ll be held in…
Freedom Center Offers Free Admission for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will offer free admission and special programming on Monday, Jan. 15. MLK Day at the Freedom Center will kick off with the annual King Legacy Celebration with this year’s theme being Advocacy & Action. Dr. Adren Wilson, vice president of Youth…
New COVID Vaccines Effective Against Most Recent Variant, as Cases Continue in Ohio
New research from Ohio State University shows the most recent variant of the COVID-19 virus “can be neutralized” by the latest vaccines, preventing a “widespread surge,” even as the state sees a winter rise set in. The newest virus is a variant of omicron, according to researchers from the OSU Department of Veterinary Biosciences, led…
Ohio House Republicans Expect to Override DeWine’s Veto of Anti-Trans Bill During Wednesday Session
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens is confident they have the necessary votes to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a controversial bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth. “As long as we don’t have a snowstorm, we’ll be voting,” Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, told reporters Tuesday. “It’s ready to be in the law as…
