1. Christkindlmarkt German Christmas Market
Cincinnati's oldest and most authentic German Christmas market features German food and pastries, merchandise imported from Germany as well as locally handcrafted items, artisan demonstrations, carriage rides, live music and more this weekend at Germania Park. Based on the traditional Christmas markets popular throughout Germany, this Christkindlmarkt is mostly under a covered pavilion and heated tents, with some booths and attractions outdoors.
You can sip on a cold German beer or enjoy a cup of hot mulled wine while shopping for popular imported items like steins, cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers, linens, glass-blown ornaments, candle arches and candle holders with carousels that rotate when the candles are lit. For the kids, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting, and there's a lantern parade and petting zoo, too.
All Germania Society-operated booths are cashless (credit or debit cards only), although some outside vendors may accept cash. No guarantees, though, so come prepared. The market is open from 5-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and from noon-5 p.m. Sunday at Germania Park, 3529 W. Kemper Road, Colerain Township. Admission is $5, free ages 12-under as well as active and retired military with current ID. germaniasociety.com.
2. UC Health Ice Rink & Bumper Cars
Colder weather has crept into Cincinnati and with it comes the opening of the city's outdoor ice arena on Fountain Square (520 Vine St., Downtown) for another winter season. The ice rink offers two different types of sessions: bumper cars and skating, or skating only. Each session lasts 90 minutes. Skating-only sessions are exactly that: the entire rink is available for ice skating. During split ice sessions, a barrier divides the rink into two sections, with skaters on one side and bumper cars on the other. You can ride the bumper cars as many times as you like during your session, and you can also ice skate, but note that skates are not allowed in the bumper cars.
No skates? The rink offers rental skates in youth, women's and men's sizes, and traction aids for parents to walk on the ice with their kids, and dual blade adjustable skates for kids to learn to balance without injury.
While there will be a limited number of walk-up sales per session, your best bet is to book online to guarantee your desired session time. If you've booked online, you can also reschedule a session, and you'll get an alert if unseasonable weather closes the rink. The rink has some sneak peek sessions during the week to test out the ice, but the official opening takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, which also includes a tree-trimming party with the arrival of the Macy's Holiday Tree. The rink is open daily through Feb. 22. myfountainsquare.com.
3. Dino Stroll
If you've got a kid who's crazy about dinosaurs, listen up. Kids of all ages can travel back in time to the Mesozoic Era and come face-to-face with prehistoric dinosaurs like the T-Rex, Velociraptor and Stegosaurus, just to name a few, at this new interactive, walk-through experience at Duke Energy Convention Center (525 Elm St., Downtown). Dino Stroll features more than 75 animatronic dinosaurs that move and roar, bringing them to life before your very eyes. As if that's not enough, this is also the place to get up close and personal with a selection of large, serpentine, winged, horned and legendary fire-breathing dragons.
To limit crowds, tickets must be purchased in advance online. Slots are available every half hour from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. It costs $24.99 per person, free for children under the age of two, and for military and veterans with military ID. dinostroll.com.
4. Whiskey City Festival
It all starts with the water. Cool, limestone-filtered water – low in sulfur and iron yet high in calcium – lured the first distiller to Lawrenceburg in 1809, and by the 1880s, there were around 20 distilleries operating in the area. Prohibition decimated production, but the repeal of Prohibition brought legendary Canadian company Seagram to town, and while its name has changed over the years, that distillery in Lawrenceburg is still producing some of the finest rye whiskeys in the land.
The Whiskey City Festival celebrates the city's ties to the distilling industry, with whiskey-related activities that include special tastings by select distillers, craft breweries and local wineries, plus whiskey-themed light bites, educational displays and live music with the Sonny Moorman Band. It takes place from 7-10 p.m. Saturday at Lawrenceburg Event Center (91 Walnut St.). Festival tickets are $60, $25 designated driver. downtownlawrenceburg.com.
5. Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick
Leading contemporary artist Kara Walker has gained national and international recognition for her cut-paper silhouettes depicting historical narratives haunted by sexuality, violence and subjugation. Her work leads viewers to a critical understanding of the past while also proposing an examination of contemporary racial and gender stereotypes – it's an exhibition that implores viewers to look deeper, rather than away.
Cut to the Quick features more than 80 works, created between 1994 and 2019, that offer a broad overview of her career. Be aware that the exhibition contains mature content, including depictions of physical and sexual trauma. A Common Care Space, with resources for reflection, mindfulness and rest, is incorporated into the exhibition space. Cut to the Quick opens at 11 a.m. Friday at the Cincinnati Art Museum (953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams) and runs through Jan. 17. Tickets are $12. cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
Honorable mention: Cincinnati Ballet, 'King Arthur's Camelot'
Be transported back to the mystical land of Camelot, where the story of King Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere unfolds in a visually stunning display of dance, drama and magic that the whole family will enjoy. With exquisite costumes by Sandra Woodall – one of the dance world’s most sought after designers – and an original score by John Estacio, the story unfolds as newly crowned King Arthur navigates the trials of love and betrayal amidst a kingdom at war. Complete with puppets, projections and jousting, this ballet is fit for royalty.
You only have four opportunities to see this lush production by the Cincinnati Ballet. Shows take place at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Music Hall (1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine). Tickets run from $29-$129. cballet.org.
Honorable mention: football and futbol
Fans, we have choices to make on Sunday. Number one: which game to attend. Number two: what time to get into town because, eek, parking/traffic woes snaking into next week. We're talking, of course, about the Bengals vs. Browns game kicking off at 1 p.m. at Paul Brown Stadium (1 Paul Brown Way, Downtown) and the FC Cincinnati vs Atlanta United match at 3:30 p.m. at TQL Stadium (1501 Central Pkwy, Over-the-Rhine).
Regardless of which team you're supporting on Sunday, both have fun pre-game parties to attend. You can hit the Bud Light Tailgate Zone at The Banks (Freedom Way between Main and Walnut streets) between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for live music, a Bud Bar, jersey makeover and more. Over at Washington Park, Pre-Match at the Park runs from noon-4 p.m., featuring a DJ, family activities, food trucks and beer, wine, hard seltzer and drink specials. Both parties are free to attend. Go Cincinnati!
Honorable mention: Krohn Holiday Show
Krohn Conservatory's holiday show, "Trains and Traditions, a Cincinnati Holiday," opens Friday amid a colorful tapestry of poinsettias, charming garden railways and replicas of Cincinnati landmarks created out of "botanical architecture" by local artisan group Applied Imagination. The show will be open daily from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. through Jan. 9. Tickets are $10, $7 for ages 5-17 and free for ages 4-under. Krohn Conservatory is located at 950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. cincinnatiparks.com/krohn.
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