Enjoy this list of the best local events and things to do this weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio. This list includes weekend events, festivals, shows, family friendly things to do, and more.
All event details were accurate at the time of this posting but event details do occasionally change. You should always double check with the event source before you head out the door.
Things to Do This Weekend in Cincinnati, May 3-5
Many of our area Farmers Markets Open for the season in May.
SATURDAY, MAY 4:
May the 4th be with you! And happy Derby Day!
Get yourself signed up for Star Wars on the River Canoe Adventure, happening Saturday at Clermont County’s Chilo Lock 34 Park. Obi Wan Canoe-bi is calling all paddle-wans to join in on May the 4th to canoe along the Ohio River and celebrate all things Star Wars. No experience necessary and all equipment will be provided. Ages 12 and up only. Dress for the weather and possible splashes.
Finds on the Farm Spring Craft Show will be held at Niederman Family Farm on Saturday, 9am-3pm. This outdoor craft show will feature over 50 unique vendors which is a great opportunity to find that perfect Mother’s Day gift. There is no fee for parking or admission.
The Cincinnati Dog Treat Festival will be at Sonder Brewing on Saturday starting at 1pm. Sample and purchase healthy dog snacks in every form like baked, freeze dried, frozen, calming, crunchy, soft, chewy, and anything you can imagine from small, local treat businesses!
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Burnet Woods, they’re offering a tour of the Trailside Nature Center (formally known as Trailside Museum). They will have the building open with historical photos on display and be available to answer questions about this historic site!
Take the kids to CAM Kids Day on Saturday at the Cincinnati Art Museum, 11am-3pm. Each CAM Kids Day celebrates a new exhibition in the museum with themed activities. From 11 a.m.–1 p.m., families with preschool aged children (ages 3–5) enjoy hands-on gallery activities, art making led by community artists, story time with the Cincinnati Public Library, and a special age-appropriate performance. In the afternoon from 1–3 p.m. families with children ages 5–12 can experience collaborative activities, art experiments, games, art making stops, and a family performance.
It’s time for Cincy Cinco! Cincy-Cinco, the tri-state region’s premier Latino festival, is a family-friendly event that showcases Latino culture, values, and traditions. Supporters from many cultures come to celebrate Hispanic culture and share some Latin American traditions with the community. Food vendors, local dancers, and musicians gather for a fiesta all weekend long! It all happens at Fountain Square, downtown. Hours are Saturday, noon – 10pm and Sunday, noon-6pm.
Geofair will be at the Sharonville Convention Center on Saturday, 10am-6pm. This is the 59th Annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Show of Greater Cincinnati.
Head to Sharonville for Cars and Coffee, 10am-noon. All makes and models are welcome. Find the event in the lot behind the old Cliff Hardware store.
SUNDAY, MAY 5:
The Blue Ash Police Department is hosting a Youth Fishing Tournament on Sunday, 8:30am-1pm. Head to the Summit Park Pond to join in. Must sign a waiver (available online).
There’s an Eagle Nest Watch happening at Winton Woods, 7-9am. This free drop-in event will allow you to (hopefully) observe the bald eagle pair as they nest for a second year at Winton Lake. Interpreters will be available to answer questions as well as give the history of the current breeding pair of eagles. Parking will be available at the disc golf course and guests can walk down to the Adventure Outpost boat launch for the best viewing opportunities. To find the event on the Great Parks site, click the link above and then click on May 4 when you see their calendar.
It’s time for Cincy Cinco! Cincy-Cinco, the tri-state region’s premier Latino festival, is a family-friendly event that showcases Latino culture, values, and traditions. Supporters from many cultures come to celebrate Hispanic culture and share some Latin American traditions with the community. Food vendors, local dancers, and musicians gather for a fiesta all weekend long! It all happens at Fountain Square, downtown. Hours are Saturday, noon – 10pm and Sunday, noon-6pm.
Head to the Sharon Centre at Sharon Woods for a Fairy Flower Tea Party on Sunday at 11am. Frolic in the forest searching for fairies. Then join the fairies in the woods for a tea party made from flowers found around here. To find the details on their site, click the link above and then click on the calendar day for Sunday.
Tours Offered This Weekend:
Take a free Public Tour of the Cincinnati Art Museum, offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. No need to register – meet in the lobby.
Union Terminal Rotunda Tours are offered by Heritage Program docents at Cincinnati Museum Center on Fridays – Sundays. During a 45-minute tour of the 1933 train station, docents explain the architecture, construction and art of one of the finest examples of the Art Deco style. Hear details about the world-famous mosaic murals. These limited capacity public tours are first come, first served and will depend on availability. Tours are free; there is a charge to park.
Rookwood Pottery offers Behind the Scenes Tours of Rookwood on most Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets required.
Take a tour with Cincinnati Food Tours and savor some local food and culture. Times vary, but tasting tours are offered weekly at Findlay Market and in other delicious neighborhoods. Information and reservations at www.cincinnatifoodtours.com.
This Weekend’s Performing Arts Offerings:
Broadway in Cincinnati: Six (April 23-May 5)
Ensemble Theatre: The Match Game (April 13-May 5)
Playhouse in the Park: The Chosen (April 13-May 12)
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Much Ado About Nothing (April 12-May 5)
Special Exhibitions and Season-Long Events:
Cincinnati Art Museum: Accessible Expressions Ohio, opened Friday, March 29
One of the most accessible and diverse art presentations ever displayed at the museum, Accessible Expressions Ohio is a juried statewide art exhibition by Ohio artists, of all ages, with disabilities.
Cincinnati Art Museum: Whitfield Lovell: Passages, now thru May 26 (tickets required)
Whitfield Lovell: Passages urges viewers to contemplate the ordinary lives and extraordinary journeys of the African American experience, while raising universal questions about identity, memory, and America’s collective heritage. More than 80 evocative multisensory installations, conté crayon drawings, and assemblages comprise this most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work to date.
Cincinnati Museum Center: Pompeii: The Exhibition, now thru July 28 (tickets required)
Find out more about our visit to this exhibit here.
Taft Museum of Art:
Trading Places: The Rijksmuseum Lends Rare Painting to the Taft Museum of Art, now thru June 16
African Modernism in America, now thru May 19
A Breath of Fresh Air: Nature Inspires Rarely Seen Works, now thru May 19
NOTE: The Contemporary Arts Center, 21C Museum Hotel, and the Weston Art Gallery (events listed below) are all within walking distance of one another. Make a day of it!
Contemporary Arts Center:
Jayson Musson: His History of Art,on view thru Sept. 8
Shapes of Connection: The Lines of Our Identity, thru May 19
21C Museum Hotel Galleries: The SuperNatural (thru Sept.) and Queen City of the West (thru Dec.)
Weston Art Gallery: A New World: Ohio Women to Watch 2023, April 5 – June 9
Root for the Home Team!
Cincinnati Reds (home): Reds vs. Orioles. Friday at 6:10pm (Fireworks Friday), Saturday at 6:40pm (Star Wars Reds T-Shirt and Cincinnati Zoo Bald Eagle Flights), and Sunday at 4:10pm (Alexis Diaz Connect Bobblehead plus Family Discount Days). All three games will be broadcast on WLW 700 (radio).
FC Cincinnati (away): Cincinnati vs Orlando, Saturday, 7:30pm.
All events were accurate at the time of this posting but things do happen and events do occasionally get canceled or postponed. You should always double check with the event source before you head out the door. Links for each event are provided so that you can be sure the date is still accurate before you head out.
