Enjoy this list of the best local events and things to do this weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio. This list includes Christmas and holiday events, the last of our pumpkin themed activities, fun shows, family friendly things to do, and more weekend events.
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, November 1-3:
Grab your list and check it twice! It’s time for Christmas and Holiday Craft Shows!
Check out all the upcoming maker events here. Support Local!
FRIDAY, NOV. 1:
Get a jump on your shopping and enjoy a festive German Christmas Market at Germania Society’s Christkindlmarkt this weekend. Sip on a cold German bier or enjoy a cup of Glühwein (hot mulled wine) while shopping for unique gifts from Germany and from local crafters, and listen to music that will get you in the holiday spirit! Food choices include mock turtle soup, traditional wursts, and some sinful pastries. Friday’s fun includes carriage rides, a petting zoo and ponies, Santa, Krampus, St. Nicholaus, and more. Admission is $5 (credit/debit only) with free admission offered for those 12 and under and for active/retired military with current ID. Friday hours are 5-10pm.
Enjoy some Autumn Acoustics on the porch at Washington Park on Friday and Saturday, 6-9pm. This week’s featured music comes from Matt Walters (Friday) and Jenn Wulffen (Saturday). Urban Nights OTR will also be in the park on Friday with their Friday Night Market, 6-9pm.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2:
An annual favorite! Save those pumpkins and head to the Pumpkin Chuck Festival at Stanbery Park, 12-5pm. They’ll wheel the trebuchets – affectionately known as “Treb One,” “Baby Treb,” and “The Trebinator” – to the top of Mt. Washington’s famous sledding hill, where a team of trained volunteers will be waiting to see how far the gourds will fly as they try to take out three targets. They’ll also have food trucks, craft beer, live entertainment, fall colors, and family fun. The event is free to attend and will occur rain or shine. There are two options for launching your pumpkin: pay $5, donate your pumpkin, and launch any pumpkin brought to the trebuchet. Pay $15 and you launch your own specific pumpkin. Limit for either is three pumpkins per family.
It’s Opening Day for the Fountain Square Ice Rink! Rink amenities include 600 pairs of rental skates, a Warming Tent, a full-service concessions tent with hot and cold snacks, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, on-site parking, and restrooms. No reservations are needed / all admissions are walk up only. And they’ve opened up the entire rink to ice skating only this year!
It’s also opening day for Solstice Glow, the holiday show at the Krohn Conservatory. The show will be open Nov. 2, 2024 through Jan. 5, 2025.
The Northside Record Fair is Saturday, 11am – 4pm (with an early bird option available). Sponsored by Shake It Records, this event includes loads of vendors with thousands of LP’s! The event is at the Heart in Balance Event Center, 4222 Hamilton Ave. Admission charged.
Head to Factory 52 for the City Flea Fall Vintage Market, Saturday, 10am-4pm.
Pack up the four legged friends and head to Glenwood Gardens for Puppy Tails on the Trails, Saturday, 10-11am. Join a certified dog trainer on the park’s paved trails for a 2 mile guided walk. Meet other dog owners and learn some dog walking etiquette. Dogs must remain on a 4-6ft leash. Bringing your own dog treats is strongly recommended. To find this event, click the link and then click Nov. 2 on their calendar.
Enjoy some Autumn Acoustics on the porch at Washington Park on Friday and Saturday, 6-9pm. This week’s featured music comes from Matt Walters (Friday) and Jenn Wulffen (Saturday).
Get a jump on your shopping and enjoy a festive German Christmas Market at Germania Society’s Christkindlmarkt this weekend. Sip on a cold German bier or enjoy a cup of Glühwein (hot mulled wine) while shopping for unique gifts from Germany and from local crafters, and listen to music that will get you in the holiday spirit! Food choices include mock turtle soup, traditional wursts, and some sinful pastries. Saturday’s fun includes a lantern parade, Christkind, carriage rides, a petting zoo and ponies, Santa, Krampus, St. Nicholaus, and more. Admission is $5 (credit/debit only) with free admission offered for those 12 and under and for active/retired military with current ID. Saturday hours are 11am-10pm.
Off the Hill presents Tomas and the Library Lady on Saturday at ARCO – Venue for Arts and Community, 10-11am. Tomás and the Library Lady is the story of a boy – the son of migrant farm workers – meeting a librarian who introduces him to the wonderful world of books. Adapted by José Cruz González, based on the book by Pat Mora and brought to life by Playhouse in the Park Off the Hill! This story features English and Spanish elements. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Reserve your spot (free), and enjoy free parking, snacks, and a small toy for the kiddos!
It’s Resident Raptors time at the Cincinnati Nature Center, 3:30-4pm. Go enjoy a long walk in the autumn woods and then join the staff outside the Rowe Visitor Center for a 10-20 minutes mini-program on their resident raptors. Included with your admission and no registration is required.
The nights get longer and temps get cooler. It’s the perfect time for Fall Fire at Woodland Mound’s Seasongood Nature Center. Learn the basics of fire-making and roast marshmallows on this autumn evening. Starts at 5:30pm. Free. To find this event, click the link and then click Nov. 2 on their calendar.
Have e-waste to dispose of? Great Parks has paired up with Cohen Recycling to offer an E-Waste Collection Event at Winton Woods, Saturday, 9am-noon. E-waste like outdated or inoperable laptops, televisions and cell phones is the world’s fastest-growing waste source. With the U.S. in the lead as the biggest producer of e-waste, the hope is to provide Hamilton County residents the opportunity to dispose of their e-waste properly and easily. There is no limit on the number of items that will be accepted. Please refer to Cohen’s website for a list of acceptable and unacceptable items. Devices with a cathode ray tube, such as box and flat-screen TVs require a $10 fee.
The 1800s Harvest Jamboree is taking place at Shawnee Lookout this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 1-5pm. Fall brings food, and that’s a reason to celebrate at this historic jubilee from 19th-century Ohio. Enjoy traditionally prepared foods at our pioneer picnic, join in frontier festivities, toss tomahawks and engage in homesteader hijinks with classic games!
Rhinegeist hosts INKED 2024 on Saturday (12-9pm) and Sunday (12-5pm). Celebrate the annual release of Rhinegeist’s indelible Imperial Stout with a pop-up bottle shop offering a variety of vintage offerings from the Rhinegeist Barrel Aged portfolio, food from Empanada Box, and a selection of Cincinnati’s premier tattoo artists doing live tattoos of pre-selected flash art in the taproom throughout the day.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3:
The 1800s Harvest Jamboree is taking place at Shawnee Lookout this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 1-5pm. Fall brings food, and that’s a reason to celebrate at this historic jubilee from 19th-century Ohio. Enjoy traditionally prepared foods at our pioneer picnic, join in frontier festivities, toss tomahawks and engage in homesteader hijinks with classic games!
Off the Hill presents Tomas and the Library Lady on Saturday at The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, 1pm. Tomás and the Library Lady is the story of a boy – the son of migrant farm workers – meeting a librarian who introduces him to the wonderful world of books. Adapted by José Cruz González, based on the book by Pat Mora and brought to life by Playhouse in the Park Off the Hill! This story features English and Spanish elements. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Reserve your spot (free), link above.
Head to Withrow Nature Preserve for Finding Fungi, Sunday starting at 1pm. Join a nature interpreter for a hike in the woods along the Trout Lily Trail to check out which fungi are producing mushrooms. To find this event, click the link and then click Nov. 3 on their calendar.
Rhinegeist hosts INKED 2024 on Saturday (12-9pm) and Sunday (12-5pm). Celebrate the annual release of Rhinegeist’s indelible Imperial Stout with a pop-up bottle shop offering a variety of vintage offerings from the Rhinegeist Barrel Aged portfolio, food from Empanada Box, and a selection of Cincinnati’s premier tattoo artists doing live tattoos of pre-selected flash art in the taproom throughout the day.
Get a jump on your shopping and enjoy a festive German Christmas Market at Germania Society’s Christkindlmarkt this weekend. Sip on a cold German bier or enjoy a cup of Glühwein (hot mulled wine) while shopping for unique gifts from Germany and from local crafters, and listen to music that will get you in the holiday spirit! Food choices include mock turtle soup, traditional wursts, and some sinful pastries. Sunday’s fun includes Christkind, carriage rides, a petting zoo and ponies, face painting, Santa, St. Nicholaus, and more. Admission is $5 (credit/debit only) with free admission offered for those 12 and under and for active/retired military with current ID. Sunday hours are 12-5pm.
Performing Arts:
Playhouse in the Park: Rutka: A New Musical, Oct. 13-Nov. 10
Playhouse in the Park: The Second City Anniversary Show, Oct. 24-Dec. 22
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Oct. 11-Nov. 2
Cincinnati Ballet: Giselle, Oct. 31 – Nov. 3
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.
Special Exhibitions and Season-Long Events:
Cincinnati Art Museum: Discovering Ansel Adams, now thru Jan. 19, 2025
Krohn Conservatory: Solstice Glow, Nov. 2, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
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: The Illustrated Memoir Project (thru Nov. 10), Chip Thomas and the Painted Desert Project (thru Jan. 5), Kahill Robert Irving: Ground Water from screen Falls Street (thru Dec. 30)
21C Museum Hotel Galleries: Queen City of the West (thru Dec.), Revival (thru Sept., 2025), and FotoFocus Biennial, backstories (thru Sept., 2025)
Weston Art Gallery: Rachel Banks: The Trail of the Dead, Sept. 20-Nov. 3
Root for the Home Team!
Cincinnati Bengals (home): Bengals vs. Raiders, Sunday at 1pm. Bengals’ site says it will be broadcast on FOX.
University of Cincinnati: off this week
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.