Ah, the sounds of summer nights in Cincinnati — the laughter of friends gathering at a street-side café after work, the free music at Everybody’s Backyard Picnic Concerts in Cincinnati Parks, or the cheers of Cincinnati Reds fans in the stadium and then the blasts of fireworks after a win. After hot summer days, the cool of the evening is refreshing and much of the nightlife in this river town happens outdoors on Fountain Square, along the downtown riverfront, at Riverbend, and in parks throughout the city — and, at some surprising and cool indoor venues as well.

 

Fountain Square

Cincinnati summers begin with the annual Taste of Cincinnati, held on Memorial Day Weekend downtown in the Fountain Square area(www.tasteofcincinnati.com). That is just the beginning. “We like to encourage people to park at the Square and start from there,” says Bill Donabedian, who programs the activities on Fountain Square. “We offer free entertainment Tuesday through Sunday nights and we have one or more “Ambassadors” on the square 24/7. They can give visitors information about activities here, directions, and answer general questions.”

The PNC Summer Music Series on Fountain Square runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day and presents a wide range of music styles(www.myfountainsquare.com/musicseries). “I’m a musician and I’ve had a chance to see the types of events that people like,” says Donabedian. “We try for a spectrum of music so that, at some point in time, there should be an event that you want to see.”

Tuesday is the night for blues and country. World Wide Wednesday pulls in music styles from around the globe. Salsa’s a hot thing, so it’s Salsa on the Square on Thursday nights, with live bands and instructors who teach the steps to hundreds of people between sets.

On Friday nights, MidPoint’s Indie Summer presents alternative

Advertisement

and indie rock from 7 to 10 p.m. That is followed by a Singer-Songwriter Night from 10 p.m. to midnight. “It’s very much an open-mike-type program,” says Donabedian. “You have a chance to see nine to 10 good musicians and even the few that might not be so good are not painfully awful.”

Sunday night programs include an early gospel series followed by Smooth Sunday soul and R&B. “Musicians love the early evening playing times and continually tell me how great it is to look out towards the fountain and into the big open spaces of the square,” says Donabedian.

The recently renovated Fountain Square has a tented stage, movable tables and chairs, vendors with food and beer concessions so you don’t have to leave the square to find refreshments. You can even bring in your own food. On the periphery of the square are restaurants such as Via Vite with an upper-level patio, Rock Bottom Brewery for a burger and a micro-brew or Chipotle for a burrito and a margarita.

Families love the Graeter’s on the east side of the square for its hometown favorite ice cream flavors. They also love Saturday movie nights when the LED board above Macy’s on the west side of the square becomes a movie screen. “We plan a free double feature starting at 7:30 p.m., generally themed together and always PG-13,” said Donabedian. “An example would be last year’s pairing of Kung Fu Panda followed by Karate Kid.” Lots of ice cream is sold on movie night, but parents can choose to bring in their own selection of snacks, blankets for the kids to rest on, etc.



The Riverfront

When the Cincinnati Reds are in town, you often hear the sound of fireworks set off after one of the players hits a home run or the team wins the game. “Win or lose, we have Rossi Fireworks after Friday night games, 10 this summer,” says Michael Anderson of the Reds. “We have giveaways such as bobble heads on Saturday nights.” (http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com)

The Great American Ball Park, Sawyer Point and Bicentennial Park are about five blocks from Fountain Square. And, by walking 10 minutes across the Purple People Bridge, you can access the nightlife on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. Some people park at Newport on the Levee in Kentucky, enjoy a meal and then walk over to the Ohio side for a baseball game, concert or event.

Cincinnati’s riverfront is a favorite gathering place after work on the second and fourth Wednesdays for Party in the Park. The free, live music event at Yeatman’s Cove Park from April through August has been rockin’ the river for 29 years. A bit newer is Brew-Ha-Ha, an August nighttime weekend event featuring 50 comedians and 60 beers. Comedy Central comedians Tom Mabe and Heywood Banks will be the headliners this year. The laughs are free; the beer tastings — microbrews as well as national brands — are by the ticket. (www.party-in-the-park.com)

Unique to the Cincinnati Waterfront ....