Top 9 things to do this weekend

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Posted: 09/07/2012

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? 9 News has teamed up with CityBeat to give you the top nine picks.

1. Oktoberfest in MainStrasse

If you're from the Greater Cincinnati area, chances are you have German heritage and what better way to celebrate your ancestry than taking part in the 34th annual MainStrasse Village's Oktoberfest.

This weekend you can enjoy a mix of German and international foods, live music, and art with approximately 125,000 of your closest friends. The event makes for a great night out with friends or the whole family. Kids can enjoy the Kinderplatz, which is full of rides and the Amusement Midway.

There will also be a street chalk drawing contest on Saturday which will have cash prizes for both adults and kids.

Find out more on the festival here (http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/celebrate-oktoberfest-in-mainstrasse) .

2. Cincy Beerfest on Fountain Square

It’s been a long workweek. Clock out and meet your friends on the square to unwind over a few craft beers. For $30 in advance or $45 at the door, enjoy up to 25 five-ounce samples of microbrews. Come thirsty because with more than 150 choices, there’s no shortage of beverages — from beers brewed down the street to beers brewed around the country. With local music playing, a beer in one hand and a string of pretzels around your neck, you might even think you’re in Bavaria.

Get more details here (http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/cincy-beerfest-on-fountain-square) .

3. Storytelling at Washington Park

Everybody loves a nice story — storytelling is an ancient art form and community ritual that’s permeated every culture, told on papyrus, word of mouth or even through hieroglyphics. The grounds of shady, pristine Washington Park make an ideal setting for the first installation of the “Storytelling in the Park,” which unites amateur and professional storytellers alike to bring you a storytelling experience rejoicing that ancient art form that will entertain the entire family.

Joining the storytellers is librarian Arnice Smith from Cincinnati’s own College Hill Branch, who received the 2005 Librarian of the Year award from The New York Times.

Find out more here (http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/event-storytelling-at-washington-park) .

4. Cincinnati Film Festival

The week-long Cincinnati Film Festival kicked off its third year this Thursday with an opening night red carpet screening of the "Cincinnati Beer Story" at the historic Emery Theatre, which is still in the process of being renovated but open for the short-term special event. The documentary, narrated by local personality Gary Burbank, highlights Cincinnati’s rich brewing tradition, and there will be pre-screening walking tours of Over-the-Rhine’s brewery district.

Festival events include screenings, filmmaker workshops, post-film Q&A sessions with filmmakers and an awards ceremony. Other area venues involved are the Esquire Theatre, Clifton Performance Theatre and Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

For ticket information go here (http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/event-cincinnati-film-festival) .

5. Comedian Andy Woodhull at Go Bananas

Long before trying stand-up comedy, Andy Woodhull was stockpiling jokes. “In high school I read in a book that Jerry Seinfeld wrote that he kept a notebook and wrote funny things down in it.” Woodhull started doing the same, but it wasn’t until after college that he decided to give stand-up a shot. “I found out about open mic night at the Westport Plaza in St. Louis.” The notebooks came in handy, sort of. “I wasn’t writing in them all the time and basically everything was bad,” he says, lauging.

“I hadn’t ever done stand-up so I didn’t know how to write jokes. Basically I had two notebooks of Seinfeld jokes. Not his jokes, but jokes that he would tell, except they weren’t good enough.” Since then, Woodhull has moved from the observational fare to stories about his own life.

He performs this weekend at Go Bananas. For more details visit http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/comedy-andy-woodhull .

6. 'The Three Musketeers' at Playhouse in the Park

Let’s say you’re the new artistic director at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, following in the footsteps of someone who did a magnificent job there for 20 seasons. Wouldn’t you want to make a big impression and send some signals about what you’ll be offering theatergoers? That’s what Blake Robison has in mind with his production of "The Three Musketeers."

It’s a well-known adventure: Eager young D’Artagnan aspires to be like his heroes, somber Athos, jovial Porthos and romantic Aramis, all members of the French King’s loyal musketeers. Using a witty adaptation by playwright Ken Ludwig, full of humor, villainy and lively dialogue that sounds natural to our modern ears, Robison hopes to establish a tradition of thrilling productions that appeal to young and old.

For ticket information visit http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/the-three-misketerrs-at-playhouse-in-the-park .

7. Architreks: Betts Longworth Walking Tour

Take a walk where you are unlikely to have walked before, the Betts Longworth Historic District, with a guide from Architreks at 2 p.m. on either Saturday, Sept. 8 or 22. The 90-minute tour follows the streetscapes of the area, unique in the city, lined with Italianate homes, the occasional 19th century farmhouse and early 20th century habitations.

This variety reflects an area that went from farmland to a neighborhood populated by notable manufacturing and retailing families whose businesses and homes will be brought to life by the Architreks guide.

Click here (http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/architreks-betts-longworth-walking-tour) for more info on the tour.

8. Wordplay Grand Opening in Northside

Northside’s new Wordplay, a non-profit inspired by novelist Dave Eggers’ organization, 826 National, will offer a “third place” for children aside from school and home, providing a safe, inspirational place for children to grow and find their voice through creative expression and word-love. Tour the new facility for the grand opening, complete with word games, drinks and live music. The organization starts offering after-school programs the week of Sept. 10.

For more information visit http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/wordup-wordplay-grand-opening .

9. Ryan Singer in 'The Wonderland Express'

If you haven’t done so already, add Ryan Singer to the list of comics from the area making a splash on the national comedy scene. Singer regularly features for Marc Maron and also headlines around the U.S. This weekend, you can catch him in the independent film "The Wonderland Express" at the Cincinnati Film Festival. Written and directed by Greg Nichols, the film features a cast with deep roots in the Southwest Ohio theatre scene.

The plot centers on the discovery of a strange device and its subsequent effects on the everyday lives of the people who come into contact with it. The film has pulled in several awards at festivals around the country, including the Starlite Film Festival in Denver, the FilmDayton Film Festival, the Northwest Ohio Film Festival and the Dutch Tilt Film Festival.

Find out more here (http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/entertainment/citybeat/ryan-singer-in-the-wonderland-express) .