Top 9 weekend things to do in the Tri-State

Weekend of August 8

Goettafest lasts all weekend, 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday, at Newport on the Levee.

Previous Play Next

Regular Photo Size6/6

Posted: 08/05/2011

By: PJ O'Keefe, paul.okeefe@wcpo.com

Looking for something to do this weekend? WCPO and CityBeat have teamed up to bring you the top 9 weekend things to do in the Tri-State.

1. Get A Fest:
Ever had a goetta brownie? Or a goetta burrito? What about a goetta egg roll? You can this weekend at Glier's Goettafest. Over 100,000 visitors from all 50 states are expected at this weekend-long Newport on the Levee event and along with live entertainment, a very unique goetta coney eating contest will separate the hungry from the meek. And for those who would rather play with their food than eat it, expect a goetta ring toss, goetta slide and more for the kids. Goetta the details by clicking here .

2. Sing The Blues:
One of the Queen City’s prize music festivals (and one of the best Blues fests in the region), 2011’s Cincy Blues Fest is celebrating its 19th year at Sawyer Point this weekend. It may be a blues focus, but that's not the essence of Cincy Blues Fest. The event also rocks a boogie woogie stage and this year a rockabilly stage will be sure to have you twisting and turning. In fact, we have 19 more reasons to check out the festival when you get the details on attending here .

3. Have A Local Lollapalooza:
Can't make it to Chicago for Lollapalooza? How about some local music? All in one conveniently-less-crowded and easier-to-navigate place? Mainstay Rock Bar hosts this home-grown version of collective live music, Localpalooza, including the bands The Lions Rampant, Eat Sugar, Pete Dressman, Team Void, Gold Shoes, The Harlequins and more. It all begins at 6 p.m. Saturday. Get the details you need here .

4. Laugh With Best Friends:
Comedian Greg Hahn says Go Bananas Comedy Club in Montgomery is “like a party in someone’s basement with best friends that you’ve never met." Hahn will be partying with those best friends all weekend-long. The Los Angeles-based comic is a frequent guest on the Bob & Tom show and promises a very funny show that will include tales of his jobs as a Wild, Wild West stuntman at Universal Studios and MC of a lumberjack show. Get the details on his show here .

5. Revisit Cold War Music:
Okay, that header was a bit of a stretch, but the very talented Cold War Kids will be playing the Madison Theater this Friday. This group brings deeply passionate music bristling with a soulful new wave energy to the stage in a distinct blend of indie rock, blues and garage soul. Not quite fiddles and flutes. Check out the details to this very entertaining group's show here .

Next page: Crazy art about menopause and old food

6. Go Crazy:
You might think it’s crazy to pull together 75 or 80 teenagers from all over Cincinnati to put on a musical in the summertime, but that's exactly what happens in the assembling of talented teens for Cincinnati Young People’s Theatre every summer at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts — this year is the group’s 30th anniversary. This weekend they present Crazy For You, a dancing extravaganza about a young man who just wants to be a dancer, despite his disapproving mother and his doubtful fiancée. Get details on the performance here .

7. Be An Artist Without School:
That's exactly what the artists of nearly 120 works at Thunder Sky, Inc.'s Hard Knocks exhibit this weekend did. The works are presented densely in a salon style installation that overwhelms the mind, but intrigues creativity. If they can be artists, why can't you? Grab your canvas and your brush, you're in for a life-changer. Get the details on the show here .

8. Age Musically:
Menopause The Musical is a musical that focuses on four women at a lingerie sale with nothing in common but a black lace bra -- and memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, an up-and-down sex life and more. This musical parody is set to classic tunes from the '60s, '70s and '80s and is sure to make you laugh. Read a review of the show here .

9. Eat Old Food:
The restaurant may be old, but the food is actually quite fresh at Bond Hill's Sugar 'N Spice. On the original menu 70 years ago was orange juice and corn flakes, but the restaurant still features throwbacks like The Ole Henny and the Cuddlin’ Puppy (a Kosher hot dog wrapped in bacon and smothered in cheese). Stop by this favorite for years to get a good, hearty, 1940s-feeling meal. Get a full review of the eatery here .