Top 9 weekend things to do in the Tri-State

Weekend of July 14

It's summer. Barbeques burn at full bore and the smell of sumptuous grilled food drifts through neighborhoods. Burgers, steaks and chicken sizzle and make mouths water. This festival is part European, part American and all Cincinnatian.

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Posted: 07/15/2011

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. Celebrate Sausage:
It's summer. Barbecues burn at full bore and the smell of sumptuous grilled food drifts through neighborhoods. Burgers, steaks and chicken sizzle and make mouths water. The Cincy Sausage Festival is an enlarged version of those American pastimes, and it's also part European, but all Cincinnatian. The festival offers over 20 ways to enjoy different forms of sausage with games and live music to supplement. Enjoy it all over an ice cold drink looking at Cincinnati's skyline from a beer garden at Newport on the Levee this Friday. Get the details here .

2. Laugh At Anything:
Comedian Steve White will likely talk about anything when he’s doing stand-up. “Anything,” he insists. “Current events, not a lot of politics, but I dabble in it. Male, female, race relationships, hypocrisy, marriage and children. The more I live the more I have to talk about.” Part-time stand-up comedian, part-time actor, White knows how to put on a good show, and he says he's going to enjoy his stay in Cincinnati through the weekend at Funny Bone on the Levee. Get the details on White and his show here .

3. Get The Kids Back Together:
The Get Up Kids exploded on to the music scene in 2004, but the group got away from each other in the seven years following as their lives, wives and kids evolved into their day-to-day. The band gets back together this Saturday at Southgate House to play their very catchy indie rock sound. Get details on the band and an interview with some of the members here .

4. Buy, Buy, Buy:
Every girl dreams of having a giant closet, and a "closet" really can’t get any bigger than the empty former Anthropologie store in Rookwood Commons. The Cincinnati Boutique Sale is transforming this blank space into a three-day boutique binge with independent stores from all over the area coming together to create a fantasy fair of cute clothes (and accessories and shoes and jewelry…). Each boutique will have its own themed booth where they’ll be selling some of their favorite goodies and finds. Get all the details on the shopapalooza here .

5. Enjoy The Hot Air:
Yes, it will be hot this weekend, but in Middletown they're turning that hot air into a sky-laden spectacle. The Hot Air Balloon Festival at Smith Park features 40 unique hot air balloons competing in various categories of victory. Skydivers help kick off the event along with a pancake breakfast to keep balloon gazers full and happy. Get all the details on the festival here .

Next page: Define music while sleeping at the opera in the smoQ

6. Catch A Music-Defining Act:
Sometimes in pop music, they have to invent a new category — a new genre — in order to describe a singular artist’s musical approach. It happened with Elvis (Rock & Roll), Ray Charles (Soul), Bob Dylan (Folk Rock) and The Sex Pistols and their mid-1970s British brethren (Punk). While it would be an overstatement to say Americana was invented solely to describe Lucinda Williams’ groundbreaking mixture of literate singer/songwriter Folk and bluesy, energized Country Rock, delivered with a twangy and soulful enunciation, she had a lot to do with its creation. She comes to the Tri-State with her very fun sound at PNC Pavilion Friday night. Get details here .

7. Opera-ate:
CityBeat reporter Anne Arenstein signed up to see what it is to be in an opera first-hand, with an audition landing her a role as a potato peeler in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. The show comes to Music Hall this Sunday and you can follow Arenstein along on her journey before seeing the fruits of her potato peeling labors by reading up on what it takes to opera-ate here .

8. Get Some Sleep:
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Bedroom Farce tells a tale of an evening from the perspective of different couples from three different bedrooms. This comedy explores what could have been, what settling means and how to laugh yourself silly. Get a full review of this show here .

9. Grab A smoQ:
Nearly everything on the menu at the delicious eatery smoQ is (Go figure) smoked, right down to the apples and peaches on two of the desserts. Brisket reubens, BBQ burgers and the smoQ’d Chicken and Waffle are just part of what makes this unique spot so good. Don't forget the smoked peaches and cream or the cinnamon bun cheesecake to top it off. Check out a full review of this Springdale spot here .