Cincinnati R&B Festival
Singer Keith Sweat pumped out jam after jam in the '80s and '90s: "Nobody," "I Want Her," "Make It Last Forever" and "Merry Go Round," just to name a few. R&B group 112 came a little later, with hits like "Cupid" and "Peaches and Cream" in the late '90s and '00s. So expect to hear some familiar classics when Sweat, 112, K-Ci & JoJo and Next come to U.S. Bank Arena on Friday for the Cincinnati R&B Festival. You won't be the only one who knows all the words by heart.
8 p.m. Friday. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway, The Banks. $52-$125. usbankarena.com
Revel OTR's grand opening
Urban winery and bar Revel will open for business on Friday in Over-the-Rhine. Revel will serve wine it makes on site, along with brands from other local vineyards. The owners promise a relaxed atmosphere where even the most casual wine drinker feels welcome.
Opens at 4 p.m. Friday. Revel OTR, 111 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. For more information visit Revel’s Facebook page.
Get Lit! Cincinnati
Meet more than two dozen local authors and artists while enjoying craft beer Saturday during the inaugural Get Lit! Literary festival at Urban Artifact. Authors will read and musicians will perform, and there also will be information sessions on how to get published, self-publishing, screening writing and poetry. Local comedian Gregory Petersen will emcee the event.
Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside. Free. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Holler festival
Fans of Kentucky craft beer and spirits, this festival is for you. Twenty-five Bluegrass breweries and distilleries will participate in the Holler festival at New Riff Distilling in Bellevue. New Riff, which hosted the inaugural festival in 2015, now hopes to make it an annual spring event.
6-10 p.m. Saturday. New Riff Distilling, 24 Distillery Way, Bellevue. $50. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Cincinnati Reds Kids Opening Day
The Cincinnati Reds will show their child-friendly colors on Kids Opening Day. The festivities start at 9 a.m. Saturday with a block party at the Banks, followed by a player and mascot parade at 10:30 a.m. The day also will include a Reds cap giveaway to children age 14 and younger before the Reds play the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:10 p.m.
Starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Great American Ball Park, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown. reds.com
Kings Island opening day
Who is ready to ride? Kings Island will kick off its 45th season Saturday with Mystic Timbers, a new wooden roller coaster. The 3,265-foot-long ride boasts 16 hills, a tunnel, spooky shed and a top speed of 53 miles per hour. The park also will feature new food options like Tom & Chee this year, and visitors can look forward to the return of Winterfest in the fall.
10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday. Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. $42-$67. www.visitkingsisland.com
Beer-Lingual
Covington’s KungFood Chu's AmerAsia restaurant will host the Beer-Lingual block party Saturday to raise money for the English Language Learning Foundation. MadTree, Rhinegeist, Braxton, Urban Artifact, West Sixth and New Belgium breweries will serve beer. There also will be vendors, live music, food, games and beer basket raffles at the party. The restaurant will donate all proceeds from raffle ticket sales and 10 percent of food sales at AmerAsia to the nonprofit foundation, which offers immigrant community outreach programs and educational scholarships.
2-10 p.m. Saturday. KungFood Chu's AmerAsia, 521 Madison Ave., Covington. Free. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
FC season opener
Who is ready for some futbol? FC Cincinnati will host its home opener against St. Louis FC on Saturday at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium. More than 15,000 tickets already have been sold for the game, according to the team’s Facebook page.
7 p.m. Saturday. Nippert Stadium, 2700 Bearcat Way, University of Cincinnati. $10-$30. www.fccincinnati.com
WWE Live
U.S. Bank Arena will be ready to rumble on Sunday when the WWE returns to Cincinnati. Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Rusev, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, New Day, Enzo & Big Cass, Bayley and Charlotte will take to the mat.
7 p.m. Sunday. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway, Downtown. $19-$137. usbankarena.com
Bonus: Cincinnati Cat Club show
This two-day event is the cat’s pajamas for any feline lover. For 65 years, the Cincinnati Cat Club has hosted this show, which includes house cat competitions, vendors and adoption opportunities.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Butler County Fairgrounds, 1715 Fairgrove Ave., Hamilton. Adults $6; children $3; seniors $5; families $12. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
