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Top 9 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: Sept. 22-25

Posted at 12:00 PM, Sep 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-24 08:41:44-04

Cincinnati Food + Wine Classic

Each year I am blown away by the deliciousness at the Cincinnati Food + Wine Classic. This year promises to be even bigger and better, with more food, more demos and a lot more room -- it has moved from Washington Park to Yeatman’s Cove. Check out our guide to the Classic. Go hungry, and enjoy.

Friday-Sunday. (Event times vary.)  Yeatman’s Cove, 705 E. Pete Rose Way. For full schedule and ticket pricing, go to cincinnatifoodandwineclassic.com.

Cincinnati Comic Expo

Expect to see a surplus of superheroes when the Cincinnati Comic Expo kicks off Friday at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Legendary Marvel comic book creator Stan Lee will be at the expo, and it will be the 93-year-old Lee's last convention appearance ever in the Midwest. There will be plenty more to see, from fans in costumes to vendors selling all kinds of fun items. Make sure not to miss the annual Cincinnati Zombie Walk or the Geek Prom.

Friday-Sunday, event times and prices vary. For full schedule and ticket options, go to cincinnaticomicexpo.com.

MidPoint Music Festival

Happy MidPoint Music Festival weekend! More than 80 acts will perform everything from indie to hip-hop to alt-rock on four stages in Over-the-Rhine. That’s right -- there will be four stages instead of the multiple venues of previous years. It’s the perfect time to find a new band to love. Check out our guide to MidPoint, our picks for must-see shows, suggestions for where to eat and local notables' MidPoint memories.

Friday-Sunday. Single-day passes $50. For venues, showtimes and tickets, go to mpmf.com.

Halloween Haunt

Kings Island will kick off Halloween Haunt, its annual fright fest, on Friday, and it will continue every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 29. This year’s haunt includes 11 haunted mazes, three outdoor scare zones, live shows and a chance to ride roller coasters like the Banshee, Beast and Diamondback at night.

6 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 29. (Note: The park opens at 7 p.m. Saturday.) Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. Admission: $30.99 in advance, free for gold and platinum season pass holders. www.visitkingsisland.com

Wussy

The Woodward Theater has booked local indie band Wussy to perform Friday and Saturday. Wussy last performed at the Woodward in February, playing a pre-release show for its sixth album "Forever Sounds."

 

9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. $18 advance, $22 day of show. www.woodwardtheater.com 

Bengals vs. Broncos 

Ahhh, there’s always so much hope and promise at the start of football season. The Bengals will play their first home game of the regular season Sunday, taking on the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. (Yes, football fans, food fans and comic fans -- there’s going to be a heckuva crowd Downtown this weekend.)

1 p.m. Sunday. Paul Brown Stadium, Downtown. $52-$308. www.ticketmaster.com

Art Off Pike

Covington’s annual arts festival Art Off Pike returns Sunday, featuring work from more than 60 artists, spoken word and dance demos, art installations and live music.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Seventh Street between Madison and Washington, Covington. Free admission. artoffpike.org

Newport Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest season is STILL going on, and this time it’s Newport’s turn to celebrate. Newport Oktoberfest will feature German food, music and beer on Riverboat Row this weekend.

5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Riverboat Row, Newport. Free admission. For details, visit the event’s Facebook page. 

Fire Up the Night

An international fireworks competition will blast off at Coney Island on Saturday. Fire Up the Night will pit fireworks teams from the Philippines, Greece and South Africa against each other. Cincinnati’s own Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks will provide its own show for the finale.

8:30 p.m. Saturday. Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave. Admission $25 a carload. www.coneyislandpark.com

Bonus: Here’s more things to do this weekend

Friday: Comedian Adam Carolla will appear at Jungle Jim’s, then head to Bogart’s for a live recording of his podcast.

Friday and Saturday: Arnold’s Bar & Grill has partnered with West Sixth Brewing to host a music festival featuring local bands and a lot of beer.

Saturday: The free Merchants & Music Festival will bring live music and Fort Thomas merchants to Tower Park. 

Saturday: Jane's Saddlebag is hosting a craft beer and bourbon festival.

Saturday and Sunday: Enjoy the great outdoors all weekend with free recreation and nature activities across Greater Cincinnati.