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Top 9 things to do this weekend

Posted at 2:11 PM, Apr 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-21 15:49:37-04

Eat Well -- And Inexpensively

It’s not too late to get in on the delicious deals that are a part of Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week. Nearly 30 restaurants are offering $35 three-course prix fixe menus (or $60 menus for two diners). I went to Boi Na Braza earlier this week and stuffed myself and plan to go to Capital Grille this weekend before the promotion ends. Filet mignon, salad and dessert for $35? That’s a deal I don’t want to miss.

To see participating restaurants and menus, visit www.greatercincinnatirestaurantweek.com.

Meet Eric Jerome Dickey

I’ve been a fan of best-selling author Eric Jerome Dickey for years. Characters overlap throughout many of his books, giving readers the chance to see them at different stages of their lives; it makes them feel like old friends you are catching up with after years apart. Dickey will appear at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Thursday to discuss and sign his new book, “The Blackbirds,” which he released this week. (Full confession: I stayed up until 1 a.m. this morning reading the book -- I just couldn’t put it down.) The story follows four completely different sister-friends, with the kind of bond we would all be lucky to have, as they go through love and family drama, illness and other challenges.  

7 p.m. Thursday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, 2692 Madison Road. Free admission. www.josephbeth.com.

‘Disney’s Beauty & the Beast’

It’s a tale as old as time. “Disney’s Beauty & the Beast,” the Broadway version, is on stage at the Aronoff through Sunday. Feel free to hum along to the songs, which, if you’re like me, will forever be ingrained in your memory.

Thursday through Sunday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St. $44-$125. For showtimes and more details, visit www.cincinnatiarts.org.

Time for the Terrace

It’s a bit gray outside but the weather’s still warm enough to enjoy a good patio. Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati’s outdoor Terrace is opening for the season on Thursday evening, so go have a drink and get a little air. And if you can, get there when the Terrace opens; half-price wine and Champagne is available until 9 p.m. 

8 p.m. Thursday. Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, 1000 Broadway St. Free admission. For details, visit the grand opening’s Facebook page.

Mo’Nique

Oscar-winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique is bringing her stand-up act to the Funny Bone in Liberty Center on Friday and Saturday. The Baltimore native, one of the four “Queens of Comedy,” is hilarious and well worth the drive.

7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday; 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., West Chester. $40. liberty.funnybone.com

Kiefer Sutherland

Did you know actor Kiefer Sutherland is a musician, too? The man most of the world knows as Jack Bauer is headed to the Taft Theatre for a concert on Saturday. Expect to hear songs from his upcoming debut album, “Down In A Hole”; he calls the tracks “the closest thing I’ve ever had to a journal or diary.” Singer-songwriter Austin Plaine also will perform. 

10 p.m. Saturday. Taft Theatre, Ballroom, 317 E. Fifth St. $20 advance, $25 day of show. tafttheatre.org

Reinheitsgebot Party

Did you know Germans created a law governing brewing 500 years ago? The law, called the Reinheitsgebot, set the purity standard for beer. Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. was the first American beer maker to certifiably pass the stringent standard Bavarians set for brewing, and Moerlein is so proud of that fact it is holding a day-long celebration Saturday at its Malt House Taproom. There will be bands, free food and tours, a celebration of German heritage and drink specials -- of course.

11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday. Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom, 1621 Moore St. Free admission. For details visit the event’s Facebook page. 

Happy Anniversary, Urban Artifact

Urban Artifact will celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday. The Northside brewery will release Perpetuum, a bourbon barrel aged sour ale, to mark the occasion. There also will be live music all day, specialty beer tappings every hour and limited-release offerings from Ei8ht Ball, Blank Slate, MadTree and Jackie O’s from Athens.

Starts at noon Saturday. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St. Free admission. For details visit the event’s Facebook page.
 

Lebanon Brew Ha Ha

Lebanon Brew Ha Ha mixes a lot of beer, a lot of food and a lot of live music. Sample suds from nearly 30 breweries all day while listening to performers such as Harbour, Richard Lynch and Jay Jesse Johnson.

5-10 p.m. Saturday. General admission, $40; VIP, $55; designated driver, $10. Warren County Fairgrounds, 665 N. Broadway, Lebanon. www.lebanonbrewhaha.com

Bonus Event: St. Joseph Catholic School 5K Run/ Walk

Need a good excuse to get out and get moving this weekend? St. Joseph Catholic School is hosting a 5K Run/Walk at 11 a.m. Saturday to benefit the school's athletic department. All ages are welcome to participate, and water and snacks will be provided.  The Run/Walk will step off outside of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, at 160 Rosa Parks Way, and the  $35 registration fee includes a T-shirt. For more details, visit saintjosephchurchandschool.com.